Though I relish everything having to do with ghosts and monsters, I’m also the person who levitates off the sofa during every single jump scare in “Stranger Things,” much to the amusement of my son. Today is Halloween, a time when, it’s said, the veil between the living and the dead grows thin, and we’re allowed both to scare and be scared. It got me … Continue reading Books That Scared the Bejeesus out of Us
The soon-to-be-released futuristic dystopian young adult novel Daughter 4254 started out as an ebook on Wattpad that received over ******1 million****** views. Impressed by the attention it had received, the publishers at Owl Hollow Press invited Leigh Statham to publish Daughter 4254 as a series of novels. The original story has been revised and enhanced, and the first novel in the trilogy … Continue reading Daughter 4254: A New Dystopian Series about fighting for the arts #D4254
Black Yale-bound graduating senior Justyce McAllister’s good life at his prestigious, mostly-white prep school takes on a new harsh reality after he’s falsely accused of crimes and roughed up by a policeman while innocently helping a friend. Meanwhile, daily news accounts of young black men being shot or arrested flood the airwaves, stirring up strong opinions among his classmates. As Justyce searches for answers to … Continue reading Nic Stone Interview: Dear Martin
I am immediately drawn to any book involving World War II and how it changed the world. When I read a good one, I feel the need to shout it from the rooftops . The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke is one of those stories. The story is told in three points of view: a Jewish teen living the horrors of World War … Continue reading Book Recommendation: The Girl with the Red Balloon
Every life has a price in this sci-fi thriller that has the nonstop action of The Maze Runner and the high-stakes space setting of Illuminae. This is the first in a new three-book series that will take a group of broken teens to the far reaches of the universe and force them to decide what they’re willing to risk for a lifetime of fortune. Emmett … Continue reading Book Recommendation: NYXIA by Scott Reintgen
Releasing Today, August 1st, 2017!!! Brave New Girls: Stories of Girls Who Science and Scheme is a collection of 22 stories about brainy young heroines who use their smarts to save the day. Edited by author Mary Fan, the anthology’s goal is to inspire girls (ages 12+) to study science and engineering. Even better, proceeds from the anthology fund scholarships for women through the Society … Continue reading BRAVE NEW GIRLS #STEM Anthology: Inspiration for Future Female Engineers/Scientists
Willow Born, by Shanna Miles, is a young adult story filled with magic, witches, angels, and demons. Add in a girl who comes back from the dead, attempts to navigate contemporary society, and a murder mystery, and you have the recipe for a great adventure. Years ago, witch hunters came to Carolina and devoured the Willows. Sixteen-year-old Collette, a powerful empath, was one of them. … Continue reading Book Recommendation: Willow Born
I requested an advanced reader copy of Song of the Current in exchange for an unbiased review. An immersive fantasy debut set along the waterways of a magical world. Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. Her father is a wherryman, as was her grandmother. All Caro needs is for the river god to whisper her name, and her fate is sealed. But at seventeen, Caro may be too … Continue reading Recommended: SONG OF THE CURRENT by Sarah Tolcser
My 13yo daughter and I arrived at a movie theatre Tuesday night as excited as two people could possibly be about getting a sneak preview of the EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING movie based on Nicola Yoon’s book by the same name. But excitement wasn’t the only thing coursing through my veins as I stood in line to take my seat… Anyone who knows me well, knows that EVERYTHING, … Continue reading EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING Movie vs. Book (no spoilers!)
I received a free advanced reader copy of The Takedown in exchange for an unbiased review. Kyla Cheng doesn’t expect you to like her. For the record, she doesn’t need you to. On track to be valedictorian, she’s president of her community club, a debate team champ, plus the yummy Mackenzie Rodriguez has firmly attached himself to her hip. She and her three high-powered best friends … Continue reading Book Recommendation: THE TAKEDOWN by Corrie Wang
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of The Disappearances in exchange for an honest review. What if the ordinary things in life suddenly…disappeared? When Aila’s mother dies and her father is drafted to fight in World War II, she and her younger brother are sent to live with her mother’s best friend from childhood. Aila has met Mrs. Clifton and her son only twice and arrives at her mother’s rural home … Continue reading Book Recommendation: THE DISAPPEARANCES by Emily Bain Murphy
Bill Blume Website: http://www.billblume.net/gidion01.html Bill works as a 911 dispatcher for Henrico County Police. He served as the 2013 chair for James River Writers. Despite the red covers, little blood is spilled. Gidion is the younger male version of Sookie Stackhouse and Veronica Mars. A fast-paced thriller. A witty boy. Written by a police expert. Fresh spin on the vampire trope from the hunter’s perspective. … Continue reading Bill Blume and the Teenager Vampire Hunter
