On Tyranny

Necessary reading! If you are an American living through these troubled times then this small book is a must read! It really packs a punch for being so little. It's thought provoking, engaging, angering, and so timely. If you value being a free citizen then please read this! It's bite sized reading so there is no excuse not to read this and think deeply on the value and importance of being free! 

Starling House

This is one of the delightfully dark gothic tales that's hard to describe, but so comfortable to settle into. Beautifully written, the story of Starling house falls a dark and twisting path and not even the ancestors know the whole tale. Opal keeps dreaming of the house and finding herself drawn to it. She doesn't know why, she's just a low class girl leaving in a motel with her younger brother just trying to get by. One day while walking to work at the Tractor Supply she stops in front of the gates and they open to her touch. Are the stories true? Opal is about to find out what madness lies behind the ivy. 

The Work Happiness Method

I love a good self-help book, especially if it has easy and manageable approaches to share. The Work Happiness Method has that in spades. You can start little and work your way up to the big items. Some of the methods and action items aren't new, I've read about them in other leadership books, but I did appreciate the way it was framed. I also REALLY appreciated that you didn't have to write in the book. You could and there was space for readers to write down their steps and to dos, but the author provided QR codes to printable worksheets. Huzzah! That's more my speed! I hate writing in non-spiral bound books! Readers will get the most out of this if they read the book in small chunks and really focus on the 8 different skills. This is a self-help/leadership book that I will definitely refer back to! I really liked the examples that were provided as well!

Temple of Swoon

This was a cute romcom. The premise is wholly unbelievable but that doesn't mean it isn't cute and steamy. While this is the second book in a series, it can very easily be read as a standalone. I love the titles and I love anything loosely based off Romancing the Stone and Indiana Jones. Temple of Swoon, Dr. Miriam Jacobs finds herself leading her first archaeological expedition and she is woefully unprepared and scared. Her mentors were supposed to be leading the exhibition, but due to a broken arm they won't be able to trek through the Amazon on the search for the lost City of the Moon. Everything starts to fall apart, people quit, equipment is breaking, and she is losing hope. Is someone sabotaging the expedition?! The only bright side is Rafa, the hunky photographer who is documenting the mission. The only problem is, he is hiding a very big secret. Cheesy, predictable, and fun!

Where the Library Hides

I really wanted to like this one more but Whit and Inez kept making horrible, dumb decisions and it really started to peeve me off. I loved the first book, but this one was just ok. Whit started off strong as a total douche-canoe. Like awful. Inez, honey.... you idiot. Where the Library Hides picks up right after the events of Secrets of the Nile. Straight into actions and straight into... marriage?! We definitely went there and this is a teen book. They bone a few times but it's done tactfully, closed doors style. I don't know how to even summarize this. They have to find her mother and fix the mess she created and in the process make an even bigger mess?! Lots of twists and turns, some believable and obvious. Others, not so much. I liked the epilogue a lot, I will give it that! 

Demon Summer

This was such a campy, cheesy, breeze. If you love b-movies, Scream, and unserious horror then this is the one for you. Some teenagers working at the fast food restaurant Snaxtime, may or may not have summoned on a demon and gotten mixed up in some weird stuff. Zane, Dexter, Star and Jake are about to have an unforgettable summer. Demon Summer is an homage to Stranger Things and Scream. It's campy and fun. Horror fluff. This book would appeal to older teens and adults. 

Pucked

This was a fun, smutty read. If you are a fan of lots of sex, minimal storyline, outlandish scenarios, and hot hockey players, then you will definitely like this book. Violet isn't into hot hunky hocky players. Which is a shame because her stepbrother is one and the guys on his team are hot, hot, hot. But Violet has morals and a good vibrator, she won't turn herself into a puck bunny. Most hockey players are big sluts and she doesn't want to get any STDs. But when she meets Alex, her stepbrother's teammate, all her own advice goes out the door. She stays the night with hockey's most infamous playboy and of course the sex is amazing. What's a girl to do?!?! Go back for more obviously! Soon there starts to be more feelings involved. Could what they have ever work?!  Super cheesy, full of ridiculous scenarios and an enviable amount of boning. Pucked is a part of a series. I don't know that I will read more, but I am not opposed to it either. 

Counting Miracles

I haven't read a Nicholas Sparks in ages and this really felt nice. It had all the hallmarks of a classic Sparks novel, tragedy, second chances, lost love, and hope. Sleepy, Asheboro, North Carolina is home to a cast of unforgettable characters. Jasper is a sad old man with a tragic past. The scars on his body always draws stares so he doesn't go out much and besides his doctor and a young boy in his neighborhood he doesn't really talk to anyone (besides his dog, Arlo). When a handsome miliary veteran comes to town searching for answers he meets Dr. Kaitlyn Cooper and her two children. Little do they know that their lives, Jasper's life and this stranger's life are all about to change. Heartbreaking and hopeful. I liked all the characters. a little sappy, bult ultimately a great read. Gotta love Nicholas Sparks!

The Book of Witching

A 3.5 rounded up to a 4. I enjoyed this story, but there were parts where it meandered or lost me. It was compelling, but also, easy to put down. It was a twisty tale of witchcraft told during two timelines, present day and in the 16th century. Clem experiences every parent's worst nightmare, a call from the police saying that they have discovered her daughter, near death and extremely burned. Erin has been placed in a medically induced coma and her diagnosis is not good. Clem has no idea what happened, a fire on an uninhabited island? When they discover that Erin's boyfriend is dead and there friend Senna is missing, Clem knows she has to get to to the bottom of it before the police start pointing fingers. In 1524, Alison is known for her healing arts although she refuses to consort with her mother's clan of witches anymore. When she is accused of a heinous act she will have to find the courage to survive and stay strong for her family. These two seemingly unconnected storylines will weave themselves together in nefarious ways. 

Qonqor: the Robot with the Radioactive Brain

Bonkers, brilliant, and bat shit crazy - this old school horror short story is perfect for those who grew up on B-movies. It's funny and irreverent and itches a scratch that you didn't know you had. Dr. Vincent Rattlocke is in a bit of a conundrum, his best friend, Dr. Johnny Calder, has died in a freak lab experiment and the clock is ticking. Vincent is "pretty sure" that he can bring back Johnny's brain function, but his body is shot. Johnny's been dead for several days and the chest is caved in; no way that is getting Frankensteined back to life. Vinny is going to have to get creative; good thing he has a veritable junkyard in his lab. Everything can serve a purpose if you try hard enough. Old cannisters pistons, fridges, and microwaves can hold new life if you're only brave enough to tinker. Filled with mad cap humor, this fast paced short story has such a fun hook. If Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Creepshow had a forbidden love child, Qonqor: the Robot with the Radioactive Brain, would be it. Who doesn't love a mad scientist and a sarcastic robot?!