Cheryl's Book Nook

The year is 1994. Jasper College is about to embark on a new course. It is titled “Unraveling a Literary Mystery” The class will be talk via television by convicted murderer, Dr. Richard Aldiss. Dr. Aldiss’s inspiration was recluse author, Paul Fallows. Followers of Fallows’s work would play a game called “The Procedure”. You were special if you were invited to play. The rules of the game are simple…Try and uncover the true identity of Mr. Fallows through his work. If you do than you are in the top elite few that have solved this great mystery but if you don’t than you should hope for death. Present day. Alex Shipley was one of Dr. Aldiss’s students. Now, it seems that someone is still playing the game only the person is playing for keeps. Two people have already been killed, who attended Dr. Aldiss’s class. It is up to Alex to find out who among the remaining former students is the killer. I can remember reading Mr. Lavender’s debut novel, Obedience and saying, “Ok, this is an author ...

I have a special treat for my readers. Have you ever wondered what the secret to life is and if so how you could gain it and live forever. Well the secret is out (kind of) in How to Live Forever (A Very Fictional Guide) by author Barry Burnett, M.D. Here is a brief sample of the book. If you want to read the whole book. You can download it from Anazon for free here. Chapter One: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Ire or Intrapustular Fidelopenia Head in hands, elbows on knees, David Black looked out between his fingers. Beyond them lay a warm evening in late spring – new leaves and new flowers, the sun behind the mountains, an infinitely deep blue sky. High within it, a single band of cloud glowed with a copper-colored radiance that traveled down between the low brick buildings, the telephone wires and the still-dark streetlights to burnish the concrete at his feet. A good day, he thought, to die. “Oh, come on...” said the executioner. David squinted sideways, over his thumb. “Did I say that...

It was obvious Mr. Parfitt is knowledgeable about China and not just someone interjecting their thoughts about what’s wrong with the country, but rather explaining the reason why things are the way they are. Or course, this came a little later in the book. First, Mr. Parfitt goes into detail about the country’s culture, history, and national psyche. On the one hand, I liked the detail as it was as though I were in China and could see, touch and smell it. On the other, there was so much detail that at times it was like reading a history book, and I would gloss over sections. The one constant was that I got a good feel for what the real China is – in language I could understand. What I took away from this book was that China, though a major manufacturer, will not overtake the US because it is stuck in its old culture and ways. Until China truly progresses and is ready to let go of its old culture and ways, it will never be as advanced as the US. Why China will Never Rule the World is a...

Detective Anna Travis has a serial killer on her hands. Someone is targeting prostitutes and killing them. The latest victim was found naked and by a truck stop. Anna and the rest of her unit have tried everything to identify the woman but she is a Jane Doe. With the trail growing cold, Anna’s boss is feeling the pressure to crack the case and soon. So when opportunity presents itself to Anna in the form of an offer from inmate, Cameron Welsh offering to help Anna track the killer, she can not pass up the invitation. I had high hopes for this book and it did have glimmer of brilliance but it was far and between for me. I found Anna frustrating. I kept yelling at her to wake up and grow some, you know what. For instance, when she was interviewing a gal that she knew was lying, she just took the woman’s word and left. Later when she and another detective were talking, she said that she bet that the gal threw away the suitcase after I left. If Anna believed that the woman had the suitcase...

Ten years ago, Rosemary Thomas is found guilty of murdering her husband, Thomas. It was said that Thomas’s body was found encased within an iron maiden trap. His body was decayed and so decomposed that it was almost impossible to identify his body. The only thing that the police were able to use was a small, piece of a tooth. Jon Nunn was the lead detective on the case. Present day. To this day the image of Rosemary’s execution still haunts Jon. Jon decides to reinvestigate the case for closure. What Jon finds instead is a web of lies and deceit. What do you get when you mix some of the best (twenty-six mystery writers to be exact) and ask them to collaborate on one mystery novel? You just get one of the best books of 2011! The book is…No Rest for the Dead. Ah, as if you could not already guess but I really, loved this book. I started this book on my lunch hour and by the time my hour was up, it was hard to go back to work and concentrate. I finished this book later that afternoon. The...

Review by Nancy Okay. So you’re spending an evening with your best friend as usual. She’s a bit magic addled (thinks she’s an expert in casting spells). So she is playing with a summoning spell which brings someone to you. Good, so far; an absolutely gorgeous guy - then the glitch – this dude is NOT breathing! Isabel is not at all thrilled with the appearance. She is even less thrilled when she finds that said ghost is attached to her by an invisible 5 foot chain. Makes showering and toileting more interesting than usual – more embarrassing, too. Tripp, the spell-caster un-extraordinaire; is totally unconcerned because, hey, not her issue! Turns the ghost may not be an actual ghost. Yet. It has to do with a copied spell book and a pretty unhappy real spell caster named Parker, a spirit named Finnegan and, of course; the requisite demon. Girl vs. Ghost was a funny, entertaining story with a well-thought out plot. The authors “get” the teen-age years and I’m personally looking forward to...

Things are alright with Hailey. Nothing that a missing finger will keep Hailey down. Hailey is going strong as Serena’s right hand woman. Hailey has also taken up fighting in the ring for money. Things just may be looking up for Hailey. Nope, I spoke too soon. Hailey has just become the number one suspect in a murder investigation. To make matters worse, one of the victims was a cop. Thieves Get Rich, Saints Get Shot is the follow up to Hailey’s War. It is recommended that you read Hailey’s War first. This way you get more of the background of Hailey and Serena. Though, author, Jodi Compton does a good job of briefly explaining what transpired in Hailey's War. Don’t let Hailey’s looks and blond hair fool you. She is one tough cookie. She can fight with the best of them. She is a good person to have around as she has your back. While, I did like this book and the fact that it focused on a group of tough women, which you can never have enough of. It was a slow start for me. In fact I...

I must admit that when I was sent a copy of this book that I was not sure about reading it. I don’t have any children but I do have nephews. I like that Mrs. Courtney shares during the introduction that she is not an expert on children but just a mom. This started off the book in the right step for me. I don’t want to read about someone preaching to me about the do’s and don’t on how to raise a child. Vicki Courtney breaks this book up into five different conversations…”Don’t define manhood by the culture’s wimpy standards. It’s ok to be a man! Conversation two” What you don’t learn to conquer may become your master. Conversation three” Not everyone is doing it! (And other naked truths about sex you won’t hear in the locker room) Conversation four” Boyhood is only for a season. P.S. It’s time to grow up! Conversation five “Godly men are ion short supply. Dare to become one! Each conversation is than broken down into chapters. Mrs. Courtney does good job of touching on each conversatio...

V is for Vampire is a fun, witty look at the Alphabet in a whole new light. Like for example did you know that A is for Arterial Spray and no matter how much a vampire might still nice in the moonlight or that he would only like a little bit; the vampire is really all about the arterial spray. Or that G is for Garlic and that vampires are not really allergic to it. In fact, what if I told you that the garlic trick was just some vampire’s sick joke to see how gullible humans really are. It worked. Finally… T is for Tombs for the Budget-Conscious. This applies to those vampires that are not wealthy. Warning, if you find an empty lot with the top of a motor home sticking out of the ground, do not investigate as this is more than likely the home of a vampire. Mr. Atomic is a very talented artist. The illustrations in this book were like something out of a classic black and white horror movie. To learn more about the Alphabet, than check out this book. V for Vampire is a blood-sucking good ...

Cotton Malone finds himself in the deadly cross hairs of a political game of cat and mouse, where the stakes are high. When Cotton receives an invitation to meet his old boss, Stephanie Nelle, Cotton accepts. Cotton enters the hotel room where he is to meet Stephanie but she is not there. When Cotton realizes that he has walked into a trap it is too late. Cotton is than captured and charged temporary for the attempted assassination of President Danny Daniels. Once President Daniels learns that Cotton is involved, he turns to him for help to stop the real people behind the attack before it is too late. The Jefferson Key is book seven of the Cotton Malone books. I have not read many books from Mr. Berry. I have to admit that I could not stop reading this book. I like the mixture of history with mystery that was in this story. Cotton is the man. He is like Nicolas Cage in the National Treasure movies but way cooler. Sorry Mr. Cage. The reason I mention National Treasure is because the sto...

Lily Burns is twenty nine years old. She has yet to be married. This could be because both her mom and grandma have warned her that all men are evil and to never marry for love. If you are to marry, make sure it is to a ugly man. Lily has been dating Gogo for just a short period. Lily receives a surprise when Gogo proposes to at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Both Lily’s mother and grandma warn Lily that marrying Gogo will only lead to heart break. There is a curse on the women. If they marry a man for love than something will happen to him. The only way to have a man stay is to marry a ugly man. Lily does not believe in the curse but she will witness how true it is when she tells Gogo to pinch her as she cannot believe her good fortune that she has married a good man. As soon as Gogo pinches Lily, she is transported back to her house and Gogo does not remember Lily. Lily must find a way to break the curse or lose Gogo forever. This is a comedic book that will have you smiling t...

Stephanie Plum arrives at her cousin Vinnie’s temporary new job site, only to find her boyfriend, Joe Morelli there. Joe is not here to see Stephanie. There is a dead body. Stephanie and her friend Lula are on the case. Murder stands in no way of Stephanie’s family’s quest to find Stephanie a good man, even if that means someone other than her boyfriend, Joe or her lover, Ranger. There were some funny moments to be found in this book that I would find myself stopping for a moment to read my husband a line in the book. For example there was the moment when Lula accidentally shot off a possible suspect’s toe. I must admit that I have not followed this series that closely. I have only read a couple of books. Though, this might have been an advantage or disadvantage. Whichever way you look at it. I say this because this book seems to have a lot of mixed reviews. A lot bad and a lot good. While, I am sure I might feel the way some of the readers did with the three star or less reviews, if I...

Alani has been in love with Jackson for a long time. This is why when Jackson awakes beside her in bed the next morning and can not remember that they just had hot, steamy sex, Alani is heart broken and mad. Fortunately for Jackson, he had a good reason for not remembering. Someone has erased Jackson’s memory. Dare, Trace, Alani and Jackson are on the case. Savor the Danger is the third book in The Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series. Though author, Lori Foster says you can read these books as stand alone novels, which you can, you will probably want to read all these books starting with When You Dare. All the men in this series are sexy and yummy. Alani and Jackson are smoking hot together. You could tell that they had sexual chemistry. They could not keep their hands off each other. Some times I think that this can get to be a little over board but in this story it worked. It was funny though that Trace, Alani’s brother and Dare were so protective of Alani. It was more about the wa...

Soorya Giri is a smart, educated, young woman. Soorya Giri went to college and became a lawyer. Though Soorya Giri may seem like she has everything, there is one thing that she desires more…a husband. The Full Moon Bride is the latest novel from author, Shobhan Bantwal. If you like Indian culture and stories than you have to check this author out. I have been reading Mrs. Bantwal’s books for a while. Each one brings something different to the table but almost always Mrs. Bantwal sticks to her roots of being raised in India and adds her influence to her books and characters. The women in each book are strong and independent. This is not something you would probably typically associate with the women of this country but being strong does not always mean being loud. I must admit that the last book I did not care for but this book is a step in the right direction again as to why I like this author. After seeing how much trouble Soorya Giri went though to find a husband, she was almost bett...

Skin Kadash is a former cop. He was recovering from a gun shot wound, only to learn that his girlfriend, Ruby Jane Whittaker has gone missing. What had Ruby gotten herself into? When Skin goes to Ruby’s apartment to find any sort of clue as to where Ruby is, Skin finds a dead man in Ruby’s bath tub. Skin decides to start off at Pete McKrall’s place. Pete is Ruby’s former boyfriend. On one hand, Skin hopes that he does not find Ruby with Pete but on the other hand if she is there than he and Ruby will have to figure out where they are in their relationship. County Line is the first book I have read by this author. I could tell that these were reoccurring characters when I first starting reading this book. It started out with Skin staying at a quiet, retreat where he was recovering from a near fatal gunshot wound. Though, I have not read any of the previous books, I was able to reading this book with no problems. Skin really made this book for me. He is like a modern day outlaw. He takes...

There once lived a twelve year old girl named September. September lived with her mom. Though, September grew lonely and bored. She longed for a grand adventure. The Green Wind took pity on September and flew September away to Fairyland. There September meets witches, a dragon, an evil Marquess, and a wairfuir to name a few. This book reminded me a little of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. It had that dark feel of a Tim Burton movie. This book may be about a little girl but this book can be enjoyed by adults. In fact, some of the parts in this book were above a younger reader’s mind set and would be understood by adults. For example: there was this one part in the story where September had come to a four way crossroads. She had to choose which way she wanted to go. One way pointed her to if she wanted to get lost, another way if she wanted to lose her mind, another way to lose your life and the last way to lose your heart. September chooses the way to lose your heart. The story goes ...

It was great to get to visit with the women of Happiness Key again. I must admit that I found Tracy and Wanda’s stories more interesting this time than the rest of the ladies stories. In Tracy’s case, I wanted to see how her and Marsh’s relationship would turn out, when he found out she was pregnant. I thought Tracy and Marsh made a good couple and wanted them to have a happy ending. In Wanda’s case, I don’t need to say any more about why I liked Wanda’s story other than Wanda’s Wonderful Pies. All the different pies that Wanda was coming up with was making my mouth water. Author, Emilie Richards really brings to life the women of Happiness Key. Sunset Bridge is book three in this series. I would suggest reading these books in order, just because you are going to want to get to know them better and once you do they will become some of your best friends. I am sorry to see this series come to a end as I have enjoyed reading these books. Clear a stop on your bookshelf for Sunset Bridge. T...

I am not usually a fan of short stories but when I heard about this book, I knew I had to give it a try. I am so glad that I did. Stories for Nightime and Some for the Day is a fun, kooky, entertaining collection of short stories. So of the stories I liked better than others. For example: The Book, a story that teaches you to use your imagination. The Octopus, a story that shows you that you can always return home. Also there was the story, The End of It All, about a husband and a wife, where the wife is taken by an alien. The man searches all over to find her to no end. Though, the man never finds his wife, he would not trade anything in the world for the time that he did get to spend with her. Of course, there were some stories that I did not like as well. Than there were the dark stories. Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day has a little bit of everything for everyone to enjoy. Don’t be fooled by the title of this collection of stories and the stories can be read any time of t...

Alex has just finished a training session with Sangster, his mentor with the Polidorium, a multinational organization. Just because Alex is part of the Polidorium does not mean that he is exempt from curfew at Glenarvon Academy, where he attends. On his way back to Glenarvon Academy, Alex is attacked by Elle. Elle is a vampire and Alex’s nemesis. Elle works for Scholomance. The Scholomance want Alex dead for good. After almost succeeding, Alex is forced to stay at LaLaurie School for Girls, Glenarvon Academy’s sister school. Will Elle finally take down Alex once and for all? Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead is book two in author, Jason Henderson’s young adult series featuring Alex Van Helsing. Book one is Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising. I would strongly suggest starting with book one as there is no lead up into book two. Though, it is pretty easy to quickly figure out who the bad guys are, there is not a lot of back ground story as to why the Scholomance want Alex dead. This ser...

Review by Nancy What if you were almost 16 and your life sucked? I’ll bet millions of “almost 16”ers could answer that one! However, your life probably doesn’t suck quite like Scarlett Cavanaugh’s. Yes, she climbs up the trellis to get in late at night and yes, she has talked her twin sister, Gwen, into covering for her. Typical? Yep. However, does your Siamese cat talk to you? I mean really speak. Though not! Habock (aka Adonis the Siamese) has a mission and it’s over two years old. His job is to take Scarlett forward in time to see what has happened to herself and her family and it isn’t pretty. Scarlett has gone Goth and is a mean, spiteful girl child. She treats Gwen horribly and has been grounded to the house for various indiscretions. She can’t even speak to her boyfriend, Sparks, who isn’t deemed worthy of her. Habock explains that this isn’t all quite correct but Scarlett has to stop a timeline crisis from happening and restore things to their old pattern. Scarlett must put asi...

Ali Carson is training to become an FBI agent. Ali’s dreams just may come crashing down faster than she can blink her eyes. Ali has just become the number one suspect in her boyfriend’s murder. All the clues point to Ali. Ali only has one person she can turn to and that is Jack McClure. Jack knows that Ali is not a murderer. Jack agrees to help Ali. It seems that there is more to the murder than just a lover’s spat. Jack and Ali’s investigation leads them down a path filled with deceit, intrigue and an Albanian slave trade. Blood Trust is the third Jack McClure and Ali Carson novel. Jack and Ali do make a good team. Jack is like Ali’s second father. He is protective but without being too much. At times I did feel like Ali tried too much to prove that she was more than just a “President’s Daughter”. There was non stop action though this book. It did have a little feel of Jason Bourne in it with all the action. As much as I do like the fact that the story line was constantly moving along...

Jennifer Stirling awakes to find herself in a hospital. She was involved in a terrible accident that left her with amnesia. Now, Jennifer is being released form the hospital and going home with her husband. Though, the doctor told Jennifer that she will regain her memories, Jennifer hates the feeling of being lost. Jennifer goes on pretending that she remembers. The problem is that Jennifer is not the same person that she was before the accident. She feels nothing for her husband. This explains why, when a mysterious man comes into Jennifer’s life, she starts a love affair with him. Things get really serious when Jennifer’s lover writes and asks Jennifer to meet him at Platform 4, Paddington, at 7:15 on Friday evening. Years later, Ellie works at a newspaper. The paper is moving to a new location. While sorting through old papers, Ellie stumbles across a series of letters between Jennifer and her lover. Ellie becomes intrigued. At first Ellie thinks this will be the perfect thing to bo...

Isaac Kingston lost his wife to fever. Isaac has no where to go. He sold everything his owned to try and cure his wife, only to lose her in the end. Isaac finds his way into an Amish village. It is here that Isaac finds a home. Lacey Bishop lost her mother when she was young. Lacey is a grown woman at twenty. Lacey is married off to Preacher Palmer. It is not a match made in heaven. Preacher Palmer has a mean temper. Lacey becomes friends with Isaac. The more time that they spend together, the stronger their feelings become for one another. Lacey and Isaac are just looking for a second chance. The Blessed is book four in the Shaker series. It can be read as a stand alone novel. This is what I did. I have never read any of the other books in this series. I have however read Angel Sister by Mrs. Gabhart and fell in love with it. This book was good but not what I was expecting as far as the aspect of the Amish. In most of the Amish books I have read, the people are caring and stick to tra...

Review by Nancy If you were a child in World War II Britain, it’s quite possible that when you arrived at school on a normal day in September of 1939 you were greeted with a note to be taken home to your parents immediately. Over 3 million children were evacuated from Britain to Wales, Canada and even the United States. This is the story of one evacuee and his family and you’d best get tissues now. Ray Evans was one of nine children in a home in Liverpool and was 6 years old when he and his older siblings were shipped off to live with volunteer families in South Wales. Ray’s dad broke the gas meter in the basement to get money for shoes for his children to wear on the train. They were happy kids but certainly not wealthy. He was told to stay with his oldest sister but, upon arriving in Wales they found girls went with girls and boys with boys. Ray and his brother Frank went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Jones while the girls went to live with a Mrs. White who immediately welcomed them wi...

Dr. Shelia Tao was having an affair with her teaching assistant, Ethan. When Shelia’s boyfriend proposed to her, Shelia decided to put the brakes on her and Ethan’s affair and call it quits. Unfortunately, Ethan did not take the news so well. Ethan is not someone to be used and than thrown away, when ever Shelia likes. Ethan will show Shelia that if he cannot have her that no one will not even her fiancé. This book did not make me sit on the edge of my seat but it did keep most of my interest. The things Ethan did was more on the subtle side in the beginning. For example Ethan just went undercover to get to know more about Morris, sent Shelia a compromising photo, calling and texting. This to me was not too extreme or over the top. It was not until about the last half of the book when Ethan really showed his dark side. I had mixed feelings about Shelia. One hand, I liked that she did not back down from Ethan but on the other hand, Shelia did not have a lot of personality to her. I did ...

Susie O’Brien and Mack Franklin have been “just friends” for about three years. That is three years too long. Susie and Mack’s friends and family are putting the pressure on these two to admit that they are dating. Susie would like to take things to the next level but she is afraid that Mack sees her as just a good friend. She will not make the first move in case Mack does feel this way and than that will just ruin things between them. It just so happens that Mack is ready also to make things official with Susie. Unfortunately before Mack can do so, he loses his job and Susie receives some news that could change things between Mack and Susie forever. Beach Lane is book seven in the Chesapeake Shores series. I have only read about one of two books in this series. This goes to show you that you can read them as stand alone novels and enjoy them, each on their own. I can tell you that even though I have not read all the books that fans of this series and of Susie and Mack, especially will...

Review by Nancy Well. This was an entirely new genre for me and what a fun one it turned out to be! An e-book full of puzzles was one of the last things I thought I’d ever be asked to review but…there you have it. The Grabarchuk’s have created a fun book for any puzzle-inclined older child or adult to spend some time with. Some of those puzzles are really hard (at least for me) but you are encouraged to try again if you pick the wrong answer. Did I tell you I sucked at Geometry? There are, as promised, 100 puzzles to pick and choose from and I think so far my favorite is one Trimino Sums. I actually got that one right! This book is only for Kindles but there is a Kindle app you can download so by-pass that little detail. Go ahead…have fun! Purchase here

Toni Matthews is about to get married to her fiancé, Scott Chadwick. They are to get married tomorrow. Toni has a closing today. Toni is a real estate broker. Toni accidentally left her briefcase in Scott’s car. It has all the paperwork she needs for today’s deal. Toni has been trying to call Scott and he is not answering his cell phone. Toni decides to drive over to the new construction site that Scott is working at and pick up her briefcase. There are police cars and an ambulance at the site when Toni arrives. This is because Scott is dead. The police believe that Scott took a header off the top of the unfinished hotel that he was building. Toni does not believe that Scott would take his own life. Neither does Scott’s best friend, Mark Ross. Together Toni and Mark hope to uncover the real truth behind Scott’s death. Deed for Death is more of a cozy mystery than a suspense/thriller mystery. The murder was brief, the plot didn’t have a lot of surprises…main female character falls for f...

Celia’s husband, Jonathon suggests that she, him and their sixteen year old son, Oliver go to Mexico for a family vacation. It has been a long time since they have been on a vacation. When Ceia arrives in Mexico, it does not take her long to get into vacation mode. While out by the swimming pool, Celia meets Benico. He seems like a nice man. Celia and Benico talk until Jonathon arrives and than Benico leaves. The next day, Celia goes for a morning jog. Afterwards, Celia goes for a swim, It is while she is swimming that she spots Benico again. Benico calls for Celia and tells her that he has been looking for her. Her son, Oliver has been in an accident and she must come quickly. He will drive her. The next thing Celia is aware of is that she awakes to find herself tied up to a chair and people demanding money or else. A Small Fortune is the first novel from a new author, Audrey Braun. I must admit that this book sounded good but at the same time I was not sure how much I would like it. ...

I must admit that this book was sent to me with on accident, along with some other books I wanted to read. This book is not something I would typically think to read but I remember watching Happy Days, when it was showing reruns. I am not old enough to have watched the original, when it was airing. So because I enjoyed watching Happy Days , I decided to give this book a try. It was nice to get to know Mr. Winkler a little more better on a personal bases as to who the “real” Henry Winkler is and not the one that everyone thinks they know as “Fonzie”. Mr. Winkler is a normal, laid-back type of guy. He is a good family man, husband, fisherman and photographer. Mr. Winkler is also someone who has Dyslexia. He found that fishing is one hobby that he enjoys but it also helps calm his brain. Another thing that Mr. Winkler is good at…photography. The pictures he took was like looking through a family album. All the talk that Mr. Winkler went on about Firehole Ranch in Montana makes me want to...

Clementine and her two sisters, Odette and Olivia could not be more different. While the three of them are triplets, only Odette and Olivia really share the bond that twins or triplets share. Maybe this is why Clementine was not named with an “O” name. Clem is her own person. While, she likes it take way, you can tell that she also misses the fact that she is not as close as Odette and Olivia. Clem and her sisters are about to being closer, when their father leaves them. I thought this book sounded really good when I read the summary. I tried to like this book but found that I could not get into it. I gave up at chapter six. At this point I did not care to learn why Clem’s father left them. As it was pointed out in the book, the secret that Clem’s father has kept from her and her sisters is bad and it is a good thing that he left. So if Clem’s father was such a bad guy, why would I want to know or care what his secret was, so that I can forgive him? Another reason that I gave up on thi...

Marjorie Richards lived a sheltered life. She did not know much about the world other than school, home and her parents. This has something to do with the fact that young girls have been kidnapped around where Marjorie lives. Marjorie does not mind living a sheltered life. In fact her and her parents have created their own language. It is kind of like their own form of pig Latin. The way Marjorie talks you would like she lived in the back woods. The other kids do not get Marjorie and have nick named her “The Talk Funny Girl”. Marjorie’s life changes when she meets Arturo Sanderson “Sands”. Sands is building a church in the middle of town. Upon Marjorie’s Aunt’s suggestion, Marjorie applies for a job helping Sands. She and Sands become close friends. Soon Marjorie starts getting a different view on the world and looks forward to her time with Sands. I thought this was a good coming of age book. I must admit that at first I did not know how long I could stick with this book. It was the w...

Laura and Adrianna were so similar in features that they could just about pass for twins. Laura and Adrianna were riding together in a car when they were involved in a car accident. Unfortunately, Adrianna was the only survivor. The accident has left Adrianna with amnesia. This is sad as Adrianna is a famous concert pianist. Hopefully Adrianna will regain her memories soon. Gavin works with Adrianna’s brother. They are business partners. Gavin must admit that he never really paid that much attention to Adrianna in the past. Of course, it had to do with the fact that she was his business partner’s sister. There is something different about Adrianna. Gavin can not pinpoint what it exactly is but Gavin is falling for Adrianna. I thought this book was alright. I must admit that I never became fully invested in the characters. I did not find Adrianna to be a strong presence, which was sad as I wanted her to be as she was the main lead. This might have been due to the fact that everyone else...

Mariah Carpenter had just taken a bunch of pills. The bottle in her hand felt heavy. One more time. Mariah Carpenter replaced the bottle on the nightstand and padded silently through her shadowy apartment. Moonlight cast uneven shadows on everything it touched. No need to turn on the lights: she could walk here blindfolded. She wants to commit suicide. Though, Mariah awakes to find that she is not dead. In fact, it seems that though the ordeal, Mariah has the psychic ability to communicate with children. Of course, these are not any children. These children have been kidnapped. It stated with Amanda. Mariah saw the news story on her and the next thing she knew, she was about to talk to Amanda and notify the police where Amanda was. Mariah soon becomes a celebrity. She is both praised and feared for her gift. Chosen is the first book in the Line of Descent series. The next book is called Prophecy. I thought Mariah was an intriguing character. It was nice to watch her ability grow as th...