Review: The Clearing

 Novel: The Clearing
Author: Heather Davis
Pages: 228
Genre: YA


In this bittersweet romance, two teens living decades apart form a bond that will change their lives forever.
Amy is drawn to the misty, mysterious clearing behind her Aunt Mae's place because it looks like the perfect place to hide from life. A place to block out the pain of her last relationship, to avoid the kids in her new town, to stop dwelling on what her future holds after high school. Then, she meets a boy lurking in the mist--Henry. Henry is different from any other guy Amy has ever known. And after several meetings in the clearing, she's starting to fall for him.
But Amy is stunned when she finds out just how different Henry really is. Because on his side of the clearing, it's still 1944. By some miracle, Henry and his family are stuck in the past, staving off the tragedy that will strike them in the future. Amy's crossing over to Henry's side brings him more happiness than he's ever known--but her presence also threatens to destroy his safe existence.
In The Clearing, author Heather Davis crafts a tender and poignant tale about falling in love, finding strength, and having the courage to make your own destiny--a perfect book to slip into and hide away for awhile.


(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)

Wow… finally a new spin on a paranormal romance. If you are looking for a hardcore paranormal book, this isn’t the novel for you, or if you are looking for a romance without depth because this novel had depth, a deeper meaning it stands for and so much more. You get to see a romance between Amy and Henry, the two main characters, blossom and you get to see each of them blossom themselves. Amy, especially, grows as a characters covering deep issues such as abusive relationships and having to face a harsh reality. One of the hardest things in life is learning to forgive yourself, something which many of us could use some help on and this novel did help me understand a bit more about it.

As a warning, there are a few scenes with sexual content and drinking so this might be a novel for more mature YA readers but these scenes were appropriate to the story and a major part of Amy’s growing as a character and learning from her past. This also does have some content in regards to abusive relationship so as I said above, this is a novel about a young woman growing in many ways. She grows as a character, a person and overall she learns more about the world and herself than I had first expected her character to given her past. This novel it very well written even though it changes a lot between first person and third when it is switching between different character’s points of views.




4 Stars!

Would I suggest you read it:

I think fans of Sarah Dessen who are looking for a novel with some fantasy would adore this novel. It has a realism to the characters while keeping the fantasy parts of the story intact and using them to its advantage. Overall, worth your time. Who knows, maybe you might find a few things in it she learns about herself that might help you, I know I did.



(This novel was received through netGalley. This does not change my stance, opinion or effect my views in any way.)

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

the thing is, before Lena, I would’ve cared. I was just starting to wonder, I mean, if maybe I was under some kind of spell myself.
I didn’t do that.
I didn’t say you didn’t.
You just did.
I didn’t say you had cast a spell. I just said, maybe I was under one.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – page 363

I was Interviewed on...

If any of you are interested I was interviewed for Blogger Monday on Book Bookie's wonderful blog. The interview can be found here: http://bookbookie.blogspot.com/2010/05/blogger-monday_24.html

If you love weekly memes, reviews or are just looking for a new blogger to follow go check her out! I know I am a follower! Thanks for reading!

A New Poll

A new poll has been posted in my sidebar. Please vote! I am so curious what everyone will answer!

Review: Powers by John B. Olson

Novel: Powers: A Novel
Author: John B. Olson
Pages: 400 (ARC)
Genre: FICTION - ADULT: Mystery, Detective, Suspense & Thrillers: Thrillers



Powers, the follow-up to John Olson’s Shade (“a must-read for those who enjoy Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti” —Publishers Weekly), introduces a sheltered Gypsy girl named Mariutza. Her grandfather utters a mysterious last request before dying in her arms after being shot by ten cloaked men. Those same men die before her eyes, but strange powers continue to pursue Mari through the swamps of southern Louisiana where she has always hidden from “the Badness.”
The whole world seems to join in the chase—helicopters, soldiers, government agents, and the police are all trying to kill her. Mari’s only hope of survival is to find Jaazaniah the Prophet, the mythical hero of her grandfather’s bedtime stories. But she has never been outside the swamp or known other humans besides her grandfather and one teacher. How can this lone girl survive the bewildering world of men long enough to find a prophet who might not even exist?


(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)

This was not what I expected. I read the short description and thought I had found a novel that might not be the best fit for me but I was willing to try. I instead found a novel that was an amazing match for me and felt almost like the heart of my favorite Thiller novels had just jumped into my favorite Urban Fantasy Shelf and had a field day. This had everything. It made your heart beat faster with suspense, it had touching spiritual moments that were implemented extremely well and overall was very descriptive and a pleasure to read. Not to mention that the story including Gypsies had already intrigued me so by the time I reached page ten… well, let us just say you couldn’t pry it from my hands with a crowbar. Amazing novel, amazing twists and turn that keep you guessing, overall, a stunning novel that will have me keeping my eyes out for more works by John B. Olson in the future.




5 Stars!

Would I suggest you read it:

I would suggest this novel to all readers looking for a wonderful Urban Fantasy or Thriller that is not only Christian but has an overall more positive side than many of the thriller and urban fantasy novels on the market currently. It is not considered YA but I would suggest it to many of my fellow YA readers and honestly enjoyed it!



(This novel was received through netGalley. This does not change my stance, opinion or effect my views in any way.)

Review and Giveaway: The Pack

Novel: The Pack
Author: L.M. Preston
Pages: 315
Genre: YA (Science Fiction)

Kids on Mars are disappearing, and Shamira is on a mission to save them. As a

blind vigilante, she was always an outcast and loner. Yet, to save these kids and

her brother she will need the help of others. Valens is determined to help her,

whether she wants it or not. With his help she recruits an unlikely army, an army

of kids kidnapped and enslaved by the crime organization that is trying to take

over Mars.

In order to even the odds she must tap into her hidden strength, risking her

control of it and herself in order to save them all.

Book Trailer:



(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)

I loved reading this novel. Shamira is amazing and someone who can be hard to relate to while still being someone anyone can relate to. All of us have been outcasts at one point or another, all of us have felt how hard it is to be in a situation where something terrible is happening but there is just no way you feel you can help. She shows that even if you are blind and all of the odds seem to be against you, if you step up to the plate you just might hit a home run.

L.M. Preston hit a home run with this novel. You have suspense, humor and heartbreaking moments with deep emotion all wrapped up in one amazing book. I will admit, at first I wasn’t sure I would like it, I can be a bit of a pessimist but I LOVED it! This novel also deals with something very read but giving it a fiction surrounding, it deals with kidnapping, something that happens on this earth every single day and what it can do to the people who are left behind or taken. She weaves an amazing story which swept me off my feet and I am just not sure I will ever be the same again.





Would I suggest you read it:

YES! DETINATELY! This is an amazing read. While I was hesitant all my hesitancy disappeared when I met Shamira, the kick … ummm… to be kid friendly I will say rear, main character who will have you laughing, crying, screaming and possibly even wanting to go out there and make a difference in the small ways that any human being can. I LOVED IT!

Author Info:

blog: //lmpreston.blogspot.com/

www.lmpreston.com

LM. Preston was born and raised in Washington, DC. An avid

reader, she loved to create poetry and short-stories as a young

girl. With a thirst for knowledge she attended college at Bowie State

University, and worked in the IT field as a Techie and Educator for

over sixteen years. She started writing science fiction under the

encouragement of her husband who was a Sci-Fi buff and her four

kids. Her first published novel, Explorer X - Alpha was the

beginning of her obsessive desire to write and create stories of young

people who overcome unbelievable odds. She loves to write while on

the porch watching her kids play or when she is traveling, which is

another passion that encouraged her writing.

Giveaway!

And guess what everyone… are you guessing yet? Oh, I guess I will just tell you. Thanks to the wonderful L.M. Preston we are giving away a copy of The Pack right here! In addition, if you win The Pack from this contest, you also get an ARC copy of Bandits when it comes out Spring of next year! (Something I know I am looking forward to!) All you have to do is enter your name and email then follow at least two of the following:

Emma Michael's Blog: http://EmmaMichaels.Blogspot.com
L.M. Preston's Blog: http://lmpreston.blogspot.com/
L.M. Preston's Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?sk=games_mynews#!/profile.php?id=100000094441527&ref=ts
or her Twitter: https://twitter.com/LM_Preston

And fill out this form. It is that simple! If you like using the forms rather than comments please comment and let me know so I will use it again in the future! You can also receive five additional entries for each individual you refer and an additional entry for each of the above you decided to follow! The winner will be announced on June 2nd! That means you have two weeks to enter and gather your additional points!





P.S.- For you own copy of The Pack by L.M. Preston click the Amazon link

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

The Lights came on when she walked through the door. She didn’t stop but went straight to David’s room. Grabbing his picture of the two of them a she lay down on his bed, she kissed his face on the miniature video screen. She held it to her heart and then fell asleep.

The Pack by L.M. Preston – page 170

To add to this teaser is this amazing trailer for the novel:

My Review of this novel and a Giveaway will be posted tomorrow so don’t forget to check back to see what I thought and enter for your chance to win a copy of The Pack and one of the ARC of L. M. Preston's soon coming novel, Bandits, next Spring!

Sneak Peak

Sneak peak on the novel I will post my teaser about on Tuesday and check back on Wednesday if you want to find out about the amazing contest that is going to be posted at the end of my review!

Review: A Story of the West (Featured Author info included!)

Novel: A Story of the West
Author: Susan Spence
Pages: 277 (looking in my novel)
328 (according to Amazon)
Genre: Western/Historical/ Fiction






Matt Daly arrives in Montana Territory with his father John in 1880, eager to begin his life as a cattle rancher.
He thinks life will be hard but simple. However, things get complicated quickly.
First, Matt falls in love when he meets Lavina Lavold, a young woman who has journeyed west with her family from Illinois. She shares his zest for life, and it doesn't hurt that she's very attractive. But it's not clear if the family is just passing through or if they will settle there.
Then there are rustlers who steal cattle on the vast prairie. Though it's dangerous, Matt joins a band of ranchers intent on capturing and punishing the criminals.
Bully Buehler, a neighboring rancher only concerned with profit, causes the most trouble. He thinks the Daly ranch would be an attractive addition to his land holdings, and he's ready to try to take it.
Join Matt as he pursues love and adventure and in A Story of the West.

(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)

This novel makes me feel like I am back in my grandfather’s arms, his telling me the exciting bed time stories about cowboys, only add in more excitement, much more information and a fluid adult fiction writing style that kept the pace moving with ease. I am thoroughly impressed with Susan Spence, so much so that at the end of this review you will find her author information and more. This novel brought out a love for westerns I never even knew I had.

I am the kind of girl who normally when I go into a store or library, heads straight for Teen/ Young Adult. Now, I just might find myself in the adult /westerns section a bit more often if there are more authors like Susan Spence out there. I found myself reading it before I would go to bed night after night and trying to draw it out as long as I could because for once, I didn’t want to finish it too quickly, I wanted to relish the writing and the novel completely and draw it out as long as I could. Overall, I absolutely LOVED this novel!

Would I suggest you read it:

Yes! I loved reading this novel and am so grateful that I had a chance to. It was able to teach me so much and take me on a beautiful adventure. Fans of Louis L’amour, Westerns, cowboys, historical fiction and more are sure to love this novel. If you like to lay in bed for a few hours or even just a few minutes before bed and sit and relax, reading a great novel, I would definitely suggest this be one of the novels on your list!



Susan Spence has always been intrigued with life in the West during the 1880s. She researched historical accounts and first-person narratives as she prepared to write A Story of the West. A lifelong resident of the West, she currently lives in Montana on an old sheepshearing station.

If you would like to learn more about Susan Spence here is her blog:

http://rockingsevenmile.blogspot.com/

If you would like to buy your own copy of A Story of the West click below: 

(Disclaimer: I did receive this novel for review from the author. This has not changed or effected my opinion of the novel or it’s content.)

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

“As he rode, he was coming up with a plan. It was the only way he could figure out to stop the nightmare that had become his life.”

A Story of the West by Susan Spence – Page 165 (paperback version)

I will be featuring a review of this novel this Wednesday so check back if you want to find out what I thought!

(This weeks review of Susan Spence's novel will not only be featuring my usual content but extra content as well, including extra author information and more!)

Review: Thumb Flagging

Novel: Thumb Flagging
Author: Jerome Peterson
Pages: 410
Genre: YA (Fantasy)



The lure of the open road and the undeniable wanderlust of the heart have overtaken the life of young, kindhearted Jay Patterson. When he meets confident, free-spirited Willy Jacobs, Jay hesitantly becomes a bohemian of the highway in this tale set in the late seventies. Their unforgettable cross-country journeys by hitchhiking and riding the rails lead them to extraordinary situations beyond their imaginations.

Willy is a friendly street-smart drifter who applies his zany roadside therapies to help Jay overcome his crisis of confidence. As the unlikely pair travel, Willy philosophizes and uses his strong personality and energy persuading Jay into becoming a hitchhiking junkie. The vagabonds meet with unexpected encounters and come face-to-face with themselves and the harsh realities of the open highway.

They stumble upon many others who are traveling and tending to their own physical, psychological and emotional wounds. Paranoia strikes at the heart of their journey as they cross the path a number of times with a mysterious psychopathic couple.

While traveling alone from Arizona to Maine, Jay meets a female drifter. The decisions they make could result in a magical relationship or a tragic goodbye.


(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)

This novel has a writing style that at first made me hesitant but is somehow very addictive. Normally a novel with anything that could be considered ‘slang’ is not my cup of tea but the novel was well paced and entertaining. Let me point out before I go on that this in not YA like many of my other reviewed novels meaning that the content is somewhat different. If you like topics such a hitch hiking, hippies, the 70’s or some types of Thriller you will likely enjoy this but keep in mind that it being an adult novel means it features content that may not be suitable for some younger ages. Now for the good part of the review, the opinion.

I enjoyed the writing style of this novel even though I hesitated, it caught me off guard and actually had a way of making me feel more at ease which made the thriller and suspenseful parts of the novel have an even more vivid effect. It had its lighthearted moments and also very, very dark moments. Overall, I felt it was a worthwhile novel but also felt maybe I should not have read it RIGHT before bed. Might want to keep the lights on for this novel, I am looking forward to Jerome Peterson’s next novel and hope it is as good if not better than Thumb Flagging.




Two Stars

Would I suggest you read it:

It truly depends on the type of novel you enjoy. I did suggest it to a few friends and even lent out my copy to one of them. Some of them did enjoy it and others share my opinion. While many novels it is a matter is skill, this novel does have skill and it is more a manner of taste. So overall, if you have checked out this review and it seems like something you might enjoy then YES!


Disclaimer: I did receive this novel from the author for reviewing purposes. However, that does not effect my stance or opinion of it's content. Hope you all enjoy! I am an amazon associate

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Teaser:



"Thank.
You.
Lord!
In three separate sentences, just like that.
The rain’d washed the glass clean and bright as a Christmas bulb, and now I could see that, at the tip of the windows where they arched up, the panes were colored red, and yellow, and green."

Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate

Review: The Circle of Magic, Daja's Book

Novel: Circle of Magic #3 (Daja’s Book)
Author: Tamora Pierce
Pages: 240
Genre: YA (Fantasy)



As in the other books in the series, four mages-in-training are the key players, but here it is Daja Kisubo's turn to take center stage. While traveling in a drought and fire-stricken part of the country with her fellow students and their mentors, the young people's magical talents somehow become intertwined, leading Daja, who is linked to the element of fire and the craft of smithing, to create a seemingly living vine out of metal. Nomadic Traders recognize the vine as a powerful object and take the complicated ritual steps required to purchase it from Daja. Having been cast out by the Trader class as a young child when her family's ship sank, she is seen as a source of bad luck to be avoided at all costs. During the negotiations, she must come to terms with the part of her that still yearns for her past life, and her growing power as a mage. As in the previous books, the climax revolves around a natural disaster that requires the four new mages' powers working together to minimize its effects. The fantasy elements of the series as a whole are satisfyingly well imagined, as are the main characters, and readers who have not read the first two novels will understand what is going on. This is a definite purchase where the previous books are owned, but it should also be considered on its own merits where they are not-which will undoubtedly lead to demand for the circle to be completed.
(By School Library Journal’s Carrie Schadle)


(I will not be posting any spoilers! Only opinion for the sake of those of us who love to have our first look at a book be untainted by foreknowledge.)

Daja’s story will at points nearly break your heart but it will also make you understand her, possibly even be able to relate to her better even though throughout the series she is the one who at times can be hardest to relate to. After this book I never felt that way again, I understood why she had acted the ways she had in past books and was deeply impresses by her, as well at Tamora Pierce and her brilliant writing style that created her. This story still holds true to the friendship that these four teens were able to find but also help them understand Daja better, while we learn to along with them.

Overall, this is an amazing novel that will stay on my favorites shelf well into my old and gray years! It starts a fire in your heart that will having you racing off to the store to try and find Briar’s novel which will be features in my next review!





Would I suggest you read it:
I love Daja’s story and I hope that you will too! It is well worth the read and while sad at times overall it shows what she had to overcome and that even someone who everything refuses to acknowledge can be the one person they need most.




Other Covers: