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Whew, it’s been a busy month of reading and writing.

I’ve loved most of the following and here’s a quick wrap up:

First off, it doesn’t get much better than the Lunar Chronicles. The Characters were so well crafted and threaded through each book with a fine tuned hand. I’m so looking forward to her next series.

Delphi Altair is a wonderful fantasy with the most amazing characters. A book for any age group.

Uprooted is a gem, the language is mesmerizing, and the story grabs you and doesn’t go. Noted: There are some passages that are more adult in nature.

All the Bright Places is a stunning novel of young love and the tragic and devastating effects of clinical depression. This should be a must read for teens.

His Majesty’s Dragons If you have a thing for lovable dragons, handsome and dashing heroes, than this is a great read for you. It’s not my usual genre, but I fell in love with Temeraire, the beautiful, sleek  and black dragon with a sense of humor and honor.

Here are some books I’m considering for February’s Reads

Red Rising

Court of Thorns and Roses

Soundless

More about these later

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Now Available on Amazon

The Girl in Black, a murder mystery with a twist, is a psychological thriller by Kathy Lauren Miller, author of The Starling Trilogy.

High school senior, Kate McKenna has a problem. She lives with dead people. That is to say she and her father, a pathologist and mortician, reside in an old Victorian mansion that is part funeral home. Needless to say, living with the dead has wrecked havoc on her social life. 

It’s simply an occupational hazard, says her father, but it’s not simple for Kate. House parties: Forget it. Sleepovers: No way. Having a boy friend: Like, are you kidding me? That is until the day Ashley Taylor, cheerleader and prom queen gets herself murdered.

The prime suspect just happens to be Kate’s secret crush, Shane Holloway. Kate’s determined to find the real killer, but she can’t do it alone. She enlists the help of her computer geek pals to track down Ashley’s activities online and in real life. The trio refers to themselves as the Moths, hackers who write code. Everything goes as planned until the unexpected happens and Kate finds herself being pursued by the killer. Oh, and by someone else, someone she can never, ever reveal.

 

A  Murder Mystery with a Twist.   Just Release on Amazon  Now Available on Amazon

 

May Peace Prevail

 Health and Happiness to All

  Temeraire, an irrepressible dragon

From the high seas to the coverts of England, this novel is full of adventure, action and amazingly lovable dragons. There are many kinds of dragons, but Temeraire is special. He is an Imperial Chinese Dragon. The dragons are aviators in the service of his Majesty. Oh, and did I mention they all talk?  And all are very intelligent, as well as brave and loyal to their life long handlers. Laurence, a Navy Captain, is Temeraire’s handler, or co-pilot, if you will. It was happenstance that brought the two together and now they are bonded for life.

Beautifully written and faithfully adhering to the norms and language of the 18 century, Naomi Novik has penned yet another page turner. Adults will enjoy this story, but I think it will resonate even better with YA males and teens.  An enjoyable read.

Uprooted, by Naomi Novik is a lush and vibrant novel, rich with imagery.  I’ve learned a lesson here about first impressions because somewhere during the first chapter I went,  well, maybe this isn’t for me . . .  then I read on and on  and soon I was captured not only by the protagonist, who is not your average heroine, but by the unfolding story.  Our protagonist,  Agnieszka is awkward, clumsy and not a beauty. But she is determined, stubborn and she has a gift, a gift of magic, new, untried and untamed. Sarkan, the Dragon Lord of the country named, Polnya, is likable despite his asperity. He is a master of magic who holds back the evil that threatens to overrun the people and the country. The evil in the Wood is contagious, sending its vines and roots into the villages.
Ultimately, it is a fantastic story about the depth of friendship, love, betrayal, sacrifice and unyielding determination against the roots of evil.  While I’m not generally a fan of fantasy novels, I couldn’t stop reading this wonderful book.  I will note, however, despite the cover, which is beautiful and seemed clearly meant for tweens, is should be read primarily by young adults and adults due to some graphic sexual scenes.  I loved this author’s writing and I’ve no doubt I’ll be reading more of her works.

This is so lovely. I often wonder, what if a person’s life was written in words on their face?  Or perhaps, just what they were thinking the moment you first met them?  Think of the possibilities . . .