BLOOD RITES by S. L. Perrine

This is the first book in the Blood Rites trilogy. 

The cover is so beautiful I want to just keep looking at it.  I read this as an ebook and can’t wait to get my hands on the paperback.

This is the story of a teenage witch who decides to fight back against everyone.  The setting is described in rich detail and you fully understand how the world works well before the action sucks you in too deeply. 

Emotion.  Magic.  Romance.  Definitely pick this book if you’re looking for an exciting adventure.  Its short, so you can easily read it in one sitting.

RIDING SHOTGUN: AND OTHER AMERICAN CRUELTIES by Andy Rausch

This was a little different than what I normally read.  Instead of one long story, this was a series of novellas, all quite unusual and centered around the theme of crime.  The novellas are all fast-paced and exciting.  I liked that they were novellas.  It gave me just enough to read before bed without making myself too tired in the morning!

My favorite of the bunch is “$crilla.”  It had me laughing aloud and my husband had to ask me what was so funny.

The other stories are equally good.  My second favorite would have to be “Easy-Peezy” because its historical fiction and I have a thing for that genre. 

“Riding Shtogun” was good too, but it didn’t hold my attention the way the others did.  I give those 5 stars, and this one a three.

Overall, I recommend this collection to anyone looking for something quite different and entertaining.

THE SUMMER THE WORLD ENDED by Matt Cox

This is a young adult post-apocalyptic book with a twist ending that will blow you away.  If you’re looking for something unique in the genre, check out this book.

I felt for Riley.  Her mom dies and she’s stuck with a dad she doesn’t know.  The descriptions of her emotions were spot-on, but my favorite descriptions are the ones of her dad.  He is so well detailed!

I liked that Riley is self-conscious about her weight.  I felt for her and knew exactly what she was talking about.  People have always accused me of having an eating disorder and making fun of my weight.  I thought giving her that characteristic was an awesome attribute.

This is a portrayal of a girl who is uprooted and forced into a new world.  It shows how she adapts and grows stronger.

A Song of Home

I received a copy of A SONG OF HOME by Susie Finkbeiner from Kregel in exchange for an honest review.  It is the third book in the series about Pearl Spence and the tagline states it a novel of the swing era.

I am deeply in love with this series, the first book especially.  It will often go through my mind.  I refelect on Pearl’s journey whenever I’m struggling.  With the series meaning so much to me, I worried that this book wouldn’t live up to my expectations.  Book 2 for me was good, but it fizzled out when it came to the mom.

I’m happy to announce this story is just as heartwarming as the first two books, and it has a wonderful amount of historical details to place in 1935 with Pearl.  More than being a period drama, though, it is the emotional story of a girl growing up in a broken family and going through normal preteen girl issues.

I have to say that the Mama in this book and book 2 didn’t match what I thought of mama in book 1, and that’s the only thing to put a downer on this series for me.

I recommend this book to teens and adults.  Although Pearl is 11, I don’t see it being appropriate for a child.  There is a lot of tough, adult topics and emotional heartache.  It is, however, a clean book.

Faithful Finance

I received a copy of FIATHFUL FINANCE by Emily G. Stroud from Zondervan in exchange for an honest review.  The tagline is: 10 SECRETS TO MOVE FROM FEARFUL INSECURITY TO CONFIDENT CONTROL. 

I found this enlightening and it really spoke to me.  Right now, my husband and I are both out of work.  We have a baby and bills, and there are times that the finances are getting to be too stressful for me.  I especially liked the section on monthly budgets.  My husband struggles with that and I am hoping reading this will help.

People often talk about how important finances are, but they don’t always break it down.  This definitely breaks it down in a readable way that makes sense.  It might look like a textbook, but it doesn’t read like one.  This is perfect for those who know nothing about finance (like me) or for those wanting to think about finance in more depth.

ESCAPE FROM SAMSARA by Nicky Blue

Okay, this book is HILARIOUS.  If you’re looking for some humor and a fast read, definitely pick this up.  I read it in one night.  Quite a few times I laughed out loud and my husband had to ask me what was going on.

It does have some “guy” humor, but as a girl, I could still enjoy it.  I was glancing over the other reviews and saw that one mentioned it should be a comic strip.  I couldn’t agree more!

BLEED THROUGH by Adriana Arrington

This is such a chillingly good book.  You really get inside of Liam’s mind.  I’ve read other books where the main character suffers from a mental illness, and they were no where’s near this in-depth.  At times I almost felt like Liam.  I know many people who struggle with mental illness, and I know that they suffer from the stigma society has placed on them.  This story is refreshing in the way that it shows Liam not as a “villain,” but as someone pure and honest who must struggle with the workings of his own mind.

There is more to the story, of course.  It is quite suspenseful and one of the best thrillers I’ve read.