Sandy’s Dream

By: Jared Rader. Format: eBook. Read: December 2013.

Sandy and her friends are all talking about what they want to be when they grow up. Sandy mentions that she wants to be a doctor, but one of the boys declares that girls can’t be doctors. Later on, when they visit a sick Grandpa in the hospital, there is a female doctor taking care of him. Sandy starts to question, whether or not her dream can come true.

Sandy’s Dream is a cute, short, picture book. The drawings are beautiful, while sentences are short and easy-to-understand. The ending is very abrupt and leaves some unanswered questions. However, this is great story for young girls to know that they can be anything they wish.

As kid, I dreamed of growing up to be a doctor and a lawyer. (I even had my schedule worked out so that I could divide my time evenly.) What about you, what was your dream job?

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Notes:
The author provided a copy of this book for me to review. To learn more about this author and his work, please visit his website.

Delilah Dusticle

By: A.J. York. Format: eBook. Read: December 2013.

Delilah Dusticle has the special ability to remove dust from every crevice in a home. She has worked for the Fenchurch-Whittington house since she was sixteen and despite the rules, she has fallen in love with Charlie Fenchurch-Whittington the third. Unfortunately for Delilah, he returns home from a business trip with a fiancee. Delilah becomes so depressed that her magical ability reverses and everything she touches is covered in dust, even her own hair. Shortly thereafter, Delilah is forced to find a new home and a new job, which is very difficult for a person who covers everything in dust. Will she be able to find happiness and regain her ability to remove dust? Or will she fade away into the shadows forever?

Delilah Dusticle is a very, cute, chapter book for children. The author does a wonderful job of showing the importance of self-worth and how the things you believe about yourself, will begin to take hold. There were several grammatical errors in this book, but overall the chapters are short and easy to read. The moral of the story is definitely one that everyone needs to be reminded of, often. The ending provides closure for the story, while setting it up nicely for a potential sequel. Recommended for the third-fifth grade age range.

I have to say, as an adult, I kind of would like a magic power that would conveniently remove all dust… that or clean all the dishes. Hmm… What magical cleaning ability would you like to have?

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Notes:
The author provided a copy of this book for me to review. To learn more about this author and her work, please visit her website.

Salvaged

(Daddy’s Girls #2) By: Chelsea Camaron. Format: Paperback. Read: December 2013.

Maggie has been best friends with Dina for several years and she would hate to interrupt Dina’s travel plans, but she doesn’t know who else to turn to for support. Her relationship with Brayden has been blissful for four year, but lately he has been acting strange and now they have lost everything. Brayden has a secret past that he hasn’t shared with anyone, yet he is haunted everyday. Even though he is afraid of losing Maggie, he turns to the one thing that has helped him escape reality since he was fifteen.

This is the second book in the series written by Chelsea Camaron. While it follows the same path of switching points of view, as the first book did, this one is filled with more erotic references, which became repetitive and unnecessary. There are more character perspectives and side stories provided in this book, as well as another cliff-hanger ending. The story-lone between the main characters, Maggie and Brayden, felt very real, however it is the minor characters who steal the show. This is another fast read by Chelsea Camaron.

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Notes:
The author provided a copy of this book for me to review. To learn more about this author and her work, please visit her website.

Restore My Heart

(Daddy’s Girls #1) By: Chelsea Camaron. Format: Paperback. Read: December 2013.

Dina Fowlers lost her parents in a horrific accident and was a victim of domestic violence that left her self-confidence shattered. Two and a half years later, she is a shell of her former self and despite the fact that she appreciates Ryder Davenport saving her life, she still can’t speak to him. There is a strong connection between her and Ryder, but she has to decide whether or not she can trust him.

Restore My Heart is a cute, easy to read novella. Camaron delivers her story in a unique fashion, by using points-of-view from both Ryder and Dina. Each chapter covers the same events, but gives readers a different perspective and allows them to connect to the characters. Unfortunately, there are a few times when this causes redundant details, which interrupt the flow of the plot. There are several serious topics and events that could have been covered more thoroughly, but overall this was a fast and fun read.

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Notes:
The author provided a copy of this book for me to review. To learn more about this author and her work, please visit her website.

My Sister’s Books Review #35

A Place at the Table

By: Susan Rebecca White

Alice and her twin James were inseparable. They knew exactly what each other was thinking at all times. Unfortunately their peaceful world is destroyed when they stumble upon a young man who was hanged and they discover the truth about their family. Flash forward roughly 60 years and Alice has become quite famous as an amazing chef and author. Meanwhile, Bobby has been abandoned by his southern Baptist family, because he is gay. He goes to New York for a fresh start and he finds himself in a quaint café, where he trains to become the head chef. Alice and Bobby share an exquisite palate that allows them to form a profound friendship, despite the harsh realities of the world.

This book describes the human emotions with every commanding detail, which will surely reach deep within readers’ hearts. Susan Rebecca White divides the book into several sections, organized by the main character’s point of view and the decade. The beginning of Bobby’s story is a bit slow and it is difficult to tell how old he is when his story begins. However readers get the chance to grow along with Bobby, as he learns to accept his homosexuality, deal with his shattered family and his quest to find an accepting God. The ending is very rushed and even though it tries to tie back into the stories of Alice and Bobby, readers will wish the author could have extended the ending. This is a thought-provoking tale of how we are all connected in this seemingly big world.

Notes:
This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

Purchase Link:
http://mysistersbooks.mybooksandmore.com/web1/actions/searchHandler.do?key=BTKEY:0012420124&nextPage=booksDetails&parentNum=12564

My Sister’s Books Review #34

The Union Street Bakery

By: Mary Ellen Taylor

Daisy McCrae was abandoned at the bakery when she was just three years old. Thankfully the owners of Union Street Bakery took her in and made her a member of their family, but she still doesn’t feel like she belongs. Now that she has lost her job in DC and thanks to a handful of her mom’s margaritas, she is back at the family’s bakery. Living in her old room, still haunted by ghosts, she is forced to face her painful past, while using her money management skills to save the bakery from bankruptcy. Things get even more complicated when an old customer passes away and leaves her a journal that once belonged to a slave. Daisy has to rely on the help of her sisters in order to solve the mysteries of this ancient diary and continue the legacy of the Union Street Bakery.

Mary Ellen Taylor weaves a graceful and poignant tale within a tale in this book. She manages to balance several characters’ lives from the 1800s to present day. Chocked full of metaphors, readers will laugh and cry as they experience life in the McCrae bakery. Mary Ellen Taylor makes sure to include her readers in on each fascinating detail as the characters discover new truths from the past. At the end of the book, it contains a few of the characters’ famous recipes. Readers will only be disappointed by the fact that this book has to end, because they will feel as though they are a part of the McCrae family. A must read for those who want a little bit of historical mystery set during modern times, with a few morsels of family drama.

Notes:

This review was written for My Sister’s Books.
Purchase Link:
http://mysistersbooks.mybooksandmore.com/web1/actions/searchHandler.do?key=BTKEY:0012120755&nextPage=booksDetails&parentNum=12564

Girl Meets Underworld

By: Jess Watkins. Format: eBook. Read: November 2013.

Stella is severely depressed and alone, after losing both her mother and brother to an animal attack. Faced with no other choice, she decides to end her pain and reunite with her family, by jumping off the roof of a building. That is until a guy appears next to her, then jumps and survives! Turns out this guy, Conner is a vampire and even though he seems very friendly, Stella is afraid that a vampire is the one who killed her family. Still, there is something about Conner and she knows she can trust him. But things get a little crazy when her friends introduce her to a new guy named Will, who seems to be very inconsiderate and hot-tempered. Conner warns her that Will is dangerous, but he is just a human… Isn’t he?

This book is a very, fast and fun read. The pace of the book is very quick, especially in the beginning. Both the plot and the characters could have used more time to be developed thoroughly. However, the ending will leave readers shocked and gasping out loud. The plot also seems a bit too familiar at times, and it will have readers comparing it to other popular vampire novels. The setting is never clearly identified, but it seems to take place in Europe. Although the author’s writing style is very fluid and easy to follow. Overall, fans of the infamous Vampire-Werewolf love triangle, will enjoy this book.

Are you a fan of YA Vampire novels? If so, what’s your favorite series?

Note:
The author provided a copy of this book for me to review. To learn more about this author and her work, please visit her website.

A Sealed Fate

By: Lisa Gordon. Format: Paperback. Read: November 2013.

Valda just arrived in Dubai and is ready for a fresh start after a horrific breakup. She is ready to begin her new life as a singer in the nightclub, Flanagan’s. Things were going okay for her, until the night she met the club’s owner… Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khaimah. The Sheikh asks Valda for a favor, which she reluctantly agrees to and she is rewarded with a new car. Along the way, Valda realizes she may be too deep in the Sheikh’s business, so she consults a local astrologer. Larissa and Valda not only resemble each other, but they also form an immediate strong bond of friendship. Will Larissa be able to help Valda, before it is too late?

The author demonstrates how far friends will go to help one another in a time of need. She also uses her knowledge of astrology in this book to establish the connections between current relationships and the past. Unfortunately, the author uses a tremendous amount of exclamation points in her writing, which is quite distracting. For American readers, there are a few phrases and terms that are not as easily understood. The story is told mostly from Valda’s point of view, with an occasional short amount from Larissa which can be confusing at times. Overall the premise of this story is very intriguing, but the punctuation errors weaken the flow of the book.

I enjoyed the set-up of this book and the main plot-line. If you could move anywhere in the world, to start a fresh life, where would it be and why?

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Notes:
The author of this book provided a copy for me to review. To learn more about this author and her work, please visit her website.

My Sister’s Books Review #33

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

By: Sarah Addison Allen

In the quaint town of Mullaby, North Carolina, Emily Benedict finally meets her mother’s father as she moves into her mother’s old room. She has never been to Mullaby before and she hopes to learn more about her mom and maybe even herself. However she finds herself in a town filled with secrets, where rumors about her family and her very, tall grandfather run rapid and strange lights appear in the night beckoning her to follow. As if this wasn’t enough to intrigue young Emily, her neighbor, Julia Winterson bakes the most heavenly desserts ever. Julia has several secrets of her own and her desserts carry the scents of love and dreams of a united, happier future.

Even though there is magic in every scene of this book, the main characters feel real and readers will be able to relate to them. Readers will be moved by the emotional stories connected to both Emily and Julia. These two characters form an ever-lasting friendship as they each crave what they have never had. As readers read this chapter their hearts and taste buds will be set aflutter. Sarah Addison Allen oozes Southern charm with every word in this book, from childhood and high school football, to adulthood with past regrets and hope for the future. A poignant, emotional tale that will grip each reader’s heart and soul.

Notes:
This review was written for My Sister’s Books.
This review appeared in the November issue of Sasee Magazine.

Purchase Link:
http://mysistersbooks.mybooksandmore.com/web1/actions/searchHandler.do?key=BTKEY:0008971982&nextPage=booksDetails&parentNum=12564

My Sister’s Books Review #32

Dance Hall of the Dead (Navajo Mysteries #2)

By: Tony Hillerman

The Zuni religion has been dealt a powerful blow, when the chosen Little Fire God is murdered and his best friend is missing. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn has to work within both the Navajo and Zuni beliefs, in order to help the New Mexican police force find the missing boy, before it is too late. As if balancing this delicate line wasn’t hard enough for Lt. Leaphorn, there is an archeologist determined to excavate the earth and change humankind’s history.

Tony Hillerman writes with an exquisite passion in this novel. He mixes several layers and different stories in the hunt for the missing boy, by representing the Navajo, Zuni and American traditions. The majestic background of New Mexico comes to life in Hillerman’s details and readers will feel as if they are on the same journey with Leaphorn. Though the ending is a tad predictable and there are several supplementary characters to keep up with, this is an exhilarating tale. This book is an excellent, fast paced page-turner.

Notes:
This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

Purchase link:
http://mysistersbooks.mybooksandmore.com/web1/actions/searchHandler.do?key=BTKEY:0008974338&nextPage=booksDetails&parentNum=12564