Book Review for “Chapter 29 Revisited”-Non Fiction

“Chapter 29 Revisited: The amazing true story of what happens when a typical American housewife meets Jesus!” by Jean Coleman is a wonderful inspirational testimony of one woman’s birth into the kingdom. I enjoyed this book. Jean Coleman writes in a simple way that is easy to grasp and you can tell she is excited about her subject. She shares several moving stories from her own life, calling it the 29th book of Acts, then challenges to write our own 29th chapter. I give this book 5 stars. This book is appropriate for pre-teens on up.

Review for “The Quarryman’s Bride”

The Quarryman’s Bride by Tracie Peterson is a great story of love, betrayal and forgiveness. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Tracie Peterson is a wonderful author that always incorporates faith and God’s love in her stories in a way that does not shove it down your throat. Every Christian aspect is an integral part of the storyline. I give this 5 stars and recommend to anyone who loves a good love story. This book is appropriate for young ladies as well as adults.

Review for “Continuum: Fables of the Fallen” a Collection of Short Stories

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a collection of work by young writers. I appreciate the opportunity to get a preview of their writing styles. Because there are 6 separate stories, by 6 separate authors, I am going to review this one differently. My overall review for the complete collection is 4 stars.
My individual reviews are as follows:
“Night Wolves” by Kathleen Gulo- This one got me right from the beginning. It reminds me of an edgy fairytale, and the werewolves are not love interests. I give this short story 5 stars. I intend to read the full version when the story is finished.
“Fragile Innocence” by R.C. Erickson-Futuristic cop story. This one was ok, good writing. Without spoiling the story, just not my kind of ending. I give this one 3 stars.
“Shadows Break” by Gregory Downs- Fantasy, I like this one. I give it 4 stars.
“Flesh and Metal” by Alexander Pyles-Sci Fi. This was another of my favorites. Machine meets man in a spine tingling way. This one gets 4 stars from me.
“Virtuoso” by Nathan Slemp- Fantasy and Crime Solving. This was well written, but I couldn’t connect with the characters and probably my least favorite. I give this one 3 stars. Just not my style.
“The Tragedy of Garth” by Jacob Baugh. I wanted to love this one, but once again, not my kind of ending. Well written I give this one 4 stars simply due to my personal taste in stories.
So overall, all authors have great promise! If you like Sci Fi and Fantasy, you will enjoy these short stories.

Review for “Daughters of the Ocean” by Jennifer Gropp

I think this book has potential to be a good YA story. The plot is similar to Twilight, with enough differences to make it interesting, instead of vampires this story is populated by sons of Thor and Merfolk. Unfortunately, the grammar, spelling and general typos were frequent enough to frustrate my reading. The story is told from two points of view, which I liked, except for the fact that sometimes it was just repeating the exact same conversation twice. Because I think the story line will apeal to the audience it is intended for, I have given it 3 stars. My opinion is that a good re-write could earn at least 4 stars (and probably 5 from the intended YA audience).

Book Review for “Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves”

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review by the author, Dianne Ascroft. This is a wonderful collection of short stories. I really enjoyed the read. Simply written, easy reading, touching stories, a perfect afternoon read. The stories take place in Ireland and Canada. I have always wanted to go to Ireland so I may be a little partial. Good Author, will be reading more from her. I gave this book 4 stars.

Book Review for “Alexios, Before Dying”

I was given a copy of this book by the author, Chance Maree, for an honest review. The very first page grabbed my attention and I liked the book from the start. The characters, a little girl, Velia Gray, and The Magician, were also likeable from the start. I enjoyed the first couple of chapters; the author does a good job with the way she writes of getting you sucked into the story. Then about half way, I started to lose some interest, then things got weird and by the end the story totally lost me. The only way to describe it is like a disjointed dream, you know the ones that get weirder as they go, but feels really real. If you like “New Age”, “Spirit Walking”, “Out of Body Experience”, or philosophy, you would probably like the story. I think it is for more “enlightened” minds than mine. I had originally offered to read a Sci Fi book that she had written and she thought I would enjoy this one better. I wish I had read her book description first. I give the book 3 stars because the book is well written. Just not my cup of tea.

Book Review for “Steward”

I was given this book by the author, Christopher Shields, for an honest review. LOVED IT! I just finished reading The Steward; I grew up reading fairytales and love them. I now enjoy a good fantasy book (as well as other genres) and this is one of the best I’ve read. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. The author makes his character very real. I loved the main character, Maggie. Like every good ‘fairytale’ it has the ‘true love’ element as well! Did I mention I loved it? Well, I did. I recommend this book for YA and for us adults as well. I give this book 5+ stars.