Time for Books 2015 Review Team

I'm so excited to participate in Jo Michael's Time for Books 2015 Review Team. 

I do many reviews a year--a mixture of traditionally published and indie books. For this team, I will plan to read 21-40 INDIE books to share (HUNGRY level). Hopefully, I'll read even more.

If you'd like to join, check out these instructions from Jo Michaels blog:

Go to this page and follow the instructions to sign up. Every time you post a book review on your blog, enter it here and tweet about it with one of the hashtags on that page (#2015ReviewTeam or #Time4Books).

Also, if you want to find some great reads for the challenge, follow Jo's 12 Days of Review Requests event (running through 12/20/14) for some ideas. Her Day 7 post can be found here.

A Mixed Bag of Goodies: Musing Mondays

Today's Musing Mondays prompt from Should be Reading:

This week’s musing [borrowed from an old BTT post] asks…

I once knew a man who read about WWII. He read everything he could get his hands on on the subject. He had a whole wall of books that were all about WWII. It amazed me. How could he continue to find one subject that engrossing? My mother, on the other hand, loves to read best sellers. I’ve known other people who read science fiction to the exclusion of everything else; for others it was philosophy, self-help, or history.

So, to the questions…

What kind of books do you like to read?
Why? Provide specific examples.

This is quite the detailed question this week. Still, I'm left with my stock answer. I like to read all books. I don't even like having the same meal too often, much less read the same kind of books over and over. There are too many wonderful choices to limit myself. That being said, I am focusing my efforts on independent and small press books.

The highlights of my last month of reading:

1. Jacob Have I Loved, Katherine Paterson
Winner of the Newbery Medal and written in 1980. I hope to have the review up this week. A wonderful young adult novel about discovery and growing up. (Book club selection)

2. Shades of Gray, Andy Holloman
Yeah for indies! My full review of Holloman's debut mystery novel will be available here tomorrow. It's an intriguing tale about how far a father will go to save his little girl. Full of twists and turns and heartbreaking. Wonderful!

3. Turning Point, Melissa Luznicky Garrett
Again... yeah for indies! If you are intrigued by dark characters and the unexpected, you will appreciate every turn of the page. Melissa’s ability to slowly reveal layer after layer of this family’s dark secret is impressive. A great young adult novel.

4. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
Amazing nonfiction, and that says a lot coming from someone who doesn't prefer a lot of nonfiction. The author did an excellent job weaving the family's story with the wonders of science. (Book club selection)

I hope my holidays, and yours, are filled with reading. I have a huge TBR stack next to my bed and on my Kindle.

What kind of books do you like to read? Do you prefer a certain genre?

Valhalla, Jennifer Willis (5 stars)

Summary from her website: Sixteen-year-old Sally Dahl is a rare, modern-day Norse Witch with more power than she realizes. Playing sick from school in Portland, she’s casting rune spells during a rare astronomical convergence to bring about a better, happier planet — and hoping her parents don’t find out.

What Sally doesn’t know is that the Norse gods are still around, albeit without their divine powers — Odin is a high school principal, and blustering Thor is about to lose yet another job as a photocopier repairman. But Heimdall has the perfect cover as a forest ranger while he and his kin hunt for the newly reincarnated World Tree and try to prevent Ragnarok, the literal end of the world that could be timed to the same alignment of stars.

Instead, Sally stumbles across Managarm the Moon Dog, a lost god who seems desperate for her magickal help. But does he really share Sally’s vision of a more peaceful world, or are his intentions much, much darker? And what can she do about the ancient Berserker warriors she accidentally calls up, who pledge their allegiance and then demand junk food runs to Voodoo Doughnut and Burgerville?

I met Jennifer in May while participating in Wordcount’s Blogathon. Thanks to my daughter’s fascination with all things mythology, my house was eagerly anticipating the movie, Thor. Jennifer was such a giving and witty blogger, so I was intrigued to read her book. Finding out it was about Thor in modern-day times was icing on the cake.

The story centers around Sally, a teenager experimenting with powers she doesn’t fully understand. She soon meets a real Norse god, Managarm. Unfortunately, he’s out to undermine the other gods and plays on Sally’s naiveté and vulnerability.

Action abounds, but I found myself most drawn to the scenes of modern-day gods, stripped of their powers, trying to make it in the real world. They reminisce about their god days, feasts and battles, while trying to fit into their jobs and fighting with girlfriends. Can you imagine finding out your boyfriend is really the brother of Thor? He’s fighting to save the world, but can’t even explain why he’s really late. Priceless. Add Odin as a high school principal. Genius.

Sally’s job is to call forth loyal, battle-ready warriors, not to mention save the world: “Though she was only sixteen, this would be the great act of Sally’s life. The world—and the ancient spirits she resurrected—would thank her for it.” But would they? Other warriors are springing forth siding with Thor and his family. Between the two sides, you have everything from old ladies to an entire football team, the Vikings no less, fighting. Thor’s brother, Loki, plays a role, but he’s not the bad guy you would suspect from the Thor movie. He’s misunderstood, fragile even.

I commend Ms. Willis on her ability to combine battle scenes and softer sides of the participants with humor and reality. She also did an excellent job tying in the lesser none (at least for me) Norse god mythology. The characters are memorable, a key to a great read for me. I fell in love with Sally’s cat based on name alone, Baron Jaspurr Von Pussington, III, and my heart broke in a pivotal scene involving Frigga, Thor’s mother. She is a goddess, but still a mother and certainly not impervious to loss.

I wanted Sally to “get it” before she did, but I can’t imagine the teenage dilemma of finding out you are the Moon Witch, only reincarnated every twenty generations, and a pivotal player in a god-struggle. She comes through in the end in grand fashion, and the novel left me wanting to know more about her future adventures.

Well-written and expertly crafted, Valhalla is a must-read if you enjoy mythology, strong characters, humor, and action.

Follow Jennifer Willis on Twitter and Facebook.

Friday Finds

Another great blog topic from Should be Reading.

What great books did you hear about/discover this past week?

Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

Two books I came across this week from authors on SheWrites (I'm a member with my Depression Cookies blog). Both are indie or small published, and Shawn Lamb is a former traditionally published author turned indie.

Check them out:

The Huguenot Sword, Shawn Lamb

Summary from Amazon: For Faith. For Friendship. For Freedom. In the time of Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu, when being a Protestant could mean death, The Huguenot Sword roamed the streets of Paris by night, defending those faithful to the young heretical religion. The nobility scorned them as ruffians, to the oppressed Protestants they were saviors, but to the Cardinal Guards they were a pestilence needing to be terminated. The situation becomes desperate when those in power launch a bold plan to destroy the group. One wrong move can be fatal. But the ordeal of Paris pales in comparison to the possible annihilation of their faith and people at the battle of La Rochelle.

A Summer in Oakville, Lisa J. Lickel and Shellie Neumeier

Summary from Amazon: One Magical Summer in Oakville, Wisconsin, Love Finds its Way through Four Entwined Lives. Tessa Hasmer Murphy has a secret. Estranged from her husband, will she let a past love and a fight to save the family farm destroy her marriage and daughter Lindsay's happiness? Lindsay Murphy plans to live on her grandparents' farm until she can find a job, but developer Brandon Calloway has other plans for the property. As she wages war against him, will she lose her heart and the farm both? Widower Arthur Hasmer's life and that of his son, Andy, spiral out of control. Then old friend, Dana London, reenters the picture with the power to help them all back to love, joy and faith. Andy Hasmer has the ultimate bummer life. No mom, not much of a dad, no future. When he's sent to the farm and wrecks the truck, nothing could be worse than the lousy job he takes to pay Grampa back-except maybe putting up with the pastor's daughter, Ella.

Happy Reading.

Please pass along any books you discovered this week.

You Should be Reading Indies! New Blog Focus Announced

This blog is about to get the love and attention it deserves thanks to my newfound focus and dedication. To read more about my goals, please visit today's Depression Cookies blog post.

I recently stumbled upon a great site: Should be Reading. It's dedicated to books and book lovers. Every day has a theme and some book-related blog fun. The perfect find to inspire me to get this blog pumping.

My plan for the rest of 2011 is to review 3-4 books per month, minimum. Ultimately, I'd like to review a book every few days. Baby steps... In addition, I will post here three times per week. Again, hoping for more, but I have to start somewhere. Wish me luck!

What are you most excited about reading, right now? (can be a book you’re currently enjoying, or a book that’s yet to be published, etc.)

Honestly, I am excited to read more independent and small press published books. I enjoy finding hidden gems. My own independent journey has led me to some wonderful books and authors I wouldn't have found any other way. It's a shame so many well-written and thought-provoking books don't have the publishing industry dollars behind them. I hope my two little blogs will provide some exposure for the best of the independent books.

I love when Oprah puts out her top reads for the month or encourages readers to pick up a book she's enjoyed, but who shows love to the little guys/gals? The publishing industry is changing, thanks in large part to the eBook industry, and it's time we all took responsibility for finding good reads and not just read what Amazon or some other business pushes on us.

I will always read some traditionally published books as well. The Help, one of my favorite books in the last year, was turned down by multiple agents before it was published. Would it have been less entertaining as an independently published book? No. Would it have been discovered? Depends.

After fulfilling my review obligations for Rebeccas Reads, my next three books will be:


* Precipice, Melissa Luznicky Garrett
Her new book, Turning Point, is also on my list. I will be featuring some information about this book throughout October here and on my Depression Cookies blog, so stay tuned! Find out more about Melissa and her books at her blog, Someday, When I'm Famous.


* Megan's Way, Melissa Foster
I also have Chasing Amanda and Come Back to Me waiting in the wings. Come Back to Me will debut November 1, 2011. Again, stay tuned here and on my Depression Cookies blog for more information in the coming months. Find out more about Melissa and her books at her website.


* A Blue so Dark, Holly Schindler
Recommended by Shauna Kelly. Shauna's novel, Max and Menna, was one of my favorite reads this year, and an indie. More details in this earlier post. Find out more about Holly and her books at her website.

Look for reviews of these books soon.

Please take a chance on indie books. Be the first of your friends to recommend that diamond in the rough.

Please pass your suggestions on to me as well. I'll make sure and credit you for the find when I do the review.

Happy reading!