Category: Book Reviews

How to Get your Kids to Read

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What a fantastic idea for encouraging your children to become readers!

Nicholas C. Rossis's avatarNicholas C. Rossis

GatewaySuccessStory-JeffGunhusFoil._V350981886_I found a lovely post on Amazon by Jeff Gunhus, and just had to share! Jeff details how he started his Jack Templar book series as a way to get his two young boys to read. This is what he has to say:

“My son Jack was smart and outgoing. He got great grades. But he liked reading books about as much as he liked walking behind our two yellow labs on clean-up duty. He was way more interested in movies, TV, video games. At first, I wasn’t too worried. But his vocabulary and writing skills began to slip. I decided to do something.

I created the Early Morning Book Club. That was my name anyway. To Jack, I’m sure it was the Early Morning Torture Club. The plan was that we’d get up early and Jack would read out loud to me for an hour. Luckily for him…

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The Almond Tree By Michelle Cohen Corasanti

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The Almond TreeThe Almond Tree is the saga of a young Palestinian boy’s journey from his village, where he lived under the threat of losing his home, imprisonment, and even death, as the Israelis took over his homeland.  Ahmed Hamid (Ichmad) is blessed with incredible math talent and a scientific mindset. Using his talents, he teamed up with Professor Menachem Sharon at Hebrew University and little by little the two whittled away their prejudices to continue their ground-breaking research, become the best of friends, and travel to America to continue their research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Almond Tree is written from the author’s point of view as an American Jew living in Palestine while a student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.  Corasanti’s trip from the United States to Israel, where she attended high school, opened her eyes to a world different than what she knew.

To find out more about Michelle Cohen Corasanti Click on her website The Almond Tree.

I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

A Planet for Tristan Wolf by Mariana Llanos

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A Planet for Tristan WolfTristan and his brother Billy had a terrible argument. Well actually, it was a fight.  Red, Tristan and Billy’s dog ate Billy’s favorite trading card, and Billy blamed Tristan. Tristan decided to run away with Red and find a new home.  Tristan’s adventure takes him to a strange and colorful planet where everything seems perfect, but is it? Once again, Tristan’s imagination takes him on a new journey to a make-believe world.

With her exceptional ability to capture a child’s imagination in her writing, Mariana Llanos has created this delightful story about mistakes and forgiveness, family love, and being with the people who are important to you.  It is a superb book, and I recommend it to all who have young school-aged children to read it to their children or let them read it themselves.

To buy the book click here.

To learn more about Mariana Llanos click here.

The Reach of the Banyan Tree by Mark W. Sasse

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Banyan Tree Cover Crop small

Mark Sasse’s historic novel/contemporary romance takes place in Vietnam during two time periods, World War II and present day.  Estranged from his father Charles Regal Carson II of Carson Oil, Chip (Charles Regal Carson III) travels to Tan Trao, North Vietnam and discovers a connection to his paternal grandfather, the Flying Dutchman, an American soldier on a mission to help repel Japanese aggression. Chip and his fiancé Thuy explore the Phuong Hoang Cave Historical Site. Vietnam wasn’t something his grandfather talked about, and when Chip comes across a carving in stone – his grandfather’s name linked to the name of a woman Mai, Chip finds himself wondering who Mai was.   The discovery opened a vault of questions that wouldn’t be answered until Chip, through a life changing mishap, was given the key to unearthing the mystery.

“This banyan tree is many centuries old. It stands a sacred test of time…not just because of its beauty and majesty. It is a symbol of life coming from death…the branches never forget where they came from. This is the land of Vietnam.”  (From The Reach of the Banyan Tree – p. 70) There are many references to the banyan tree throughout the book. Its importance to the village of Tan Trao never waned through the years; it was as relevant during the Chip’s story as it was during the time of his grandfather.

Sasse’s depiction of Vietnam during both eras was accurate, though the characters are fictitious.  His story focuses on the coming together of two different cultures, American and Vietnamese, at different times, and shows that love knows no political boundaries.

The plot explores the complexities of then and now Vietnam and the lives of two Americans living there. The characters are well defined, and so believable it is difficult to separate historical fact from fiction. Add the elements of romance and mystery, and you have a book that is hard to put down.

Mark W Sasse was born in western Pennsylvania, but has spent nearly two decades living, teaching, and writing overseas in Vietnam and Malaysia. He has advanced degrees in author photo1Humanities and English. His debut novel, Beauty Rising, was released in December 2012 which was followed by The Recluse Storyteller in October 2013. He is also an enthusiast of live theatre. He writes and directs for the drama troupe The RLT Players. He won the award for “Best Script” in 2013 Penang Short & Sweet Festival for his script “No In Spite of Itself.” His short play “Drive All Night” won the Audience Choice award at the 2012 Penang Short & Sweet Festival. The Reach of the Banyan Tree is his third novel.

The Reach of the Banyan Tree is due out July1, 2014.

To follow Mark Sasse on Facebook, click here.

To go to Mark Sasse’s author page on Amazon, click here.

To visit Mark Sasse’s blog mwsasse, click here.

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

SPUN by Catherine McKenzie

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SPUN by Catherine McKenzieThis novella picks up where SPIN left off.  Amber is out of rehab and working hard to stay straight, but the paparazzi are working just as hard to portray her as the bad girl.  What will it take for the paparazzi to back off and for people to start believing in her again?

Catherine McKenzie spins a terrific story whether she is writing a novel or a novella. Her characters are believable and flawed. She will keep you guessing from page one to the end.

I loved SPIN and couldn’t wait to read SPUN to find out what happened “after”.  I recommend SPUN to everyone who has read SPIN, and to those who haven’t, I recommend both books.

To find out more about Catherine McKenzie click here for her blog, Twitter, FaceBook, Google +, and Goodreads.

To purchase SPUN (or any of Catherine’s other books) click here for Barnes and Noble, Amazon, i-Bookstore, kobo, or Powells.

 

Ignoring Gravity by Sandra Danby

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Ignoring Gravity by Sandra DanbyRose and Lily are sisters. Rose has always looked after her younger sister, and as an adult she feels responsible for Lily’s happiness. Lily is married and has always wanted a baby, but is unable to conceive.  Her husband is disinterested and tells her to start working on it. Meanwhile, Rose is given a new assignment to report on early menopause. She soon starts wondering if this might be Lily’s problem.

After their mother’s death, the sisters sort through her belongings and boxes in the attic to spare their bereaved father the sad task. While going through a box Rose discovers that, unbeknownst to the family, their mother kept diaries. While flipping through them, Rose learns that she is adopted. She is crushed. Her life is turned topsy-turvy as she questions who she is, who her birth parents are, why she was never told.  She feels as though she is on the outside of her family and is unsure if she truly belongs and whether or not Lily is her sister.  Why did her parents lie to her all these years?  Using the investigative skills she honed as a journalist, Rose sets out to discover her true identity.

One thing leads to another, and Rose and Lily have more issues to settle, but I will leave that to you to determine.

There is a lot going on in Ignoring Gravity to keep the reader’s attention.  Character development is excellent with highly believable characters.  The writing is superb, very smooth, and holds your attention throughout the book.

Did I like Ignoring Gravity?  I loved it!  I recommend it to everyone who enjoys an excellent book.

I received this book from the author for an honest review and received no monetary compensation.

The following information was provided by the author.

Author: Sandra Danby

Publisher: BNBS Books

Book title: Ignoring Gravity

Publication date: September 2014 [prov]

Genre: women’s fiction

Author’s website: http://www.sandradanby.com/

Publisher’s website:http://www.britainsnextbestseller.co.uk/

Book summary: Rose Haldane is confident about her identity. She pulls the same face as her grandfather when she has to do something she doesn’t want to, she knows her DNA is the same as his. Except it isn’t: because Rose is adopted and doesn’t know it. Ignoring Gravity connects two pairs of sisters separated by a generation of secrets. Finding her mother’s lost diaries, Rose begins to understand why she has always seemed the outsider in her family, why she feels so different from her sister Lily. Then just when she thinks there can’t be any more secrets…

 

To pre-order Ignoring Gravity, please click here.

Sandra Danby Author - photo Simon CooperAuthor bio: Since she can first remember, Sandra Danby has loved reading. Hardback, paperback, e-book, new or pre-loved, borrowed from the library and friends, magazines and newspapers, she reads them all. She grew up on a small dairy farm at the bleak edge of East Yorkshire where England meets the North Sea. At the age of four she was making magazines full of her own stories. When missed by her mother, she was usually found in a corner with her nose in a book. She devoured everything from the Famous Five and Secret Seven to Swallows and Amazons, from Little Women to George Orwell and Mary Stewart. All this reading led her first to a degree in English Literature in London, then to journalism. Now she writes fiction full-time… and still reads at every spare moment.

The next book: Sandra is now writing Connectedness, the sequel in which Rose Haldane travels from Yorkshire to Malaga, Spain, in pursuit of the birth child of controversial artist Justine tree.

Watch Sandra Danby talk about Ignoring Gravity click You Tube.

Watch the book trailer for Ignoring Gravity click You Tube.

 

Follow Sandra Danby on social media:

Twitter @SandraDanby

www.facebook.com/sandradanbyauthor

http://www.pinterest.com/sandradan1/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6563021.Sandra_Danby

uk.linkedin.com/pub/sandra-danby/16/674/911/

Tristan Wolf by Mariana Llanos

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Tristan WolfTristan Wolf is a delightful story of a young boy who believes he was raised by a wolf, and that he is indeed a wolf.  As you read about his life with the wolves, you almost believe the story. Tristan knows he is different from the other wolves, but he doesn’t know why. He decides to set out on his own to find out what humans are like, even after many warnings from his mother wolf about how dangerous they are. Tristan comes face-to-face with a human, and shows his bravery by standing up to her.  But who was she?

Like most children, Tristan has a good imagination. This is a fantastic tale for school-aged children to read or to have read to them.

Mariana Llanos has a distinct ability to capture a child’s inventive mind and weave a story that will keep his/her interest time after time.  This book would be a perfect gift for a young elementary age child. I recommend it to all parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and friends of young children. I give it five stars.

To buy the book click here.

To learn more about Mariana Llanos click here.

DARK FEY Book 1: The Reviled by Cynthia Morgan

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Dark Fey

DARK FEY will take you on a roller coaster ride into two separate worlds – the one of the Light Loving Fey (fairy) and the other of the Reviled Fey or the dark world.  Ayla of the Light Fey, who was prepped at the Temple to be a Guardian, is bestowed with a great gift of speaking and hearing with her mind and of taking others’ pain. She protects the childfey from the Dark Fey who steal them away from their families.  Marden, also of the Light Fey is a Celebrant with extraordinary powers, as well. Ayla and Marden become close, but Ayla’s powers sense a threat and she is unable to share it with Marden for fear he will think she’s strange.  Ayla feels the presence of another waiting in the shadows.  Who is this Dark One and what does he want of her?

DARK FEY is of the fantasy genre, which is not usually what I read, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. It is a quick read, but you will want to go slowly so as not to miss any of this amazing fantasy of light and dark, good and evil, the loved and unloved.  It is a story of courage in the face of formidable peril.

Cynthia Morgan, in this debut novel, writes with vivid descriptions, engaging characters, and an intense storyline.  It is the first of three novels, and I am looking forward to reading part two.

I first met Cynthia, known as Morgan, on her blog booknvolume where most of her posts showcase her beautiful poetry. Her prose is every bit as lovely as her verse. Please stop by her blog and read more about this amazing author.

To buy DARK FEY click here.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, romance, and great storytelling. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.