February Wrap Up

I had another very successful reading month with 5 audiobooks listened to and 5 books/ARCs read.

This was an audiobook that I listened to and initially, I gave it 3 stars (thinking it deserves 2.5 or 2.75), but I have decided to change it to a 2.  It really is a forgettable book.  I've read other books on this subject that are much more memorable. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1530279297

Another audiobook; I gave this 4 stars and wish I could give it a 3 and a half or 3 and 3/4.  I enjoyed this.  It is a very interesting read or listen in this age of immigration.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1533744894

This was another audiobook, where I changed my rating of 3 stars to 2.  It is young adult and maybe I just can't enjoy books for this age group anymore, but the premise sounded interesting.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1535087331

This book is by one of my favorite authors, whom I have read since the 90s.  It is in fact a re-read and I very seldom ever re-read a book, but since it has been around 20 years or so since I read it and the author wrote a sequel l has another one coming out later in the year, I thought I better re-read the original book.  Back in the 90s, I gave this what would 5 stars, but this time around I gave it 4 stars, although if Goodreads allowed us to give it half stars, it would have received 4 1/2 from me.  There's no better way to spend time than with a Rosanne Bittner novel.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1496699685

This ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) deserves 5 starts and is a great book for children and parents of all races to remember the great accomplishments of African-Americans.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1496725315

I enjoyed this audiobook more than I thought I would and give it 4 stars.  I found it very interesting that the 3 brothers were all quite different, but all became successes in their various fields in which they worked.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1541967653

This book was hard to put down and deserves 5 stars.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1544166405

 Nearly a 5 star book by one of my newly found authors.  Full of suspense and hard to put down.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1553020243

This is another very good children's book, to which I gave 4 stars.  I read it as an ARC and it will not be out until August as of now.  I never knew of this particular woman and found it very interesting.  Like I Like My Black Skin Because, this is a good book to read with parents or in school.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1558591003

The last book I finished in February was an audiobook.   I looked forward to reading this for a long time, and give it 3 stars.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1552619991



I'm in the middle of reading Jodi Picoult's Nineteen Minutes about a school shooting, which I will be finishing in March.



Book Review: Mermaid Moon by Colleen Coble

Mermaid Moon (Sunset Cove series #2)
Colleen Coble
Thomas Nelson Publishing
352 pages
4.75 stars

Synopsis

Mallory s mother died fifteen years ago. But her father s last words on the phone were unmistakable: Find . . . mother.

Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies on his mail boat route, she doesn t have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point.

Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O Connor, game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions. But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search. She broke his heart and left without a word years ago.

When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie their search intensifies. There s a tangled web within the supposed murder, and it involves much more than what meets the eye.

As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father s killer it is also about finding herself again . . . and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together."

My view of the book

This is a fantastic book by Colleen Coble. It is fast-paced suspense and I think I liked this book even better than the 1st in the Sunset Cove series, The Inn at Ocean's Edge. There is a third book coming out in September and I look forward to that one . I don't want to give away too much of the story, which is filled with so many twists. The book starts out right away drawing you in and it continues to the very end. I hated to put this book down, and that is a sign of a truly great book. Although this book is from a Christian book publisher, there are very few references to god and unlike many Christian books, no biblical verses found in the book. If you are turned off by the many Christian fiction books that seem to try to convert you to their way of thinking or ram Biblical theology down your throat this is pleasantly not one of those. There really are no sex scenes and although suspenseful, there is no violence or at least a very mild dose, just a very clean, but suspenseful story filled with twists and turns. I give this 4 stars out of 5, but it deserves 4.5 or even 4.75 stars

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

T5W: Best Suggested Books You Loved (books recommended to you)

Top 5 Wednesdays are hosted by Ginger Reads Lainey and you can find the Goodreads page here for more information.  I have not participated in  Top 5 Wednesday for a while, as I did not really care for any of the topics.

I read this book almost 4 years ago.  It was highly recommended by the Facebook group, Readers of Kindle Books.  This historical novel takes place in antebellum Virginia, pre-Civil War, which is one of my favorite time periods.  I loved this story and highly recommend it.

The Virgin River series was recommended by many on the Facebook group, Readers of Kindle Books.  There are about 18 books in the series, so reading the series can be a rather big undertaking, but so worth it.  No book received less than 3 stars and most 4 or 5 stars.  One does not have to read them in order, but it is much better that way, since most of the earlier characters appear in later books and characters who have a smaller part in an earlier book has his/her own book later in the series.  These characters feel like friends and family and it is wonderful to visit them in later books.

Another book that was recommended by so many of the good folks on Facebook's Reader of Kindle Books page.  I loved this book and read it almost 4 and a half years ago.  This is ow one of my favorite authors and had it not been for RKB, I don't know if I ever would have read these books.

You guessed it another book that was recommended by those on Readers of Kindle Books' Facebook page.  I'm so glad I read this; it was just hysterical!

 

Although I heard of this book way before, I was on Readers of Kindle Books, it wasn't until I received so many recommendations there and on Goodreads that I finally picked up this book.  I'm so glad I did for it was wonderful, although it is sad that so many people felt that a whole segment of our American population should be treated as sub-human. 

Book Review: I Like My Brown Skin Because

I Like My Brown Skin Because
Julia A. Davis
Epps-Alford Publishing
160 pages
5 stars

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.. This book came about when the author's 4 year old grandson asked her if her brown skin ever makes her sad. Her response resulted in her writing this book and in it she shows all the ways her brown skin reminds her to be proud of it. This book is great not just for middle elementary school children, but their parents and anyone who wants a good synopsis of how African-Americans have not only endured terrible life circumstances through out American history, but made great contributions in all facets of life which have resulted in an improvement of life not only for other African-Americans, but all people in general. I definitely recommend this book and it would be an excellent resource for classroom teachers and schools and libraries in general. I can't wait to share it with my son. I am a white adoptive parent of an African-American child and this book will serve as an excellent way to talk about the difficult topics of racism and the empowerment of African-Americans.

January Wrap-Up

I can't believe this is so late.  It has been a crazy beginning of the year and the time has flown by, although I got a lot of reading and listening done.  Since I'm so late, I'll limit what I say about each book and just include a link to my Goodreads review.  I ended January reading/listening to 10 books and another 2 I started and will finish in February.

I listened to The Dressmaker of Khair Khana  and give it 3 stars.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1494787162?book_show_action=false

I love this series by Stacy Finz, but Starting Over was my least favorite of the series so far.  I could not stand Nate the main male character in this book.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1474285383?book_show_action=false
I did give this 3 stars, but it was due to the other characters and stories, not Nate.  In fact, it may have gotten a higher rating if Nate had not been so infuriating and unlikable.

My favorite audiobook of the month and one of my top two books of the month.  I gave this 4 stars but it was a high 4 stars.  It is actually written for the middle grades or junior high, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1496354393?book_show_action=false

A reporter goes "undercover on Facebook and Skype and poses as a young, newly-converted Muslim woman and gets involved with a Jihadist in the Islamic State. Another audiobook that I give 4 stars to.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1503942771

My favorite read of the month with 4 stars.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1496762561?book_show_action=false

2 stars.  This was by the same author who wrote the 1st book in the series, while the others were written by others.  I did not enjoy this anywhere near what I did with her first book, Small Town Secrets.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1392694644

I listened to this book, but really was not crazy about it.  It could have been so much better and I was rather disappointed.  1 star.  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1524799243?book_show_action=false

Another book that I listened to.  I gave it 2 stars.  It was just okay, but it is interesting how there is similarities between myths from different regions of the world and some of them overlap with Bible stories, etc. 

Another book that I gave 2 stars to and listened to on audio.  Although, it was interesting in parts, I found James P. Loewen's "Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism", much more interesting.

 

 

The one last book that I finished in January.  Like the last few I listened to this one and also thought it was only OK and therefore gave it only 2 stars.  I had heard how great this series was and thought I'd try it; it maybe that I am nowhere near the age group that this book is written for and if I was nearer that age group, I may have  enjoyed and think I probably would have.  There are 4 books in this series and although I see the characters growing in their thoughts and deeds within the book, I do not think that I will continue with this series..

 

I ended January listening to another book, as well as reading a favorite that the author decided after over 20 years to make into a series, I will include those thoughts in my February wrap-up.