Category: Books


Review: So Bright the Stars by Cidney Swanson

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October 1, 2020

So Bright the Stars (Shadow of Mars Book 2)So Bright the Stars by Cidney Swanson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yay! Another well-done sci-fi/Mars book! I would have loved to read this as a teen but love just as much as a septuagenarian. This is the second book in this series. The main character is now on Mars and is trying to fit in with the society that is already there.

Cidney Swanson has researched well to keep the story believable. Without making the story drab. She digs deep into her characters to bring them to life. As I am reading/listening to text-to-speech I find Ms. Swanson has me questioning ‘would I have done that? thought that?’ and the answers are sometimes obvious to the reader but not so much the main character, Penney. Other times the reader is in as much dark as Penney is.

I can’t wait for book three! Meanwhile, I hope you all get a chance to read the first series of Mars, Saving Mars which is more for the young adult, and then this series for adults as the character is an adult. But I see nothing that should keep a younger person from reading anything by Cidney. Enjoy!

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Review: I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds by Sunny Hostin

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September 27, 2020

I Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between WorldsI Am These Truths: A Memoir of Identity, Justice, and Living Between Worlds by Sunny Hostin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The View has always been as good as a cup of coffee to wake up to in the morning. I’ve watched since the inception with Barbara Walters and the rest. So I had to grab this Audible book.

I have seen Sunny Hostin grow on this show. I’ve seen her change a stance or two as she learned from the ladies or just time and news on her own. Not in a way that is wishy-washy but with knowledge and grace to see another side. To me that makes her one of the strongest women on the show. She doesn’t shout at the others, she isn’t rude to her elders. She is a shining example of what we all should be as we interact with others who might not have similar points of view.

In this book, Sunny shows us her life and how she became who she is now. I loved the whole book. I hope you get the chance to read or listen to it. Sunny narrates the Audible version and I find that makes it like she’s right in the room telling her story.

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Review: The Foretelling by Alice Hoffman

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September 24, 2020

The ForetellingThe Foretelling by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fun mythological story to read before bed. I always love an Alice Hoffman tale. I wonder if this could be made into a movie like Practical Magic? A tribe of women living their truth in their own time. And HORSES. Yep! All the fun things a fem could want to read about.

I may have to read this again sometime when escape isn’t my only intent. Or even if it is. I could jump into this world again. Maybe take it slower and absorb it more.

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Review: The Walking Dead, Vol. 14: No Way Out by Robert Kirkman

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The Walking Dead, Vol. 14: No Way Out (The Walking Dead, #79-84)The Walking Dead, Vol. 14: No Way Out by Robert Kirkman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For the first time, I’m at the same point in my Walking Dead binges of watching and reading, Alexandria and the angst of surreal safety. Though the comics book handled it differently than the television series, the overall story stays the same.

Again, I have to admire Robert Kirkman and fellow authors and artists who wrote a great foundation for the directors and actors to play with. I personally could have used a few less f-bombs but who knows what I’d let fly while fighting surrounding zombies?

And, for these old eyes, I love the way you can enlarge each frame for ease of reading or examining the artwork. Getting the Kindle version is best idea for me.

A side benefit of the two binges is my comic book geek son and I can chat for hours about TWD.

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Review: The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 1-2 by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue

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September 21, 2020

The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 1-2The Jems and Jamz Series: Books 1-2 by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a find on Kindle Unlimited. It was a fun light-read. I was a little bored at first, just couldn’t get into the story. I adjusted my expectations to my high school or new adult self and the story rang bells for me. It especially touched my former stage-singing self. The author captured that fear/excited feeling of performance arts. The main characters were in pop-bands. That reminded me of stories I wrote as a teen about Meeting the Beatles or other stars. Unavailable then were stories of a different kind of love than boy and girl. This treats everything the same. Love is love. There are a couple of erotic scenes that may not be appropriate for immature young adults, but other than that, I think it is a love story with many lessons, even for older folks about forgiveness and love.

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Review: Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon

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September 20, 2020

Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader GinsburgNotorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Two days ago I had merely a chapter to go to finished. I feel so bad that I didn’t finish a day earlier. To finish on the day of RBG’s passing is both heartbreaking and yet feels the honor to my heart.

Irin Carmon is one of my favorite commentators on MSNBC. So when she was doing her book tour for this book I knew I would have to read it. It was well-written. So many pictures kept it visually interesting. Irin captured this brave woman’s strength and character. I feel so good to have read this at such an important time in our history.

I highly recommend this book!

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Interesting Link

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September 15, 2020

Neil Gaiman on GoodReads: American Gods notes

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Review: What The Wind Knows by Amy Harmon

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September 13, 2020

What the Wind KnowsWhat the Wind Knows by Amy Harmon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My cousin recommended this wonderful book. I am so sad to leave it. Yes, there were tears at the end but not so much for sad ending, but sad because the story ended. I think I am going to have read/listen to it again.

Amy Harmon writing kept me so engaged that I didn’t want to go to sleep. I was lucky to hear the narration of Saskia Maarleveld , Will Damron. I prefer to hear the language of the Irish spoken by those who can speak it best.

If you are crazy about Outlander, like I am and time travel by any means, this is your book.

I would write a longer review but I am on my tablet so must keep this brief. All I can say is I highly recommend this book, expecially using Audible!

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Review: Spirit Warrior by Ella J. Smyth

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September 4, 2020

Spirit WarriorSpirit Warrior by Ella J. Smyth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Of the three books in this series so far, this is my favorite. I’m beginning to warm up to the characters and the story. With all there is going on in the world a nice fantasy can help give you a breather. So rather than making this review longer, I say, try the series. You might like it! By the way, I found these on Kindle Unlimited. Not a bad deal, huh?

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Review: Spirit Elfen by Ella J. Smyth

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August 31, 2020

Spirit ElfenSpirit Elfen by Ella J. Smyth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another fantasy for the end of summer. I breezed right through it and started the next. So last night I tried to read the book I thought I was in, and it turned out to be this one that I already read. I thought maybe it all sounded familiar because it was the intro presented after the first book. No. Even as far as the last chapter it was familiar. But I enjoyed getting the review before realizing I was actually finished and ready for book 3 (in fact, I was 12% into it). I almost think this set is short enough to be one larger book.

I think the above paragraph is my example of the review. It was a fun read with characters from book 1 with the fae. Oh, my favorite part, it was set in Germany. Wish there would have been more of a feeling of the land. Yeah. It won’t go into my favorite books. But a good distraction. Definitely not for preteens or younger teens.

But try it. You might love it!

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