April Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Surviving the Darkness by Shiela Stewart


Surviving the Darkness by Shiela Stewart
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Short story (126 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy
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Surviving an abduction, and running home to hide, might seem like a good idea. Except home is now run by vampires.

Deborah Carmichael had it all. Fame, fortune, and an amazing gift bringing songs to life on her piano. Until a madman began stalking her. At first he seemed harmless, attending her concerts, asking for autographs. Then he turned creepy, sending photos of himself, wearing identical dresses she wore, including dressing up mannequins in her likeness. But one night she made a deadly mistake: sending her bodyguard away. It was the perfect opportunity for her abductor to strike.

Rich, debonair, and owner of the only vampire/demon establishment in Jacobs Cove, Zachary Adams has it all. Or so he thinks. When a beautiful, troubled young woman walks into his club, he is instantly taken by her. As he helps her overcome her fears, teaching her to stand up and fight, Zach discovers she is the one. His light.

When her abductor finds her, and takes her captive, Deborah fears this will be the end. Will Zach locate her in time, or will Deborah find the strength to fight?

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

Stranger Than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer


Stranger Than Fanfiction by Chris Colfer
Publisher: Little Brown & Co
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (304 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer comes a funny, heartbreaking, unforgettable novel about friendship and fame perfect for fans of Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl and John Green.

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In this touching novel, New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer takes us on a journey full of laughter, tears, and life-changing memories.

Four friends, a roadtrip and an interesting addition…what can go wrong?

I knew when I picked up this book I’d like it. Why? I like the writing style of Chris Colfer. It’s choppy in spots, but it’s witty and sounds like teens talking. It really does. I sped right through this book and cried at the end. It kept my attention and made me feel for the characters.

I won’t get into a lot of details, but there is a little bit for everyone. Sam is transgender and trying to sort himself out. Mo has ideas that don’t match those of her father. Topher wants to be the responsible one and is giving up on some of his dreams to help care for his brother with a handicap. Then there’s Joey. He’s gay and hasn’t come out yet. Oh, and Cash. Cash is the celebrity that just so happens to come along on the trip. I have to admit, I thought the story would go one way and the author kept up enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. I liked it. While the ending made me cry, it was exactly how the book should’ve ended. I’m glad, too.

If you want a book that’s fast-paced, fun in spots and sad in others, but worth the read, then this might be the one you’re looking for. Recommended.

Reaching for the Moon by Katherine Johnson


Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson by Katherine Johnson
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Genre: Non-Fiction, Autobiography, YA
Length: Full Length (256 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo 11.

As a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an exceptional aptitude for math. In school she quickly skipped ahead several grades and was soon studying complex equations with the support of a professor who saw great promise in her. But ability and opportunity did not always go hand in hand. As an African American and a girl growing up in an era of brutal racism and sexism, Katherine faced daily challenges. Still, she lived her life with her father’s words in mind: “You are no better than anyone else, and nobody else is better than you.”
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In the early 1950s, Katherine was thrilled to join the organization that would become NASA. She worked on many of NASA’s biggest projects including the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first men on the moon.

Katherine Johnson’s story was made famous in the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures. Now in Reaching for the Moon she tells her own story for the first time, in a lively autobiography that will inspire young readers everywhere.

This woman got to the moon without ever leaving the ground.

I’m fascinated by those who can do math. I don’t mean the 2+2 kind. I mean the kind that sorts out how to get a rocket off the ground, geometry, high level algebra… you know, the people who can get things to the moon and back. Katherine Johnson is a bit of an unsung hero. Sure, she’s the subject of the movie Hidden Figures, but there’s a lot more to this woman and the best place to learn about her is from the woman herself.

I didn’t realize right away that this was a YA book. It’s listed in the library as YA, but it reads more like a conversation. Katherine Johnson’s autobiography talks about many parts of her life and doesn’t pull punches. She mentions her first marriage and how Jimmy passed. How it was hard to be a woman in the computing industry and how hard her family fought to get her an education. I loved how she taught her brothers to read because she thought they were behind, but it was more that she was so far ahead!

If you’re looking for a book that’s delightful and reminds the reader what’s important in life–getting an education and being happy while doing your work because you’re doing what you love, then this is the book for you.

The Guardians by John Grisham


The Guardians by John Grisham
Publisher: Doubleday Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (371 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In the small Florida town of Seabrook, a young lawyer named Keith Russo was shot dead at his desk as he worked late one night. The killer left no clues. There were no witnesses, no one with a motive. But the police soon came to suspect Quincy Miller, a young black man who was once a client of Russo’s.

Quincy was tried, convicted, and sent to prison for life. For twenty-two years he languished in prison, maintaining his innocence. But no one was listening. He had no lawyer, no advocate on the outside. In desperation, he writes a letter to Guardian Ministries, a small nonprofit run by Cullen Post, a lawyer who is also an Episcopal minister.

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They killed one lawyer twenty-two years ago, and they will kill another without a second thought.

Grisham is back to his top form.

I’m a sucker for John Grisham’s books. I admit it. I ask for his books for my birthday, for Christmas…snag them when I see them on the shelves–if I don’t already have a copy–and devour the books. For a while now, some of Grisham’s books haven’t been my cuppa. I want mystery, suspense and to turn pages needing to know what would happen next. Some of the recent books haven’t been so gripping in that respect.

This book goes back to what I want to read. It’s gripping, there are characters I worried about and I wanted to see how this would all play out. I mean, the main character is a minister-slash-attorney. I’m snagged. I liked Cullen, the minister/attorney. He’s a bit of a sleaze, but he admits it. He’s also got a big heart. When it comes to helping those who aren’t in the best shape to help themselves and get out of jail, he’s on it. I liked his Don Quixote qualities. I also liked how he devoted himself to his clients, particularly Quincy. Quincy, the lifer accused of killing another being has a gentle giant quality to him. He reminded me of the character from The Green Mile. I wanted him to get his freedom and rooted for both him and Cullen to get what they needed by the end of the book.

This is a quick read and there is one gross spot in the book. It involves alligators in the Everglades and meat. I won’t go into details, but if you’re easily nauseated, then this might be the part to skip over.

But if you’re looking for a book with redeemable characters and an intriguing plot, then this might be the book for you. Recommended.

And Then There Were Nuns by Kylie Logan


And Then There Were Nuns by Kylie Logan
League of Literary Ladies
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (306 pgs)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The national bestselling author of Gone with the Twins returns to South Bass Island, where the League of Literary Ladies has to find out who’s killing off nuns.

B and B owner Bea Cartwright has taken on the responsibility of taking meals to ten visiting nuns, who are on retreat at the Water’s Edge Center for Spirit and Renewal on picturesque South Bass Island on Lake Erie. But the peace of the retreat is shattered when one of the nuns is found at the water’s edge—murdered. And when a second nun is killed, Bea and the other members of the League of Literary Ladies—Chandra, Kate, and Luella—start to wonder about eerie parallels with the Agatha Christie mystery classic, And Then There Were None.
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Since Bea has the trust of the sisters, the local chief of police asks her and the other Literary Ladies to interview each of them. Expecting a confession may be asking for a miracle, but Bea hopes she can at least find the killer before another nun gets crossed off the guest list…

It all started with a penguin.

Let me clarify my opening statement. The book starts quite frankly with Bea seeing what she thinks is a penguin. Turns out it’s a nun.

I’m newer to the cozy mystery genre. I’ll admit, I was looking forward to something closer to Agatha Christie, but that’s on me for not knowing the genre as well as I might. I expected certain things to happen and when they didn’t, I was pleasantly surprised in some aspects and annoyed in others. It’s on me as the reader for not knowing the genre. So if you’re new to the genre of cozy mystery, let this book take you on a ride.

The writing flows well and I got right into the story. I wasn’t as invested in Bea’s character, but I did like her sometime love interest. I wanted to know who committed the murder and didn’t pick up on how it was committed, so that’s good. Plus, this book takes place in the islands off Lake Erie in the Ohio/Michigan area. If you’re fond of that area, then this book will delight you.

If you’re looking for a mystery that’s a quick read and has a bit of fun, then this is the book for you.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing


My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (378 pgs)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith in this wildly compulsive debut thriller about a couple whose fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting…

Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We’re your neighbors, the parents of your kid’s friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.

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Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.

Cute and cuddly, this book is not.

I picked up this book because it was recommended. It’s not in my natural wheelhouse of books I want to read. I’m not big on murder mystery type books. I like a straight mystery without much in the way of gory details. Then there’s this book.

The author did a great job of making me dislike the characters. Neither the hero or heroine–if you want to call them that–are nice people. They know how to put on a mask and draw people in, but being honest isn’t their forte. So in that respect, the author succeeded. I had a hard time rooting for anyone in this book. But if that’s what the author wanted, then go her. I haven’t forgotten what I read and I’m still sort of put off by it. The characters aren’t normal and the situations sure aren’t either, but again, if that was the author’s point, then point made.

These characters are killers. There is something a little off with both of them. Now I have to mention there are triggers in this book. If you’re not a fan of reading about abduction, abuse and gross abuse, then this might not be the book for you. If you’re a reader who isn’t comfortable with killing…again this might not be the book for you. There are descriptions in the story that are sure to churn the stomach.

It’s not that this is a bad book. It’s just different.

If you’re looking for a book that’s a little different and heavy on messing with your head, then this might be the book for you.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout


Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (336 pgs)
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.

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Olive isn’t an easy woman to love.

Do you know someone who is sort of tough on everything? I mean like, nothing really makes them happy and they’re about to sabotage the people around them? That’s Olive Kitteridge.

This is an award-winning book, so when I picked it up I had high hopes for it. I have to admit, this is a novel told in short stories. While this format might work for some books, this one was a tad jagged in places. The story involving Olive having to use the bathroom and ending up in the hospital comes to mind. I thought the stories would revolve around Olive more as a central character. Many times she’s a side player. Also, the writing didn’t flow as well as I might have liked and I did put this book down often.

But if you go in knowing this is a different sort of book, a novel in short stories, then it might resonate differently with you. There are characters I did worry about and some I wanted to see more of. Many of the stories were quite bittersweet in nature, too.

If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, then this might be the book for you.

March Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Bells for Eli by Susan Beckham Zurenda


Bells for Eli by Susan Beckham Zurenda
Publisher: Mercer University Press
Genre: Historical (recent)
Length: Full Length (282 pgs)
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Snapdragon
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Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

First cousins Ellison (Eli) Winfield and Adeline (Delia) Green are meant to grow up happily and innocently across the street from one another amid the supposed wholesome values of small-town Green Branch, South Carolina, in the 1960s and 70s. But Eli’s tragic accident changes the trajectory of their lives and of those connected to them. Shunned and even tortured by his peers for his disfigurement and frailty, Eli struggles for acceptance in childhood as Delia passionately devotes herself to defending him. Delia’s vivid and compassionate narrative voice presents Eli as a confident young man in adolescence–the visible damage to his body gone–but underneath hides indelible wounds harboring pain and insecurity, scars that rule his impulses. And while Eli cherishes Delia more than anyone and attempts to protect her from her own troubles, he cares not for protecting himself. It is Delia who has that responsibility, growing more challenging each year. BELLS FOR ELI is a lyrical and tender exploration of the relationship between cousins drawn together through tragedy in a love forbidden by social constraints and a family whose secrets must stay hidden. Susan Beckham Zurenda masterfully transports readers into a small Southern town where quiet, ordinary life becomes extraordinary. In this compelling coming of age story, culture, family, friends, bullies, and lovers propel two young people to unite to guard each other in a world where love, hope, and connectedness ultimately triumph.

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

House of Seven Spirits by Julie Howard


House of Seven Spirits by Julie Howard
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (130 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Some secrets are deadly, and ghost-blogger Jillian Winchester and her photographer boyfriend discover it’s true when they set out to investigate an Australian family who disappeared without a trace in the 1880s.

An abandoned sheep station rumored to be haunted by the Kinsley family with ghosts instead of dead bodies or clues is one challenge. The other is the beautiful but deadly Outback.
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As Jillian probes deeper into the mystery, one thing becomes clear: She might not make it out of this quest alive.

Certain secrets are impossible to keep.

This story was filled with rich details that immediately sucked me into the plot. Even though I’ve never been to Australia in real life, I sure felt like I had due to the care the author took to explain not only what the climate was like but what Australian culture is like, too. I had such a good time exploring this part of the world. It was pretty hard to stop reading once I started because of how immersive this experience was and how curious I was to see what long-buried secrets might be revealed next.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to Jillian’s character development. She could be pretty stubborn and impulsive at times. While I definitely appreciated the fact that her flaws were so realistic and meaningful to how the storyline played out, it would have been nice if she’d shown how she changed as a result of these experiences. I sure would have been impacted by them, so it felt a little odd to meet a character who reacted the way she did to it.

The romantic subplot was handled nicely. I got the impression that this book was or will be part of a series, but I couldn’t confirm that for sure either way. At any rate, their shared history was explained so well that I felt totally comfortable jumping in at this part of their journey. They were young and in love but still had so much left to figure out about life and romance. It was pretty interesting to see how Jillian and Mason attempted to sort some of it out while at the same time both of them were juggling heavy work responsibilities.

I enjoyed reading House of Seven Spirits and would recommend it to anyone who loves paranormal mysteries.

Around the World in 50 Years: My Adventure to Every Country on Earth by Albert Podell


Around the World in 50 Years: My Adventure to Every Country on Earth by Albert Podell
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Non-Fiction, Recent Historical, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (354 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Around the World in 50 Years is the inspiring story of an ordinary guy who achieved two great goals that others had told him were impossible. First, he set a record for the longest automobile journey ever made around the world, during which he blasted his way out of minefields, survived a serious accident atop the Peak of Death, came within seconds of being lynched, and lost three of the five men who started with him: two to disease, one to the Vietcong.

After that, Albert Podell set another record by going to every country on earth. He survived riots, revolutions, civil wars, trigger-happy child soldiers, voodoo priests, jihadists, robbers, corrupt cops, and Cape buffalo. He traveled through every kind of earthquake, cyclone, tsunami, volcanic eruption, snowstorm, and sandstorm that nature threw at him. He ate everything from old camel meat and African field rats to dung beetles and the brain of a live monkey. And he overcame encounters with crocodiles, hippos, anacondas, giant leeches, flying crabs―and several beautiful women who insisted that he stop this nonsense and marry them.
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Around the World in 50 Years is a remarkable and meaningful tale packed with some of the most memorable, frightening, and hilarious adventure stories you have ever read.

Has anyone been to every country on earth? Albert Podell has, and he wrote about it. He started his travels as a young man and finished them in his twilight years. He left the most dangerous and harrowing countries for last.

The subject matter alone is fascinating. Readers get glimpses of other countries and cultures through the eyes of an American traveler. Podell doesn’t describe all 196 countries here. He mainly goes into his wild adventures in the countries where he encountered real trouble, whether of the natural type—wild animals or extreme desert conditions in Africa—or the human type—dealing with wars and radical politics.

There are only a few pleasant experiences described within these pages, and the author’s words offer great insights into these other lands. One will appreciate getting a peek into how so many other people live. Podell is honest, and his interpretations are laced with humor. This book is not for kids though. There is adult content, telling readers how it really is.

Since it took him fifty years to do this, Podell sometimes updates readers on the situation in certain countries. He also had to backtrack at times because new countries were created or disappeared. One can often feel his stress and surprise as well as feel relieved for him when he barely escapes one life-threatening predicament after another.

This adventurous tale will very likely give readers in certain places a whole new appreciation of where they live. It will make them grateful for what they have and maybe even make them want to stay home. It’s an eye-opening experience going along with this author on his world-wide journeys, and I’m glad I read this book.