Category Archives: My Sister’s Books

May 10, 2013 · 11:45 am

My Sister’s Books Review #13

And Then I Found You
By: Patti Callahan Henry

This fictional story is based off the real-life events that occurred within the author’s family. Jack Adams and Katie Vaughan grew up together and were childhood sweethearts. Katie even vowed on the first day of Spring, that magical day when all promises come true, to never love another as much as she loved Jack. However life happened, Katie is now Kate who is trying to be in love with her boyfriend, Rowan. Too much has occurred in the last 13 years and Kate knows she can’t fix things until she first talks to Jack. However the true healing process starts when her thirteen year old daughter, whom she gave up for adoption, finds her on Facebook. This is the story of how Katie, Jack and Emily find one another and find themselves along the way.

Patti Callahan Henry uses her real-life experiences and emotions as inspiration for this story. With each chapter rotating between the present and the past, readers will feel like they are walking down memory lane with Kate. Then, when the story switches to Emily’s point-of-view, it brings about a new round of emotions for readers. The author’s writing will rip your heart open causing it to bleed with the characters’ pain, and then stitch it whole again with the sweetest thread made from undying love and conquering the fear of the unknown. This book is packed full of emotions and lessons to be learned that I highly recommend it to fans of Women’s Literature.

Note:

This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

About these ads

Leave a Comment

Filed under Fiction Books, My Sister's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 16, 2013 · 11:49 pm

My Sister’s Books Review #12

Missing
By: Bill Noel

Chris Landrum is soaking up his semi-retired life in Folly Beach, South Carolina. Surrounded by his unique neighbors, Chris and his best friend Charles, find themselves in the middle of another police investigation. This time, young Samuel has possibly seen a woman being abducted and women are turning up dead. It is up to Chris and Charles to solve this mystery and this time they have help from Charles’s Aunt M.

Bill Noel has done it again with this latest novel in the Folly Beach Mystery Series. Between the odd cast of characters and the small town setting, readers will be laughing out loud while trying to solve this latest mystery. This is an easy read and a light-hearted mystery book. Recommend this book for fans of cozy mysteries.

Fran and Bess enjoy reading this series, too. As Bess says, “Reading each new book is like visiting old friends.”

Note: This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

2 Comments

Filed under Fiction Books, My Sister's Books, Mystery Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 8, 2013 · 8:37 pm

My Sister’s Books Review #11

Folly
By: Bill Noel

Chris Landrum has returned to Folly Beach, South Carolina, in hopes of finding his dream retirement home. Instead Chris finds a dead body and ends up in the middle of a murder investigation. Word quickly spreads through this community and each of its unique characters wants to help this out-of-towner. Chris isn’t sure who he can trust, but he is certain that life in Folly Beach is going to be a very bumpy ride.

Bill Noel does an excellent job of describing all the details of the community and of the people. The main character, Chris Landrum, is very relatable to readers as he counts down the days until he retires. Chris’s inner thoughts are laced with sarcastic undertones that will leave readers chuckling. The excessive details about camera specifications tend to slow the pace of the novel, but enhance the true nature of Chris Landrum. The distinctive cast of residents will win readers over with all of their quirks. I recommend for fans of light-hearted murder mysteries.

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Note: This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Fiction Books, My Sister's Books, Mystery Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 18, 2013 · 5:57 pm

My Sister’s Books Review #10

The Iron King

By: Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase is about to turn sixteen and she has lived a lonely life. She has never found a way to fit in and her family seems to forget she even exists. Only her best friend, Robbie, stays by her side making her laugh. One day, strange events start happening and Robbie becomes overly protective. As reality fades away, the truth about Meghan’s past is revealed. Now it is up to Meghan to save her family and a world that only exists in dreams.

Julie Kagawa has created a fascinating world filled with faeries, satyrs and various other mythological beings. Kagawa shows readers the mythological downside to the ever-growing technology. Fast-paced action, good versus bad and a classic love triangle make this book a must read for young adult fans. The Iron King proves to be an exciting start to a promising series.

Similar Authors:
Leah Cypess, Maggie Stiefvater, Kristin Cashore, Morgan Rhodes

Note:

This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

Leave a Comment

Filed under My Sister's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 12, 2013 · 10:56 am

My Sister’s Books Review #9

Wench

By: Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Tawawa House is a vacation resort located in the free territory of Ohio. Northern white families vacation here as well as Southern white men. However the Southern white men do not bring their wives and children, they bring their women slaves. Three of these women, Lizzie, Sweet and Reenie, have bonded over the several summers they have spent at Tawawa House. It is the newcomer, Mawu, that stirs talk of escaping into the free territories. As the women face new horrors, they relive their pasts and one tragic fire will change all of them forever.

Told mostly from the point of view of Lizzie, Wench gives a gripping inside look into a painful time. Perkins-Valdez shows the inner conflicts that some slaves faced, while dealing with the cruel demons of slavery. Readers will be caught up in all the emotions of pain and fear and even love. This is a powerful, emotional and heart-wrenching tale that everyone should read. However be prepared for an unsatisfying ending.

Similar Author Suggestions:
Kathryn Stockett, Erin Morgenstern, Marlon James, Kathleen Grissom

Leave a Comment

Filed under Fiction Books, My Sister's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

March 1, 2013 · 3:24 pm

My Sister’s Books Review #8

Have You Seen Hyacinth Macaw?
By: Patricia Reilly Giff

Abby Jones and her friend Potsie are on spring break and Abby is looking for a case to solve. As she starts noticing strange activity outside her bedroom window, her brother, Dan, begins to act strange. Then her friend Detective Garcia tells her there has been a big theft in town, plus there is a strange missing person’s sign that has been ripped. Abby doesn’t have to look too far before she gets wrapped up in a series of mysteries.

Patricia Reilly Giff has written about every young, adventurous girl’s dream with this book. Mystery, intrigue, suspense all occur in this first book in the Abby Jones, Junior Detective Mystery series. This chapter book has some illustrations and shorter sentences to make it easier to read. A few spelling errors and grammatical errors, but overall a good book for elementary school children.

Similar authors: Carolyn Keene (Harriet Otis Smith) and Jean Craighead George

Note: This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Children's Books, Fiction Books, My Sister's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

· 9:08 am

My Sister’s Books Children’s Book Review

Hi Everyone,

Here is my review of the selection of children’s books available at My Sister’s Books. This will appear on their website as well as in a special children’s edition of their newsletter!

Enjoy!

Children’s Books

My Sister’s Books offers a wide range of children’s books. They have the classic fairy tale books, pop-up books and board books. Young children will adore the bright and colorful pictures, while parents can reminisce about their childhood. For those who are beginning to read, there is a wide selection of beginner’s books arranged by reading levels. These range from simple, short sentences all the way to longer, multiple sentences on a page. Each level helps build a child’s vocabulary along with helping them learn how to read.
There are local children’s authors featured as well. These include stories about the sea turtles, to learning about the water cycle and the value of rain. Another option for an older child, is the selection of big brother/big sister books. These books are dedicated to helping a child get used to the idea of a new baby, while providing them an outlet to express their true feelings. These books are cute and will have parents laughing, too!
Lastly, there are school subject activity books for parents looking to help a child transition from one grade to the next. These books are vital for young children during long breaks, such as summertime. They have fun activities that help reinforce current curriculum, while slowly introducing topics that will be covered in the following year. These books range from Pre K-K to 6th grade-7th grade.

Leave a Comment

Filed under My Sister's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

· 7:53 am

My Sister’s Books Review #7

Reading Group Choices – 2013

By: Reading Group Choices

 

This book is a must have for both reading groups and literature fans. It starts with a look back at 2011 and lists the top ten books from that year. Then it dives into a list of over 70 book suggestions to read for this year. The list includes a wide range of genres, so there is a book for almost everyone. Each book is then featured with the cover photo, a brief summary and quotes from other readers in order to help make the selection process easier. Once a book is chosen for a reading group, this handy guide can then assist in the discussion, since it provides a list of ‘Conversation Starters” for each of the books!

I highly recommend this book as guide for all adult reading groups this year.

 

Note: This review was written for the bookstore My Sister’s Books.

Leave a Comment

Filed under My Sister's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

February 24, 2013 · 8:50 pm

My Sister’s Books Review #6

Follow the River

By: James Alexander Thom

Mary Ingles lived in the settlement with her family and was expecting her third child in Virginia in 1755. Mary’s happiness changed when the Shawnee Indians brutally attacked the village and kidnapped Mary, her children and her sister-in-law. This is the story of how Mary followed the Ohio River through rough terrain and back to her family.

James Alexander Thom writes a powerful and honest tale of life in a western Virginia settlement. The gruesome and brutal details may turn some readers off, but the descriptions are accurate and realistic. Readers will be entranced as they read this book and they will feel as though they are kidnapped along with Mary. The strength and determination Mary demonstrates, is something that will leave readers talking long after they have finished reading. I recommend this book for reading groups.

Similar Author Suggestions:  Lucia St. Clair Robson, Anna Lee Waldo, John Jakes

Note: This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Fiction Books, My Sister's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

February 15, 2013 · 7:35 pm

My Sister’s Books Review #5

The Secret of the Kindred Spirit

By: Jacqueline DeGroot

 

Sunset Beach is a small island off the coast of North Carolina and it has been in desperate need for a new bridge. After a decade of battles, the island’s residents are still divided on the true need for the bridge versus the fact that it could disturb their peaceful setting. However, Cassie Andrews has arrived with some of crew to start construction. In her quest to learn the island’s layout, she makes a gruesome discovery, a human head. When the responding officer arrives, Cassie’s fear disappears and a new feeling sets in as she meets Michael Troy. Michael Troy has been a cop for several years and if he solves this murder case, he can make detective. He has dreamed of his perfect southern belle wife for years, but Cassie is a complete opposite that he desperately wants to enjoy while he waits for his dream bride to enter his life. Too many questions now plague this small town. Will the bridge be built? Will the murderer be caught? Will Cassie and Troy set aside their differences and fall in love?

 

Jacqueline DeGroot combines, murder and romance in this story set in a small beach town. The omniscient point of view can be a bit confusing as it bounces around, but it allows readers to connect with each of the characters. Though more romance than suspense, the action intensifies near the end. The main male character can be a bit obnoxious at times, but readers can relate to his inner conflict. The ending will give readers a hint towards which couple will be next to fall in love at Sunset Beach. Pawleys Island residents can relate to the setting of Sunset Beach and its cast of characters.

 

Note: This review was written for the bookstore, My Sister’s Books. Please visit their website for more information about the books they sell.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Fiction Books, My Sister's Books

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,