Madison's Library

PASSIONATE ABOUT SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Tag: Books (Page 3 of 12)

New Book Releases October 2016

October 1, 2016 / / 0 Comments

New Book Releases for October 2016

Due for release in October 2016, this is a list of books that have made it on to my to-read list – an exciting mix of contemporary, mystery, fantasy and sci-fi novels.

Young Adult Fiction

Everyone We've BeenEveryone We’ve Been – Sarah Everett – Knopf Books – Published 4 October 2016

Addison Sullivan has been in an accident. In its aftermath, she has memory lapses and starts talking to a boy that no one else can see. It gets so bad that she’s worried she’s going crazy.

Addie takes drastic measures to fill in the blanks and visits a shadowy medical facility that promises to “help with your memory.” But at the clinic, Addie unwittingly discovers it is not her first visit. And when she presses, she finds out that she had certain memories erased. She had a boy erased. But why?

Young adult fiction.

Continue reading

New Book Releases September 2016

September 2, 2016 / / 0 Comments

New Book Releases for September 2016

Need to top up your to-read pile? Here are the newly released books that have caught my eye for September 2016. Click on the covers for more information.

Young Adult Fiction

The OnesThe Ones – Daniel Sweren-Becker – Imprint – Published 6 September 2016

Cody has always been proud of being a One. She and her boyfriend James were two of the lucky babies from the 1% of the U.S. population that were randomly selected to benefit from genetic engineering. Now, she and the rest of The Ones are excelling. They are healthy, beautiful, and talented. They aren’t otherworldly, just perfect. And to some, that’s not fair.

Young adult fiction: Science-fiction

Continue reading

Book Review: For This Life Only

August 24, 2016 / / 2 Comments

For This Life Only

For This Life Only – Stacey Kade – Simon and Schuster – Published 30 August 2016

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

A young man struggles to move forward after the death of his twin brother in this gripping, coming-of-age tale about loss, redemption, love, and the moment you begin to see the world differently.

Three minutes.

Jacob Palmer died for three life-changing minutes.

And when he woke up, nothing was the same. Elijah, his twin brother, is dead, and his family is broken. Jace’s planned future is crushed, along with his pitching arm. Everyone keeps telling him that Eli’s in a better place, but Jace isn’t so sure. Because in those three minutes, there was nothing.

Overwhelmed by guilt and doubt, Jace struggles to adjust to this new version of the world, one without his brother, one without the certainties he once relied on. And then Thera comes into his life.

She’s the last girl he should be turning to for help.

But she’s also the first person to truly see him. 

My thoughts

I really enjoy Stacey Kade’s writing, so For This Life Only was a must read for me. It is just as heartbreaking as the summary makes it sound, as well as uplifting and purposeful. I loved the themes of this story – grief, soul searching, faith, families of the church, expectations and choosing to do the ‘right’ thing even when you’re not sure what that is.

In Jace’s family he is the destructive twin, while his brother Eli manages to effortlessly maintain the levels of perfection their dad craves. Jace wants to play baseball, while Eli will probably follow in their father’s footsteps and become a pastor, Jace is happy to go out partying and drinking with his teammates while Eli will be with his equally perfect girlfriend or at bible camp or writing his next debating speech. They are two halves of a whole. So Jace’s life is shattered when, in a car accident, Eli is killed and Jace is saved. It challenges his view of the afterlife, faith and his family as they too start to crumble around him. But the town’s outsider, the one girl he has been told his whole life not to go near, offers Jace some hope, a person to talk to about his darkest fears and reveals that even Eli was keeping secrets…  Continue reading

Book Review: My Hope Next Door

August 23, 2016 / / 0 Comments

My Hope Next Door

My Hope Next Door – Tammy L. Gray – Waterfall Press – Published 13 September 2016

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

Former bad girl Katie Stone can feel the weight of her reputation settle over her as she drives home for the first time in years. Feeling deeply guilty about her past mistakes, Katie wants to do the right thing for once. But the small town where she grew up is not nearly as forgiving as she’d hoped. Despite it all, she’s determined to help her parents cope with her mother’s recent illness, and Katie finds a surprise ally in the man next door.

Asher Powell never minded being the son of a small-town pastor until a recent breakup leaves him wounded by lifelong members of his church. He remembers his new neighbor as a mean-spirited high school troublemaker, but he senses that her newfound faith and desire for forgiveness are sincere.

Through an unexpected friendship, two people from different worlds find peace, hope, and a second chance they never dreamed was possible.

My thoughts

My Hope Next Door is a sweet and heartfelt story of second chances, regrets, guilt, mistakes, finding peace and starting again.

Katie never thought she would come home. She left town four years ago after making some of the biggest mistakes of her life. But a new-found faith and her mother’s declining health give her a chance to face her mistakes and maybe find some peace to start over. But she never expected how her next-door neighbour, the paster’s son now all grown up, could make her want to look more deeply at her life, fall in love and maybe even stay.

Katie is a flawed and realistic character. Headstrong, fiery, beautiful, stubborn and deeply troubled by her past. I loved how realistic this book is, especially on the topic of mistakes and the guild one feels. Katie has a big reputation in town, and certainly not a good one, so returning home is hard. I felt her guilt, anger, fear and sorrow pour through the pages. I also thought the way that her pathway to peace and understanding forgiveness was realistic and never rushed.      Continue reading

Book Review: Summer of Supernovas

August 3, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Summer of Supernovas

Summer of Supernovas – Darcy Woods – Crown Books – Published 10 May 2016

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

When zodiac-obsessed teen Wilamena Carlisle discovers a planetary alignment that won’t repeat for a decade, she’s forced to tackle her greatest astrological fear: The Fifth House—relationships and love.

But when Wil falls for a sensitive guitar player hailing from the wrong side of the astrology chart, she must decide whether a cosmically doomed love is worth rejecting her dead mother’s legacy and the very system she’s faithfully followed through a lifetime of unfailing belief.

My thoughts

I usually steer away from books with love triangles and this book is centred around a girl who is torn between two guys. So I’m not sure why I was so excited to read it. Maybe because of that beautiful cover. Or maybe it was the many glowing reviews. Or maybe just because it sounded fantastic. Whichever reason, I am very glad I did because this was a great book., fun, exciting and romantic. Summer of Supernovas has a slightly crazy but loveable protagonist, a supportive and eccentric best friend, a few family secrets and complications, a warm summery setting and two very charming love interests.

Wil, short for Wilamena, has always believed the stars hold the answer to her destiny. By looking at the stars she feels closer to the mother she tragically lost. And a current planetary alignment means she has just one month to find her soul mate. So when she meets two brothers, one who she is irresistibly drawn to and the other who the charts say is perfect for her, she knows chaos is likely to ensue.

Continue reading

New Book Releases August 2016

August 1, 2016 / / 6 Comments

New Book Releases for August 2016

Looking for some new books to add to your to-be-read list this month?  Here are the young adult, adult, new adult and Christian fiction titles due for release in August 2016 that are on my to-read list. Click on the covers for full reviews.

Adult Fiction

Everything We KeepEverything We Keep – Kerry Lonsdale – Lake Union – Published 1 August 2016

Aimee’s life is turned upside down when her fiancé is proclaimed dead after being missing for months. Gone are her dreams of marrying her childhood sweetheart, starting a family and maybe even opening a restaurant of her own. But moving on with her life is hard when she has doubts that James is truly dead.

Adult fiction: Contemporary/ Mystery

Young Adult Fiction

How To Keep Rolling After A FallHow To Keep Rolling After A Fall – Karole Cozzo – Swoon Reads – Published 2 August 2016

After a cyber bullying incident turns her life upside down, a handsome wheelchair rugby player shows a former mean girl that everyone deserves a second chance.

Young adult fiction: Contemporary.

Continue reading

Book Review: The Memory Book

July 25, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Memory Bok

The Memory Book – Lara Avery – Poppy – Published 5 July 2016

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

Sammie was always a girl with a plan: graduate at the top of her class and get out of her small town as soon as humanly possible. Nothing will stand in her way–not even a rare genetic disorder the doctors say will slowly start to steal her memories and then her health. What she needs is a new plan.

So the Memory Book is born: Sammie’s notes to her future self, a document of moments great and small. It’s where she’ll record every perfect detail of her first date with longtime crush, Stuart–a brilliant young writer who is home for the summer. And where she’ll admit how much she’s missed her childhood best friend, Cooper, and even take some of the blame for the fight that ended their friendship.

Through a mix of heartfelt journal entries, mementos, and guest posts from friends and family, readers will fall in love with Sammie, a brave and remarkable girl who learns to live and love life fully, even though it’s not the life she planned.

My thoughts

The Memory Book is an incredibly sad and touching story of a girl’s determination to hold onto her future and her memories. Family, friendship, romance and self discovery in the midst of loosing yourself.

Sammie has been diagnosed with Niemann-Pick Type C, a long and complicated word that means Sammie will slowly lose her memories. In an attempt to hold onto herself she creates a memory book to record all the important things her future self will need to know to continue her life and move on to college.

This whole book is written as journal entries in Sammie’s memory book. But these are no ordinary teen girl diary entries, instead they are fun, touching and confronting retellings of various events, important things she thinks her future self should know. Some entries are simple reminders. Some are written by other characters. Some are letters to others, and some are clear retellings, as if we are right there as it happened.

Continue reading

Book Review: Where There’s Smoke

July 12, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Where There's Smoke

Where There’s Smoke – Susan May Warren – Montana Fire #1 – Susan May Warren Fiction – Published 31 May 2016

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

She’s a smokejumper afraid of fire…

Kate Burns is a legendary smoke jumper, known for her courage and willingness to risk everything to get the job done. Only she has a secret, one she won’t admit to anyone.

He can’t forget the love they once shared…

Supervisor Jed Ransom commands the Jude County Smoke Jumpers with a reputation as a calm, level-headed leader. Kate is the only one who’s ever gotten under his skin.

They must face the flames together…

A raging wildfire in the mountains of Montana brings Kate and Jed together to train up a new team of jumpers. Suddenly, they must face the past they’ve been running from and the secrets that keep them apart. When an arsonist goes after their team, Kate and Jed must face their deepest fears—and learn to rely on each other as they fight a blaze that could destroy them all. 

My thoughts

Where There’s Smoke is an exciting and spark-filled romance.

It was stressful reading Where There’s Smoke, but in a good way. I was on edge most of the time with jumping from planes, parachutes that won’t open, tangled chute lines and deadly wildfires. And when all that wasn’t happening the tension from the romance is off the charts.

Kate grew up wanting to be a smokejumper just like her father, fighting the deadly fires that roar through the Montana landscape. But her father never wanted her in such danger, so she chose to walk away from their relationship rather than give up fire fighting. Now, Kate has returned home in the wake of a devastating fire that has left her father and others in his crew dead. She finally has a chance to join the Jude County Smokejumpers, but so too has her old crush, Jed Ransom, leaving Kate once again battling to prove her ability to be a jumper.

Continue reading

Book Review: Suri’s Wall

July 3, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Suri's Wall

Suri’s Wall – Lucy Estela, illustrated by Matt Ottley – Penguin Books Australia – Published 26 August 2015

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

Eva squeezed Suri’s hand. “What’s there? What can you see?”

“What can I see?” Suri looked out over the wall. “Oh, it’s beautiful, let me tell you all about it.”

A moving tale of the power of the human spirit.

My thoughts

This is an incredibly powerful book.

I went into the book knowing very little about it. I had not even read the blurb. And I think that was the best way to read it. So, if you want to go and find a copy, snuggle down, enjoy the story and then come back and read my review, go ahead. I’ll wait….

Suri’s Wall has been nominated for CBCA’s Book of the Year in 2016, and for very good reason. It is a particularly powerful and moving story. It speaks volumes and yet is gentle and quiet in conveying a message of hope and beauty in times of pain and loss.

Continue reading

Book Review: Defending Taylor

June 11, 2016 / / 4 Comments

Defending Taylor

Defending Taylor – Miranda Kenneally – Hundred Oaks – Sourcebooks Fire – Published 5 July 2016

♥♥♥

Synopsis

Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor’s always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that’s what is expected of a senator’s daughter. But one impulsive decision—one lie to cover for her boyfriend—and Taylor’s kicked out of private school. Everything she’s worked so hard for is gone, and now she’s starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor’s escape from the pressures of school and family, but it’s hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she’s going through is her older brother’s best friend, Ezra. Taylor’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it’s hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?

My thoughts

Taylor has a new mantra – no more boys. Well, that’s not going to work for a contemporary young adult romance, now is it… Equal parts coming of age, self discovery and family relationships, and with a heavy dose of romance, Defending Taylor continues Miranda Kenneally’s Hundred Oaks series.

Taylor has sworn off boys after taking the fall for her boyfriend. But she never could have predicted just how big the fallout was going to be. Expelled from school, dumped from her soccer team, and the reason her father has dropped in polls during the key time in his political campaign, Taylor is ordered back home where she is to start a new school and hide out until the bad press dies down. But the other girls on Taylor’s new soccer team don’t seem to want her there and bumping into her older brother’s best friend only adds more complications to her already complicated life.

Does giving up boys count if it’s a guy you fell for years ago? You can hardly blame Taylor for falling again for Ezra, he with the wicked smile, green eyes and construction worker’s muscles. And the whole brother’s best friend thing usually brings a complication that I enjoy in romances. But their relationship wasn’t all that complicated, really. Once Taylor and Ezra reconnect and straighten out the past miscommunications, their relationship develops quickly.       Continue reading

« Older posts Newer posts »
Madison's Library

© 2024 Madison's Library

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑