"The Reluctant Queen" by Sarah Beth Durst -- We Both Loved It!

The Reluctant Queen (Queens of Renthia) by Sarah Beth Durst is the follow-up to The Queen of Blood. Daleina is now the queen and protects her kingdom from the spirits. She has a secret though, and when it is revealed, trouble is not far behind. Only one thing can save her kingdom, but time is not on her side! I thought this book was just as good as the first one. I was lost in this book many times, and that is a good thing! Daleina is a fantastic character and her protector, Bayn the wolf, is always close by. I’m glad there is going to be a Book 3 in this series—long live the Queen!
(Gerard’s review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review (5 stars):
The Reluctant Queen (Book 2 of Queens of Renthia) by Sarah Beth Durst is about getting an heir ready to take over for the dying Queen Daleina who has the false death disease. Ven and Alet find Naelin, a housewife that has lots of raw power over spirits but needs to be trained in how to control it. She is married with two young children. After much persuasion, she reluctantly agrees to be trained and eventually becomes a candidate. Will a cure be found in time for Queen Daleina? Who is killing the candidates and why? Will Naelin ever agree to be queen?

I loved this book and did not want to put it down, even though the ending was strange! In fact, I got so lost in it on the bus that I passed up my bus stop by several stops going to work! There is a lot of action in this book and some mystery. I loved the two kids and the wolf, Bayn.



See our review of the first book in this series:  Queen of Blood

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"This Mortal Coil" by Emily Suvada

In This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada, Catarina is very good at what she does.  In her world, people can recode their DNA allowing them to change their bodies any way they want, but she can hack into again.  Her father and best friend are on the run.  They must find a way to end the plague or all is lost!

Teaser from page 21:  "I know that, but you can't come, darling.  It's not safe."

This book was a bit too hi-tech for my taste.  The story line was good enough, just did not feel a connection to the characters.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Welcome to My World" by Curtis Bunn

In Welcome to My World by Curtis Bunn, Brenda’s life is on a downturn. She goes to McDonald’s daily and sees a homeless man every day. She tries to do good by him. One day the homeless guy, Rodney, gives her some life advice! What? This book was so much better than I thought it would be! I enjoyed Brenda and Rodney very much. The story line kept me engaged throughout. (Gerard’s review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 10:  "I was so . . . so . . . shocked and appalled that I couldn't even move, much less respond."  "I'm not trying to be mean," he added. 

Karen's review (4 stars):
Welcome to My World by Curtis Bunn is the story about Brenda, a depressed woman, who becomes friends with Rodney, a homeless man with a bipolar disorder. They help each other as their friendship develops. This is a heartwarming story about how simple words between strangers can bring about great change. This book gives insight into the world of homelessness, those with bipolar disorder and how people sometimes use food to deal with depression that can lead to destroying their self-esteem.

I enjoyed this book even though it moved pretty slow since there is very little action in it. It definitely addresses some major social issues and is inspirational I loved the ending!


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Keep You Safe" by Melissa Hill - To Vaccinate or Not?

In Keep You Safe by Melissa Hill, Madeleine and her husband chose not to have their two children, Clara and Conner, vaccinated.  One day though, Madeleine has an appointment she can't miss so sends Clara to school even though she was not feeling well.  Then Rosie, one of Clara's classmates, becomes very sick and that is trouble for Madeleine.  Social opinion turns against her and the next thing she knows, her and her husband are in court!  Who saw that coming?

Teaser from page 65:  For all these years, she and Tom had played them, and now that horrible realization, albeit distant and buried, rose once again to the fore. Oh, God...what have we done...

I thought this book was really good!  The pacing of the book was quick and I loved the back and forth between the two mothers.  I was into this from page 1.  Don't miss it--a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"UnWholly" by Neal Shusterman (Unwind Series Book 2)

Unwholly by Neal Shusterman is the second book in the Unwind series. This book follows Connor, Risa and Lev after going their separate ways after their escape from the Happy Jack Harvest Camp. Several more interesting characters are added: Cam (a teen built from all unwind parts), Miracolina (a tithe who gets “rescued” against her will) and Starky (an unwanted stork who was signed over to be unwound but escaped). Some romantic interests start to develop in this book and several organizations play big parts – both those against unwinding and for unwinding as well as the black market parts pirate, Nelson.

Teaser from page 21: Within seconds, the drunk is there, not so drunk after all, with three others whose faces he can't make out.  They lift him up and shove him into the back of a waiting van.

This book started out kind of slow, but that may be because it was so long since I read the first book, it took me a while to “catch up” again. This book seems to be a lot of foundational work for setting up the next in this series. I really like all the characters except for Starky and Nelson. Lev and Miracolina’s relationship was very interesting for me and also Risa’s and Cam’s growing friendship. The second half of this book really picked up with lots of adventure and excitement. I look forward to continuing with this series.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review (4 stars):
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman is the sequel to UnWind.  It was good to team up with Conner, Lev and Risa again.  Conner is trying to help kids like himself who escaped being unwound.  Lev is caught up in an underground movement, and Risa, now in a wheelchair, feels she might be a burden.  There is tons of action in this book to say the least.  I did not know what was going to happen next!  Looking forward to continuing on with Book 3 of this series.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!