Rick Riordan brings another adventure to life, this time with the Gods of Asgard and a young boy named Magnus Chase.

For the last two years Magnus Chase has been living on the streets trying to survive on his own after his mom is killed trying to protect him from mysterious beasts. After all his time alone he is surprised to find out he is being tracked down by an uncle he barely knows.  His mother always told him to stay away from Uncle Randolph because he was dangerous.  Magnus quickly finds out just how dangerous he is when Randolph tells him he is the son of a Norse God.  The Viking myths his mother told him as a young child are true and now the gods of Asgard are preparing for war.  A war which he is now meant to be a part of.  To prevent Ragnorok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.  He finds himself in a battle with a fire giant that forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents.  Magnus makes the only decision he can, he sacrifices himself to save others, and in doing so, he finds that the only way to start his new life as a son of a Norse God is to give up the one he has.

I have been a fan of Rick Riordan since the Percy Jackson series. When reading his work, you find yourself immersed in the mythology of whichever myth he is writing.  With Percy Jackson, it was Greek Mythology and now we are into the Norse Gods.  With the Thor movies out this is a good time for this series to be unveiled.  Thor himself makes a small appearance here, but doesn’t try to take over the story; however, I see that coming in a future story.  Riordan is an excellent storyteller for young readers.  His stories dive deep into mythology in a way that doesn’t become tedious for a reader that is reluctant to go down the mythological path.  At times in this story, it was a little difficult to keep up with the setting and characters with as much information that was being provided.  I haven’t decided if I enjoy Magnus as much as I did Percy Jackson but there is a good chance the series can be just as good.  There were several supporting characters which if you are not reading carefully can become confusing with who is who and what they actually have to do with the story.  Fans of the Percy Jackson series will notice a tie in that I hope is explored further in the next adventure.  Overall this was a very enjoyable read that I highly recommend to young and old readers alike.

 

Another great read by Cantore!

Detective Abby Hart is back and is investigating the brutal homicide of a young girl and continuing to gather the evidence she needs to make an arrest. Unfortunately, the arrest doesn’t go as planed.  With this, on top of other troubles, Abby begins to question if being a cop is really what she is meant to do.  In her personal life, she has to deal with her engagement not going as planned and her growing feelings for PI Luke Murphy.  He is also conflicted about his feelings for her and the fire that took the life of his uncle along with Abby’s parents.  He has uncovered a clue to the murder and has to decide if he should tell Abby.  They are brought together to try and solve a cold case but are almost torn apart by the secrets between the two of them.

Janice Cantore has become an author I look forward to. Her crime novels are a great clean read that have great accurate details that reflect her years in uniform.  The Cold Case books are another great series of hers and this second in the series keeps up the suspense.  At times I felt like things started to drag a little and felt like there was too much detail.  Using 10 words when one would have worked and kept the story moving a little quicker.  This is one of my only downfalls for this novel.  I enjoyed the characters, there is obvious chemistry between Abby and Luke, even though they are both trying to deny it.  A lot of the questions from the first book were wrapped up here but left several unanswered with a good lead into the next in the series, which I figure will wrap things up.  All of the little details dealing with law enforcement are there and show her years of experience.  I always get excited when I know a new Cantore book is coming and Burning Proof was another easy read and very enjoyable.

 

 

A fast paced mystery that doesn’t disappoint. If I Run by Terri Blackstock is one of her best yet.

When Casey Cox finds her friend murdered she knows she has to run. It will make her look guilty, she knows this, but staying will put her in even more danger.  The police have never been on her side, not since her father died and no one believed her about what happened.  So with no one else to turn to, she runs.

The family of the victim hire Dylan Roberts, a war veteran suffering from PTSD, to find her and bring her back to face the punishment for killing their son.  Dylan wants to prove himself but has a hard time justifying bringing Casey back after looking at the crime scene and evidence, which provides more questions than answers.  He doesn’t believe she could have done what she is being accused of, even though they have never met.  But if she isn’t guilty, why did she run?  While he searches for the truth he finds others are trying to keep that from him which only serves to push him harder to find the truth and possibly get himself in harm’s way as well.

I’ve enjoyed Terri Blackstock’s writing for a few years now and have to say this might be the best yet. The suspense is held throughout and heightened till the very end.  The story takes several turns I wasn’t expecting and greatly enjoyed.  Blackstock has a way of creating characters that make an impact.  Her writing is always topnotch and this is no exception.  There were a few mistakes, using Casey’s real name when it should have been her new identity, but other than that nothing stood out.  Terry Blackstock is a writer I can pick up and enjoy her writing no matter what the book is about.  I recommend this to all.

Gretl Schmidt and her sister just escaped from an Auschwitz bound train in Poland only in time to hear it explode. After an attempt to walk to Switzerland, they arrive at a farmhouse where Gretl’s sister soon succumbs to a fever.  The family cannot provide for another mouth to feed, so Gretl is given to a local Polish resistance figher, Jakob Kowaiski.  Jakob begins to care for the girl as a father figure, but soon must leave to fight against the German army that is continuing to invade Poland.  After Polish defeat, Jakob has been severely injured and returns home where Gretl nurses him back to health.  Gretl has been attending school in his absence and he finds that she has picked up quite a bit of knowledge.  After the war, Jakob’s mother tells him that Gretl has to leave because they don’t have enough to care for her under Russian occupation.  When Jakob notices an ad in the paper for German orphans that could have a new home in South Africa, Jakob feels it may be her best hope.  But can he go through with it?

 

This was an incredible post WWII read. I always enjoy reading about this era, but this was a new twist on anything that I have read before.  The characters that developed through the story were very relatable.  I became very attached to both Gretl and Jakob.  The supporting characters also played their roles well.  The flow was fast and I couldn’t wait to find out the end of the story.

 

Joubert managed to transport me to South Africa with her descriptions. I’ve never read a book that was set there and my mind’s eye really picked up on it.  I even had to research some images to see how they related to what I had imagined.  I also enjoyed the history behind the events that she had written.  If you are looking for a great read anytime, try this one out.

Did you ever wonder why Christmas cookies are made?

 

This book dives into the true meaning of Christmas by sharing the tradition of Christmas cookies.  When a young boy’s father has to go out West to find work and things are tight at home, he is excited to find his mom making Christmas cookies one day when he gets home from school.  But when she tells him that they are for the needy at Church, he gets sad.  This is when his mom tells him the story behind the Legend of the Christmas Cookie.

 

This is a very cute and meaningful story that kids will enjoy.  The illustrations are very good throughout and depict the meaning of the story very well.  The message throughout the book is very good and worth reading with your kids.  I wish it would have kept going.

 

A fast paced thriller that will pull you along for a long con, but you won’t feel cheated in the end!

Fletcher Doyle’s family had it all. His wife, Meg, was pursuing her acting career.  His daughter, Ivy, is attending the top rated private school.  And he has the distinguished job as the curator of a university museum.  Or so everyone believes.  He is actually a con man that has conned his own family to believe his illusion.  That is, until he is caught one night trying to seal a priceless vase.

After six years in prison, Fletcher is back out and reunited with his broken family. He found Jesus in prison and tried to mend his family back together at the small church that they attend.  The opportunity comes up to take a family mission trip back to the same city that they used to live in before he got caught.  Shortly after arriving in the city, Fletcher suddenly runs into his old associates.  Trying to keep his parole intact, he runs back to the shelter they are staying at when he receives a mysterious phone call from a number labeled The Alchemist.  When the alchemist shows him pictures that of him that will get his parole revoked, Fletcher knows that he has no choice but to comply with his demands.  Back on the grift, Fletcher does what he has to in order to keep his family together and himself out of prison.  One thing is certain, you can’t grift Jesus.

The story presented in this book is really interesting. It blends history of the Knights of Malta with present day.  Specifically the history of con men.  The backstory of Count Cogliostro was a great play on the story of Fletcher.  There have been a lot of books about the Knights Templar in recent years and it was welcoming to have a new group to read about.  Fletcher’s story told of redemption, but he went through a lot of questioning himself if his conversion was real or if he was conning the parole board to get out.  It was good to see a book that the main character questions his salvation as so many people do in the world as well.

A well written book. Now I have to read Playing Saint.

Young Kate considers herself a spy in training. She has plenty of practice living at her family’s hotel. She spies on her sister and hides her drugs to keep her out of trouble. She spies on her other sister and keeps her stealing from the cash box a secret by replacing it with her own cash. She sneaks her grandfather’s candy bars and keeps the critical comments at the hotel from her mom and grandmother. When her grandfather’s best friend is murdered the day after Kate hears the two of them arguing she is in for her toughest case yet.

While Kate is trying to help and protect those she loves, there are serious problems going on across town. A homeless man sees a robbery gone wrong, a gang member seeks revenge for the death of his son and a young boy finds himself caught in the middle of one of the town’s murders. While Kate offers shelter to one of these, she is unaware of the danger she is bringing on the family. She tries to hide him and help all while trying to keep the many secrets come to light, some she doesn’t even know about.

Erin Healy has a way of crafting a story like no one else. She brings elements of suspense, mystery and in this case a bit of humor to the story. This story did not have the same elements of the supernatural that the previous novels did but I found it to be my favorite of her books so far. There is really little to no criticisms I have for Hiding Places. I read this quickly and enjoyed every page. Having an eleven year old at the center of a story and keeping her strong and engaging is no easy feat, but was pulled off brilliantly. Kate stays strong throughout and her relationship with each member of the family and those she come in contact with are believable and enjoyable to read. I particularly liked the character of Great Grandma Pearl. She made everyone think she was crazy but was probably the smartest in the whole story. She wasn’t able to do a lot at her age but used her skills to her advantage.

There are a lot of lessons we can come away with here. Things are not always what they appear and everyone has secrets hiding in places we want no one to find. It is a Christian story but with subtle hints, which can sometimes be the best way to get someone thinking that way. Healy can make you think with her writing. Think about life, think about God and think about what you are hiding that needs to be brought to life. I highly recommend this book.

An inspirational read to those who keep trying to follow their own path only to discover God was walking beside you.

Amber Haines has secrets in her past that she doesn’t want anyone to know about. At an early age she strayed from her parent’s well intentioned path and started living life at her own pace. This led to parties, drugs, and sex, which all had consequences that she had to face. Even through these times, she also had a connection to God through something or somebody. She finally met God face to face on the floor, broken and needing saving. She found an insatiable love for scripture and soon started attending church, but couldn’t find where she belonged. She fell in love with a young man named Seth who became a youth minister, but the spotlights that fell on her threatened her and she never felt good enough. Eventually, she and Seth focused more on their own careers than on each other and began to move through the cycles of life. Wild in the Hollow chronicles Amber’s secrets, struggles, recovery, and healing that you will want to read.

Amber Haines really pours out her soul into this book. She talks about wanting to keep her past hidden, but she really bares all of her secrets that she has been holding back. She has been through so much that this book will relate to several different people who are going through different points in their lives. The struggle with identity, physiological issues of dealing with an abortion, marriage trials, and many more are delved into throughout the pages. She employs her love of English literature by using prose throughout the entire text so that it seems as though she is listing her thoughts more than telling a story. It was also very interesting to see the different side of international adoption that they went through that dealt with fraud. She had several things in this book that you don’t typically think about. If you have a chance, give this one a try.

Learn more about Amber C. Haines

Learn more about Revell Books

A light-hearted romance that is quick and easy to read.

Summer needs to get away, not only from home but everyone around her, both alive and dead. When she takes a job as a nanny for a couple vacationing in Belize, she hopes it is going to be a fresh start before starting college. She loves spending time with Josh, her employer’s youngest son, but when she meets their oldest, Bray she is not impressed. He is everything she can’t stand in a guy. Bray doesn’t think much of Summer either. His goal for coming to Belize for the summer is to try and keep his parents from going through with the divorce they have planned. He wants to work on their relationship, hang out with friends, and forget anything and everything else that is waiting for him back home. Every time he is forced to be around Summer her mood sets him off. He both finds himself attracted to her and loathing her at the same time. When the two of them find themselves on a dive trip gone wrong and stranded on a remote island they are going to have to find a way to work past their differences and focus on survival. The longer they are together the more they find their feelings changing. As they fight to stay alive, they also fight their feelings and neither are doing a great job. As their differences melt away, they find being together may be what both needed all along.

 

The nice thing about this book is it is a quick read without the fluff that would only drag on and on without doing anything for the story. There was romance, action, suspense, and even a dash of humor here and there. The relationship between Summer and Bray is very wishy washy at times but being trapped on an island alone together trying to fight for their lives will obviously do strange things to people. That can explain a lot of the wishy washy times between the two of them. Summer can get a little annoying at times; she is strong, she is weak, strong, weak, etc. Back and forth so much it got old. I liked the pace of the story. I read it quickly and enjoyed. The times of them trapped on the island worried me. I thought it was going to get boring quickly but there were bits and pieces placed throughout that kept the story moving nicely. For a contemporary romance it didn’t dwell too much on the romance and kept the action going throughout. A nice read for a day at the beach.

Learn more about Heather Birch

Learn more about Blink YA Books