The Seventh Most Important Thing – Shelley Pearsall

Posted on September 7, 2015 by EHL

seventh most important thingArthur is going through a lot.  His dad died and after a while his mom discarded the father’s clothes.  When Arthur sees the local Junk Man, known for going through garbage, wearing his father’s hat, Arthur loses it and throws a brick at the Junk Man.  He spends time in juvie and at the hearing, when the Junk Man hears the reason why Arthur assaulted him, he offers Arthur probation time working for him.  Arthur spends hours collecting for the injured Junk Man.  He has a list of specific objects to scavenge; a list comprised of the seven most important things.  It turns out the Junk Man is turning these bits of trash into a spectacular work of art.

Arthur, his new friend, Squeak, and the Junk Man (James Hampton) are all misunderstood and examples of how it is so important not to judge a person based on first impressions and outward appearance.  The author’s note with photographs of the actual work of art by James Hampton is much appreciated.  This is a quick read and quite endearing.

eGalley review                       Publication date 9.8.15

Posted in realistic fiction | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Seventh Most Important Thing – Shelley Pearsall

The One Thing – Marci Lyn Curtis

Posted on September 7, 2015 by EHL

the one thingMaggie recently lost her eyesight from a severe illness and now attends a high school for the blind.  Rather than throwing herself a pity party, she digs in and rebels in her own way.  The story opens with her regular appointment at her probation officer for vandalizing a school statue – a rather funny yet harmless prank.  After her appointment, she trips and falls banging her head and opens her eyes to see young Ben.  Yes, see!  She can actually see this glib 10-year-old.  He promptly adopts her, declaring her his new girlfriend and invites her home to dinner.  They develop a brother/sister relationship while Maggie develops a serious crush on Ben’s older brother Mason, an idolized singer in a local band.  Maggie can only see Ben and images close to Ben.  Why?

Maggie is struggling with accepting her blindness and frustration with her seemingly uninvolved parents.  It is a story of relationships and extremely well told.  While the bit about seeing only around Ben is rather contrived, that’s okay.  It makes for a meaningful story that I really enjoyed reading and should attract a following of tween and teen readers.  Highly recommend.

eGalley review                        Publication date 9.8.15

Posted in highly recommend, realistic fiction | Tagged | Comments Off on The One Thing – Marci Lyn Curtis

Pieces of Why – K. L. Going

Posted on September 7, 2015 by EHL

pieces of whyTia does not know her father well.  He has been in prison for many years.  Her mother struggles to make ends meet and works very long hours, rarely seen around the community.  Tia is a gifted singer and is a featured singer in a gospel choir, yet her mother has rarely seen her perform.  Fortunately, Tia has a strong best friend in Keisha and is accepted as a member of Keisha’s family.  At choir practice, a shooting occurs and an innocent child is killed.  This dredges up the story of Tia’s father and why he is in prison and why her mother keeps to herself.

Based on the author’s childhood in New Orleans, the author is successful in conveying the feel of New Orleans – the neighborhoods, the music, the people.  This is a fairly quick read and very meaningful.

eGalley review                       Publication date 9.8.15

Posted in realistic fiction | Tagged | Comments Off on Pieces of Why – K. L. Going

1944: FDR and the Year that Changed History – Jay Winik

Posted on September 7, 2015 by EHL

1944 FDR and year that changed historyAs 1944 began the Allies were rapidly preparing for Operation Overlord, the most important effort of the war. But just when Roosevelt’s leadership was needed most, his ever present energy and enthusiasm waned. He was only 62 and had always been an imposing presence, but now he was tired.  His color was bad, his hands shook, he couldn’t concentrate. He was a dying man.

I was mislead a bit by the title. I expected a detailed accounting of FDR’s actions and illnesses in 1944. Instead this was a nicely done history of WWII, with short bios of major players. Most of the focus was on the treatment of the Jews and how they could, or could not be helped. I had been under the impression that the allied powers were, for the most part, unaware that the Jewish people were being slaughtered. Not so. They just refused to believe the reports that were coming in, and when they finally accepted the unthinkable horror, they were unable to decide on a reasonable course of action.

This book provided me with much to think about. It’s easy to be wise, with the advantage of years of data examination. Hindsight is always very good, and decades of hindsight produce very good solutions to very hard problems. Still, one can’t stop wondering how things might have been different.

eGalley review             Publication date 9.22.15

Posted in adult, nonfiction | Tagged | Comments Off on 1944: FDR and the Year that Changed History – Jay Winik

Entry Island – Peter May

Posted on September 7, 2015 by EHL

entry islandWhen he first saw her coming down the steps, Sime was gripped by a feeling of unease. He knew her. He was sure he had seen her before. She was covered with blood, her husband’s blood, and her eyes had dark shadows beneath them. Still she was lovely, and Sime felt a shiver run down his spine.  There’s been a murder on Entry Island, an English speaking island, populated by fewer than a hundred people. It is the first murder ever on this tiny islet off the coast of Quebec. Sime Mackenzie has been added to the investigative team because he speaks English fluently, unlike the rest of the detectives. It should be an open and shut case. Of course the wife did it. The surviving spouse is always the one who did it. But Sime isn’t so sure.

The story shifts from the 19th century on Scotland’s Isle of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides to the present on the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with beautiful descriptive passages of both places. Peter May is skilled at placing the reader in the middle of the environment, and I did enjoy the atmosphere of the book. I was less happy with the overall plot. It seemed a bit too contrived for my taste, but I liked his Lewis trilogy so very much perhaps I was expecting too much.

eGalley review                                     Publication date 9.8.15

Posted in adult, mystery | Comments Off on Entry Island – Peter May

Another Day – David Levithan

Posted on August 13, 2015 by EHL

another dayWhile this could be read as a standalone, it is far better to have read Every Day first.  It is okay if Every Day was read years ago, the story will come back.  Another Day is not a continuation of Every Day but tells the story from Rhiannon’s point of view.  A is a soul that since infancy, wakes up in a different body every day.  A is neither boy nor girl. A is a person, or perhaps a soul.  A ages.  For example, when 16, all the bodies A inhabits are 16.  A meets a girl, Rhiannon, and for the first time, strives to make a lasting connection.  From Rhiannon’s point of view, the reader glimpses the struggle to accept this person she is falling in love with is in a different body (girl or boy) every day.  Can she have a real relationship with someone like that?  And what about her boyfriend Justin?  That relationship involves a lot of work and struggle, so it that truly a quality relationship?

Excellent questions are examined and feelings are thought out.  The nature of relationships is front and center.  Beautifully written and provides so much food for thought.  This book is better for older teens. Highly recommend.

eGalley review     Publication date 8.25.15

Posted in highly recommend, realistic fiction | Tagged | Comments Off on Another Day – David Levithan

The Taming of the Queen – Philippa Gregory

Posted on August 13, 2015 by EHL

Taming of the QueenIn fairy tales young women dream of marrying a king, becoming a queen. But this isn’t a fairy tale.  This is reality, circa 1543, London, and the king is wife murderer, Henry VIII. Newly widowed.  Kateryn Parr has just received a proposal she can’t refuse. Her life will now be measured in careful steps, careful words, always hoping she will not fall out of favor. Still, she manages to be herself; to study, to learn and even to publish.

Told in Kateryn’s voice, I felt as if she were talking to me and I experienced her fears and doubts, and moments of triumph.  In spite of knowing the story and knowing the ending, I found myself full of anxiety. I was turning pages to see what happens next, just like a suspense novel. As always, the descriptions of court life are vivid and detailed . . . the clothes, the food, even the smells, bringing the reader into the story. This may be Philippa Gregory’s best book.  Highly recommend!

eGalley review       Publication date 8.25.15

Posted in adult, historical fiction | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Taming of the Queen – Philippa Gregory

The Fifth Season – N.K. Jemisin

Posted on July 21, 2015 by EHL

Fifth SeasonThe land is just a normal land, with rivers and mountains, cropland and forests. But it moves a bit. Well, more than a bit. It moves a lot. And so we call this land the Stillness. The Stillness has a tendency to split open, spewing fire and ash, destroying civilizations. In order to calm the moving earth we have enslaved a group known as orogenes. These orogenes are outcasts, feared for their tendency to destroy anything nearby when threatened, but needed for their ability to calm the earth shakes. They must be kept under total control, for we don’t want the world to end . . . again.

This post- apocalyptic fantasy is riveting, with characters that are many layered, always interesting if not always likable. I loved the way the story unfolded in bits and pieces, jumping from one time frame to another without a thought of chronology. My only complaint is that it ended too abruptly, and I will be kept hanging for a very long time.

eGalley review                         Publication date: 08.04.15

Posted in adult, dystopian, science fiction | Comments Off on The Fifth Season – N.K. Jemisin

The Marriage of Opposites – Alice Hoffman

Posted on July 21, 2015 by EHL

Marriage of OppositesRachel didn’t follow the rules. And rules were important, for she was part of a Jewish community that fled the European Inquisition and finally settled in the Caribbean. She rarely did as she was told. She spent most of her time in her father’s library reading, mostly about Paris, memorizing all the maps, imagining a cold fairyland. She always believed that St. Thomas was not her true home. Paris was where she belonged. When she wasn’t in the library she was wandering the island with her only friend, Jestine, the daughter of her mother’s maid. Exasperated, her mother said “I hope you have a child that causes you the misery you have caused me.” Rachel never expected the curse to come true.

Alice Hoffman is a wonderful story teller, painting a vivid picture of St. Thomas, the island of the turtles. The mosquitoes, the bats, the incredible flowers and the ever present heat surrounded me. Her characters are fully developed and complex and she skillfully blended historic facts with fiction into a compelling tale of the life of Rachel Pomie Pizzarro, a story of friendships and loves. I enjoyed everything about this book and I highly recommend it.

eGalley review                   Publication date 8.4.15

Posted in adult, biography, historical fiction | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Marriage of Opposites – Alice Hoffman

River Runs Deep – Jennifer Bradbury

Posted on July 21, 2015 by EHL

river runs deepYoung Elias suffers from tuberculosis and is sent to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky for experimental treatments by Dr. Croghan who hopes the cool cave air will aid in recovery.  In the 1840s there were few proven treatments for tuberculosis (consumption).  Elias does thrive under the treatment and soon goes exploring into the depths of the cave with the slaves who guide tours and explore the cave.  One of the other patients has hidden his true purpose for being in the cave and threatens the careful work of the slaves.

Combining the exploration of Mammoth Cave, tuberculosis and the Underground Railroad, three seemingly unrelated items into a historical fiction adventure is another example of the author’s writing expertise.  The story has a slow and deliberate pace opening with the experimental treatments, then delving into the dangerous exploration of Mammoth Cave.  I very much enjoyed two of the author’s other books, Shift and A Moment Comes , but I had a difficult time connecting with this book.  Recommended for readers who want a gentle adventure and enjoy caves and history.

eGalley review                                  Publication date 7.21.15

Posted in adventure, historical fiction | Tagged , , | Comments Off on River Runs Deep – Jennifer Bradbury

Alive – Scott Sigler

Posted on July 10, 2015 by EHL

AliveShe awakes to pain and panic.  Shackled inside a coffin pitch dark.  Sketchy memories fly through her mind.  She must escape and fight through the pain to break free, only to find she is trapped in a room with other coffins.

Respecting the author’s request to not give anything away, I’ll stop here.  This is going to be a huge success!  The story is chockfull of characters determined to stay alive.  It is dramatic and violent and edge of your seat.  Best of all, from a middle school librarian’s view, is the lack of sexual situations and lack of foul language that help make this book ideal for this age group as well as older teens.  Sure, the violence is there and bad things happen but that’s what keeps this story so exciting at every turn.  Fantastic read for teens of all ages, and adults!  Highly recommend.

eGalley review                    Publication date 7.14.15

Posted in highly recommend, science fiction, suspense | Comments Off on Alive – Scott Sigler

The Novel Habits of Happiness: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (10) – Alexander McCall Smith

Posted on July 10, 2015 by EHL

Novel Habits of HappinessIsabel’s life is slightly off center. First, Cat, her niece has a new man in her life who seems too good to be true. Second, old enemies have appeared in Edinburgh, and may be moving there. And third, a young boy seems to be remembering a previous life. His mother has asked Isabel for help.

Isabel Dalhousie is editor and owner of the Review of Applied Ethics, and as an accomplished philosopher, her thoughts tend to wander onto odd paths, which I dearly love. Her musings and gentle wisdom are calming and stress relieving. Charlie, her son who is almost four, and Jamie her musician husband, complete this lovely family. Quite unlike TV families, these people are intelligent and caring. They solve the inevitable problems rationally and without tantrums. As with the other books, nothing much happens. If you are looking for action and adventure, stay away. Read only if you want to come away feeling that all is well with the world.

Although this is the tenth book in the series, the story can stand alone. But after reading this, it is probable the reader will want to start from the beginning.

eGalley review                      Publication date 7.21.15

Posted in adult, fiction | Comments Off on The Novel Habits of Happiness: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (10) – Alexander McCall Smith

Silver in the Blood – Jessica Day George

Posted on July 6, 2015 by EHL

silver in the bloodCousins Dacia and Lou, born in America during the late 1800s and are the best of friends.  They have been raised in high society by mothers of Romanian birth and now it is time they found spouses.  They’ve come of age and have been sent to Romania to get to know their other relations.  Little did they know that the family matriarch is a cruel and domineering woman whose desire for power guides her every move.   It seems their mothers have been keeping a deep dark secret.  They come from a family of shapeshifters and now that they are 17, their Romanian family enable their first change.  The family needs the girls back in the country to help overthrow the king of Romania so the royal Draculas can regain the throne.

Dacia and Lou are plucky, vivacious, and spunky, yet downright vicious when they have to be.  The girls don’t meekly accept their role in the family.  Punctuated with intrigue and action, the story briskly unfolds.  The men in the story are secondary characters but very well drawn.  This is a fun read and is another gem from Jessica Day George.  There is violence but the language and sexual situations are okay for middle grades while captivating for older teens.  Highly recommend.

Posted in adventure, highly recommend, paranormal | Tagged , | Comments Off on Silver in the Blood – Jessica Day George

The Leveller – Julia Durango

Posted on June 22, 2015 by EHL

The LevellerNix earns money for her college fund by working as a bounty hunter in the virtual world of MEEP.  When kids stay hooked up to their virtual world too long, having adventures in their virtual world while their body remains unconsious, parents call Nix to go into their kid’s world and retrieve them.  Nix’s parents work for the MEEP developer so she has inside access to commands that help her in her missions.  All is well in the virtual world until the mega billionaire MEEP developer’s son, Wyn, is trapped inside the virtual world and Nix is hired to retrieve him.  His body lies hooked up to machines to keep it alive since it has been days.  Nix navigates a series of deadly traps while making her way to Wyn only to get trapped in Wyn’s MEEP world.

Nix is such a fun heroine.  She’s spunky and witty and sharp.  Then there is Wyn who has the attention to detail and delight in world building that would make his island retreat and pet kraken a wonderful world to visit – but not when assassins are after you.  This is another offering to the growing novels about the addiction of gaming and virtual worlds like Heir Apparent (Vande Velde) and Elusion (Gabel and Klam).  The Leveller is well-written and fun to read.  In addition to the action-packed story line, there is the caution about the intrusion of the virtual world into the real world.  Highly recommend.

eGalley review         Publication date 6.23.15

Posted in adventure, highly recommend, science fiction | Tagged | Comments Off on The Leveller – Julia Durango

Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution – Kathleen DuVal

Posted on June 22, 2015 by EHL

Independence LostIn March of 1781, British sailors guarding the mouth of Pensacola Bay spotted a ship that they hoped contained their reinforcements.  But instead of the Union Jack, the red and gold stripes of the Spanish navy were flying over the lead ship. The Spanish invasion of British West Florida had begun. Histories of the American Revolution seldom mention Spain’s involvement and their defeat of the British in Florida. Spain had seized a golden opportunity to expand their holdings in North America while England was busy putting down the rebellion.

To the people living on the Gulf Coast, the Revolution seemed to be like most wars, a war fought for territory and treasure.  They had little interest in Britain’s attempt to tax and control its colonies.  The area was populated by British, French, Spanish, Creeks, Chickasaws, Choctaws, and African born, slave and free. People chose sides for reasons other than revolutionary fervor.  This book looks at the American Revolution from an entirely different perspective as it follows the lives of individuals from these groups during and after the war.   Among others, there was the slave Petit Jean who worked to help Spain; Payamataha, the Chickasaw leader who kept his people neutral; Scottish loyalist James Bruce, a British official in Pensacola; Oliver Pollock, a New Orleans businessman who spent his fortune helping the colonies.

Incorporating the stories of real people made this read like a novel. I came to care about these people and want to know what happened to them.  The history began to live, became much more than dates and battles, words in a book. This was a very interesting item to add to my collection of little known history.  Highly recommend for adults and teens.

eGalley review               Publication date 7.7.15

Posted in adult, highly recommend, nonfiction | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution – Kathleen DuVal