Book Review: Rare Bird

Author Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Synopsis:

On the other side of heartbreak, a story of hope rises. 
 
On an ordinary September day, twelve-year-old Jack is swept away in a freak neighborhood flood. His parents and younger sister are left to wrestle with the awful questions:How could God let this happen? And, Can we ever be happy again? They each fall into the abyss of grief in different ways. And in the days and months to come, they each find their faltering way toward peace.
 
In Rare Bird, Anna Whiston-Donaldson unfolds a mother’s story of loss that leads, in time, to enduring hope. “Anna’s storytelling,” says Glennon Doyle Melton, “is raw and real and intense and funny.” 
 
With this unforgettable account of a family’s love and longing, Anna will draw you deeper into a divine goodness that keeps us—beyond all earthly circumstances—safe.

This is a book about facing impossible circumstances and wanting to turn back the clock. It is about the flicker of hope in realizing that in times of heartbreak, God is closer than your own skin. It is about discovering that you’re braver than you think.

Review: 

This book was raw, captivating, and will tug on your heart strings. You will cry. There's no other way about it. It is a sad book, but it's also filled with hope and new beginnings.

The way Anna writes the book is reader friendly and the chapters are never too long. Her language is simplistic, yet beautiful. She is open and honest about her experiences of losing her child. She shares some of her most precious memories of Jack and makes sure not to put him on a pedestal. She shares his triumphs, his downfalls, his quirks, and his joy for the world. 

Rare Bird is inspiring and a real treasure. A highly recommended read.

(*Note I received an advanced readers copy from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Once an Atheist, Forever a Christian!

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Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Synopsis:
Once an Atheist Forever a Christian (My Journey Out of Darkness) is a compelling personal story of how God can rescue anyone out of the deepest pits of depression and restore their lives to a meaningful purpose. Join the author to: - Relive the childhood experiences and tragedies that molded her beliefs. - Learn how the death of her brother robbed her of loving parents. - Discover how a violent father created a house of fear. At the end of this inspiring book you will say: Wow! God is Amazing! You'll want to share this book with a friend but especially anyone who is struggling to believe in the existence of God.

Review: 

I honestly always have trouble rating memoirs even if they're my favorite genre. How can someone else rate someone's life? Their journey?

However, this memoir just didn't do it for me. The chapters are short and it's hard to connect to the author, to really feel as they felt, especially if you've never lived her kind of life. It seems to brush over the details and just give synopses of different events in her life, and sometimes not really in order. 

The writing isn't bad and it was a quick read, but it wasn't much more than that. A quick read. I suppose I was hoping for something a little more. I'm happy the author was able to find happiness and joy through becoming a Christian, but with little connectivity I'm not sure that many minds will be changed based upon this book. 

It can be enjoyed by Christians, but I don't know if many other people will branch out and read it.

(*Note I was given a free copy in exchange for an honest review through LibraryThing Member Giveaways.)

Book Review: Hunting Season - Immigration and Murder in an All-American Town

Author Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Synopsis:

The true story of an immigrant's murder that turned a quaint village on the Long Island shore into ground zero in the war on immigration
 
In November of 2008, Marcelo Lucero, a thirty-seven-year-old undocumented Ecuadorean immigrant, was brutally attacked and murdered by a group of teenagers as he walked the streets of Patchogue, a quiet Long Island town. The teenaged attackers were out "hunting for beaners," their slur for Latinos, and Lucero was to become another victim of the anti-immigration fever spreading in the United States.  But in death, Lucero's name became a symbol of everything that was wrong with our broken immigration system: porous borders, lax law enforcement, and the rise of bigotry. With a strong commitment to telling all sides of the story, journalist Mirta Ojito unravels the engrossing narrative with objectivity and insight, providing an invaluable peephole into one of America's most pressing issues.

Review: 

This book made me angry; it wasn't because of how it was written or anything of that sort, no, it was because I had heard nothing about this incident.

Granted, I don't watch the news as much, but certainly someone would have told me about such an event. However, nothing, I don't remember hearing anything of the sort about this event that is chronicled, fairly expertly, in this book. 

I know that racism is still alive and kicking in our country and I know that many people are against immigrants coming into our country. I also know there is a lot of people against illegal immigrants. But to the extent that is talked about in this book is appalling and it's even more appalling that more incidents go unreported out of fear of the police or knowledge that the police will do nothing to help them.

It is an eye-opening read. While many people are aware of the turmoil surrounding the issue or the fact some people have extreme reviews in regard to it, sometimes you don't think about it in terms of violence because you just hear the rhetoric. That and sometimes the news that is reported to different parts of the country doesn't acknowledge these kinds of happenings because it isn't what is bringing in the viewings or ratings.

I highly suggest that people read this book. It is well-researched and well-written. It doesn't just focus on the death of Lucero, but how immigrants came to be in that town, the background of others, his story, and how the news impacted the nation and how the nation impacted the event. It makes one think and it makes one want to be part of the solution that puts an end to the senseless violence that people face just based on how they look or are perceived.

(*Note: I was given a free copy of the book & cd in exchange for an honest review from the author through Goodreads Giveaways.)

Book Review: The Monster On Top of the Bed

Author Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Synopsis:

Once upon a time, there was a critter who was scared every day by a little girl named Suzy who loved to jump up and down on her bed. One day a critter who lived under her bed, Karrit, got up the nerve to visit Suzy and become her friend. Because Karrit did that, he discovered that Suzy was also afraid of him. 

Because Suzy did not want the critter to be scared, she treated him the way that she wanted to be treated. She even told him a mantra that her Grandmom had used as a child, “You’re welcome to stay until I say, ‘Nay’, then it’s time to go and you can’t say, ‘no.’ After working through a series of humorous misunderstandings and fears they became best friends, and neither of them were ever afraid of monsters again. 

Review: 

Let me first start off by saying that I love, love, love that the CD-ROM includes a Spanish and Italian version. It is great for kids who may have Spanish or Italian as their first language or even for those that don't. Kids can listen to it in other languages if they want and there's even a few Spanish and a few English versions to choose from.

The book fits nicely in the cd case, so you'll always have one with the other!

The book is about Suzy learning to confront her fear of monsters and that not all "monsters" are scary. She learns that people and "monsters" that come from different backgrounds can be friends and learn to understand each other and that there is no real reason to fear each other.

It is a great book to help kids overcome their fear of what they think is lurking in the corners of their room. The book even references a little chant that Suzy's grandmother taught her to help banish the monsters. The pictures and text are inviting and easy to read. It is an enjoyable book for anyone child that still loves picture books. The questions in the back of the book invite you to ask your child reading comprehension questions after the book or even have them listen to the book in other languages and try to see if they can't understand parts of the story that way.

In addition, the CD-ROM includes a few bonus features such as; extra stories or poems and interviews with the author and illustrator.

Overall, I say it is a great and enjoyable book for kids and one that you can use to help them banish their fears of the night and unknown.

(*Note: I was given a free copy of the book & cd in exchange for an honest review from the author through Goodreads Giveaways.)

Book Review: Transformation

Author Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Synopsis:

Emily Winters was kidnapped as a teenager by Psi-Tech, a corrupt and power-hungry corporation that learned of her precognitive ability. Imprisoned for years and forced to use her talent to help a company thrive, she now reaches a point where she must escape or die. A natural disaster will cause chaos, death, and destruction throughout the entire world while transforming most of the survivors into psychics. After this happens, Psi-Tech will kill all of their prisoners to hide the evidence of their horrific crimes. 

Knowing how the disaster will affect her captors gives Emily one slim chance to escape. She must seize this opportunity to save not only herself but her brother as well who will die without a medical treatment that doesn’t yet exist.

Review: 

As much as I tried to finish this book, I am having to list it as DFR. The plot and cover were intriguing and so I was able to get a free copy in exchange for an honest review. I still hold onto the fact that the main idea is a good one and is definitely intriguing. However, I found it very difficult to connect with the text. I wasn't getting any real emotion or feeling from reading it. It just felt like a list of events to me and there wasn't that certain spark that I can usually feel with books. I wasn't intrigued by the writing. I felt there were a few too many conveniences that favored the main characters and just kind of allowed them to be semi-invincible or have opportunities or chances to do things other people wouldn't have. Then there were times that I felt some of the description was unnecessary and rather than adding to the story, it took away from it. Maybe one day I can pick up this book again and finish it, but today is not that day. (*Note: I was given a free copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review from the author through LibraryThing.)

Book Review: The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate The Wash

Author Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Rating: ★★ ★ ★ ★  

Synopsis:

When Jimmy's unusual pet accompanies him on his class trip, an ordinary jaunt to a farm turns into a hilarious, slapstick romp. 

Review: 

This book is cute and kids will surely get a kick out of it. It's a story about a girl who comes home from her class field trip to the farm and her mom is asking her questions about how it went. In true child fashion she answers with one sentences answers that lead to more questions. The story is told slightly backwards as it tends to happen in real life with kids before stringing the events together.

It is cute and the illustrations are very well done. The book can be used in multiple ways with kids; such as cause and effect, story telling, how to tell stories in unique ways, or talking about pets. However, it is a great book for pleasure as well.

The book is good for beginning readers or kids of any age who enjoy a fairly quick read, colorful illustrations, and boa constrictors that eat the wash!

Book Review: Sadie's Guide to Catching Killers (A Sadie Novella)

Author Website | Amazon | Goodreads

Rating: ★★ ★ ★ ☆ 

Synopsis:

Sadie may seem like the typical girl next door—except she isn’t. At age eight, when she finds Mommy in the bathtub, floating in a pool of blood, Sadie becomes obsessed with murder. Sadie’s Guide to Catching Killers is the prekill to Sadie the Sadist: X-tremely Black Humor/Horror, delving into Sadie’s bizarre childhood to unravel what makes her the psycho we know and love. The story you’ve got in your hot little hands (unless you’re holding something else) is a twisted coming-of-age story, Black Humor/Horror. BONUS: Advice from L’il Sadie : 10 Signs Someone is a Low-Life Liar; 10 Ways to Your Dream Confession; 10 Useful Household Poisons, and more! 

Note: This is the (slightly) cut version of the novella. Even so, please expect sexuality, insanity, and other disturbing content. 

Review: 

There is absolutely no doubt that this book is dark and twisted. The author even tells you right off the bat that this is how the book is and that it contains dark humor. However, if you're one for that, then this book will be right up your alley.

It's an easy read but the writing isn't sloppy or too simple. The author keeps it interesting and moving along fairly well. It is almost as if Sadie is there telling you this story and it is sort of scary how twisted and believable she is. I have no experience with psychopaths, or people who don't really feel anything, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Sadie is decently accurate.

The author takes a risk in talking about many taboo things, but she does it well and almost effortlessly. A few surprises that you don't really see coming are peppered into the story.

Overall it was a very satisfying read and I would most definitely suggest it to anyone who is into this genre.

(*Note: I was given a free copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review from the author through LibraryThing.)