Review: The Sky Is Everywhere

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I had never heard of this book until my friend Shannon recommended it to me. Boy am I glad she did. A stunningly good book about loss, love, life, death, mistakes, madness, abandonment: Life. Fill with eccentric yet believable characters, and filled with heart. As soon as I finished I started it over and read it again, loving it even more. I never do that. Moe, I think I will reread it again soon. Amazing. One of the best books on loss I have ever read too,right up there with [b:Always There|17343004|Always There|Carol Ann Albright-Eastman|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360897369s/17343004.jpg|24080843]. Go read it!



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Always There Blog Tour

Always There by Carol Ann Albright-Eastman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I had the honor of being the first to read this book, and I just loved it. I do not want to do much to spoil anything but I will say a part of this book deals with what happens after death, and that part is original, interesting, and I cannot get it out of my mind weeks down the road.

There is also a heart touching love story, a story about life and going on, a story about the nature of love, existence and what it means to live. I cannot say anything I want to say without spoiling stuff better left read and to surprise you.

  I've read this book 5 times now.  I'll read it again soon.  More than a dozen books down the line I still cannot get it out of my mind.  It brought home every loss of every loved one in my life, and helped me come to grips with those loses.  The love story reminded me in ways of my own story with my wife, two people nobody thought should go together, least of all us at the start who in fact belong together, will they realize it in time?

  This book is in my all time Top 10% list, and I cannot wait for more from this author.


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Review: Suicide Note

Suicide Note by Teresa Mummert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I bought this book on a whim, it was on a list of recommendations underneath something else I was buying. I'm glad I did. A good story about a vet coming back from the war in Iraq after getting a Dear john letter, and his visit turns into more when he meets a young woman with issues of her own when it comes to the opposite sex. Heartfelt, realistic, and completely enjoyable. I will be looking for more books from this author.



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Review: Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



John Green has become one of my favorite authors. Everything I read of his is excellent. This is a sad story, all to real, about a group of young people at a boarding school. Each carries their own pain in believable ways. Each damaged by life in believable ways that you can identity with.

As always you really care about his characters, some feel like old friends, some you wish you could meet in real life. Most of all he makes you feel, oh how he works your emotions. Never obvious, but never cheap or ridiculous. This man can flat out write.



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Review: Overwhelm Me

Overwhelm Me by A.C. Marchman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



A very erotic story that will make your blood run hot, without ever being simply pornographic. Not simply erotic either, there is a story here as well, a good one. One I feel we will learn more about in more books in the future. One of the things I loved about this book was how the male and female leads meet, it was almost exactly the same way my wife and I met so I laughed and smiled at that. The exploration of love at first sight from two people who had been hurt in the past was believable and fun. My one complaint is my most common one in the genre, "Anaconda Syndrome." A man does not have to be hung like a Blue Whale to be a great lover. . . . . . .



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Review: Destined to Change

Destined to Change by Lisa M. Harley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I enjoyed this book a great deal. More depth to the story than a lot of New Adult books, and I am looking forward to the next one in the series even though it is based on a character I did not at all like. A character doesn't need to be liked to be interesting and well drawn though. The female lead was impressively complex, with a believable and normal family around her, and a sad past. The male lead similar. Side and minor characters were all well drawn enough to accent and enhance, but not so much they distracted from the point of the story. Several seem worthy of their own story in the series. Very impressive book I enjoyed a great deal.



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Review: Janie Face to Face

Janie Face to Face by Caroline B. Cooney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The fifth and final installment in the Janie Johnson series. A fitting climax. Things are tied up in a believable and real way, and almost all your questions get answered. Everyone is fully fleshed out and you really feel you know them all to the depths of their souls. I'm sad in a way, because the people in these books had become friends to me, and felt almost real as if I had known them. Janie is someone I wish I knew, as is Reeve.

I highly recommend the entire series, and I also recommend you read them in order, including the short little eBook only story. It added quite a bit. Wonderful stuff, and it makes me want to explore more of Ms Clooney's work.



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Review: Against The Wall

Against The Wall by Julie Prestsater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I enjoyed this book quite a bit. Marked it down to 4 from 5 for the simple reason that after reading it I feel like this is far from the best work we are going to see from this author. It reminds me of Bruce Springsteen's GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK NJ, or Michael McDermott's 620 W SURF. Amazing first efforts from those two men, but had I given those records 5 stars what would I have done when BORN TO RUN or NOISE FROM WORDS came out?

This woman is an up and comer that I think we will be reading for a long time. Funny, erotic, and real. This is a good, fun, easy read that will leave you wanting more.



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Henry Rollins Comments On Steubenville Rape Verdict | Under the Gun Review

  Henry Rollins, as usual, nails it.

Henry Rollins Comments On Steubenville Rape Verdict | Under the Gun Review

Review: Depths

Depths by Steph Campbell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I was very much looking forward to this book as I loved the first LENGTHS and the two authors are among my favorite young writers. It did not disappoint in the least. A charming and wonderful tale of love lost and found. Of family and responsibility. Of trying to find that balance in life between living for others an living for yourself.

The characters were well drawn and those returning from the old book were true to their past. The new people filled out the world that is being built in this series with grace and believability. The story was plausible and you were really pulling for most of the people in this book, or for some of them to fall flat on their faces, preferably very painfully.

That brings me to the erotic parts. Wow. Steamy does not begin to tell the tale. Steph and Liz write wonderful love scenes. Now being a man, I am not 100% sure what most women find erotic in literature, but I have to tell you this book had me all worked up several times. My wife and I were cuddled on the couch each reading separate book son our Kindles and as i came to the first erotic scene in this book, my wife put her Kindle down and asked me, "What are you reading m and when can I read it? You are all worked up." I was indeed, "all worked up," I was breathing deeply and fast, my face was flushed, and I was, also in the words of my wife, "harder than Chinese algebra." I had to put my Kindle down too, and we adjourned into our room. . . . . .



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Review: What Janie Saw

What Janie Saw by Caroline B. Cooney

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



more a teaser or a warm up for the final book in the series that is out now, but a good tale nonetheless. Janie is off to college now, and trying to leave the past in the past. Will the past let her do so though? For the first time in the series Hannah is a part of the tale as something other than a shadow, we get to meet her. Looking very mich forward to the last book now.



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Review: I Swear

I Swear by Lane Davis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Another book my daughter had recommended to me. Dark, tragic, disturbing and all to real. The aftermath of a bullied teen's suicide plays out like today's headlines. I hated the ending because it was so real, but in fact loved the ending because it was so real. No easy answers, no tidy endings here. Just sadness, tragedy, and broken people left in the wake of death. Not a happy or an easy read, but an important one that went quickly. A cautionary tale about keeping your eyes on what your kids are up to in social media and at school.



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Review: What Janie Found

What Janie Found by Caroline B. Cooney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The 4th book in the series, and in some ways the most interesting. You really start getting into Janie's brain a lot more and family issues come to the forefront. Still very compelling reading, and the next book and a half are of great interest.



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Review: The Voice on the Radio

The Voice on the Radio by Caroline B. Cooney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



the series gets more and more tragic, and more and more real. I hate that Reeve turns into such a giant flaming douche! There are so many things I love in this book, but I cannot talk about them without giving up important plot points. This entire series has been impossible to put down. emotional, tragic, and just sad.



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Review: Whatever Happened to Janie?

Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The profoundly tragic follow up to THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON. It struck me as very real. No easy answers here. No tidy happy endings. Just a lot of really, really terrible choices in which a lot of people will be in pain no matter what you choose. Well written, thought provoking, and terribly, terribly sad.



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Review: The Face on the Milk Carton

The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Picked this up to start before going to bed, stayed up and read it cover to cover. Compelling, chilling, frightening, and raw. I'm getting the next book in the set this afternoon. Imagine you are a 15 year old school kid, and as you eat your lunch you see the missing kid on the milk carton, and realize it is you. . . . .

The author made this real, chilling, tragic, and wrote it in a way I seriously stayed up half the night reading it. amazing.



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Review: The Year I Almost Drowned

The Year I Almost Drowned by Shannon McCrimmon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A continuation of Finn's story that was if anything even better than the original, though it would be less if you had not read the first one. Some serious life issues are confronted here, and I like the realism, and the lack of a neat storybook ending. While I would consider the end hopeful and real, it was not over the top. I'll be looking for more books by this author as they come out. She spins a good yarn and creates real characters.



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Review: 3 Sides to a Circle

3 Sides to a Circle by Jolene Perry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Oh how I love the broken girls. I just want to hug them and take their pain away. Another wonderful book by the authors of 10 Weeks, which I also loved (Hint hint authors, still would love to see a book staring Paloma!). This one was a little darker. Libby reminded me so very much of someone from my past. A girl named Heidi, they shared a problem, my friend didn't survive it, but the authors here write what that problem is with such perfection and clarity I wonder if they know somebody with it.

Moving, poignant, and wonderful this is a book I recommend with all my heart.



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Review: Springing

Springing by Shirley Miranda

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The fourth book in the Bits and Pieces series is the best yet. More emotionally raw, more details on the hopes and dreams of Liz and Patrick and whole crew. You learn some surprising things about the Mariposa family that make you understand some of the family dynamics.

With each book in this series I anticipate even more the next. I feel as if the crew were my friends from high school, their trials my bad days and their victories my bar stories from the past.

Shirley Miranda has created a little world inhabited by people you feel you know and the story keeps building and growing. A remarkable book in a remarkable set. Read them all!



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