The Gray Ghost

Until reading the reviews - I did not realize that this was a crossover book featuring Isaac Bell (the center of another Cussler series). However - that wouldn't have made to much difference to me. The story was slow and the treasure just meh. I wanted more historical info and actual treasure hunting. It was mostly just action. Honestly, it might be my least favorite so far - but of course I'll keep going - I am this close to the end - may as well finish out the series! 

Whispering Pines

Not my favorite middle grade horror novel. It felt like there were too many moving pieces and this story was just a little too over the top. After their father vanishes; Rae's mother, moves her and her sister across the country to the weird town of Whispering Pines. Sinkholes crop up everywhere, goat run the town, the woods are unsafe, and there has been a rash of children who have been abducted and returned sans eyeballs. Rae is immediately suspicious - but wants to fit in and make friends She befriends the town outcast, Caden, who conveniently lives across the street. Caden's family is into the occult - although things have been bad for them ever since his older brother "disappeared." What is actually going on in this town. Too far fetched and weirdly plotted for me. I doubt I will continue the series. 

Who Owns the Clouds

An illustrated novel depicting the violence and horror through a child's eyes. There isn't much text but the illustrations are haunting and beautiful. A child has trouble determining what was a dream and what was real. Her experience in the war was so awful that it can hardly be separated from nightmares. The illustrations make this book a masterpiece. Definitely a profound book for all ages. 

The Giver of Stars

I absolutely adored this novel. For once a book lived up to the hype. I kept hearing rumors that this book shamelessly stole from The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and I was disappointed. But after reading this - there is no stealing. Both stories are about women who sign up to be part of the WPA's packhorse librarian program in the Kentucky mountains but that's it. Entirely different storylines and characters. The Giver of Stars centers on Alice, a young English woman who has come to Kentucky wed to a charming coal man she met while he was touring England. Alice isn't remotely prepared for what is ahead - she was under the assumption that she would be living in an American city but she arrives to a little village in the foothill of the mountains and everyone treats her with suspicion as an outsider. She has no friends, no life, and even her husband has turned away from her. She signs up for the fledgling packhorse library on a whim because it will give her something to do. But she doesn't realize how drastically her life is about to change. She'll gain friends, but she'll also gain enemies. A wonderful story that I plan on re-visiting!

Feed Them Silence

Imagine experiencing the world through an animals eyes; feeling their heightened senses, their reflexes, their instincts, and their hunger. Dr. Sean Kell-Ludden doesn't have to imagine anymore. In this near future novella; Sean uses a neurological interface to experience first hand what it's like being a wolf in the wild. It's all new scientific research and despite objections from her wife - Sean can't stop obsessing over her project. Soon, the only thing she looks forward to is getting to the lab so she can "log on" and become one with her wolf. Stalking prey, running through the woods, smelling nature, and being with the pack doesn't seem trivial when you're experiencing it "first-hand." As Sean continues to lose herself in her work, her relationship with her wife deteriorates and she starts to lose the trust of her team. Is Sean even trying to collect data anymore? Is she just trading one pack for another? Exceptionally narrated by Natalie Naudus, who flawlessly conveys the growing feeling of unease as Sean loses herself within the wolf's mind. Verdict: this genre bending novella is perfect for those readers who love ethical quandaries touched with a bit of science fiction. Though short in length, the story will stick with readers long after they've listened to it. - Erin Cataldi 

The Power

Poignant, powerful, and wonderfully different for a change. For once, women are the power hungry, the dominant, the top of the food chain. Eerily reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale and other dystopian literature, The Power chronicles the female ascent to the top. Worldwide young girls are discovering that they have the power to release electrical charges, effectively shocking other people, sometimes to death. They also discover that when they shock older women they have the power to waken the dormant abilities. Soon women all over the world have this power and for once the men know fear. Told through multiple perspectives over a ten year span we see a female mayor aspiring to be governor, a young teenage girl with stronger raw power then anyone has ever seen, Mother Eve a prophet of the power, and a journalist, the lone male voice in this book. Together their panic, amazement, and greed tell the tale of how men became the weaker sex and the movement that changed the course of history forever, Wonderfully fresh and inventive. I loved it!

Second Time Around

When Mallory discovers that she has inherited her grandmother's seaside tourist shop she takes it as a sign to take a leap of faith. The last of her children has flown the coop and marries - and she is eager for a clean slate. Mallory is a designer and the thought of renovating the little shop and apartment above it is exciting and fresh. She decides to sell her beautiful old Victorian and move to Portside to open a home décor shop and interior design business. It's not all smooth sailing though. A developer wants to buy her out and tear it down to be build a mall AND she's having trouble finding contractors to do the work she needs. Has she bitten off more than she can chew? Along the way she reconnects with childhood friends, a former crush, and re-ignites her passion for design. A perfect inspirational read for lovers of HGTV and Hallmark.