Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” —Groucho Marx

Monday, January 25, 2016

Drawn to Fight by Lillianna Anderson----a review







SYNOPSIS:

Sometimes, it's inappropriate to fall in love with a certain someone. I should know. When I met Hugo Sparks, I didn't know he was my art teacher. But, by the time we found out, it was too late - we'd already fallen. But, we did the right thing, we tried to fight it. Eventually though, we gave in. That was when my brother Zac caught us. He said it would tear our family apart - we were already hanging on by a thread. I said I was in love. He didn't believe me and did everything he could to keep us apart.


Including breaking my heart.


In return, I broke his.


My name is Meg Reid - Zac Rivers' half sister. This is a tale of hurting the ones you love, and thinking it's for the best.


FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:

I enjoyed reading Lillianna Anderson's Drawn to Fight.   This story was set in Australia where there are fight clubs and both Meg's brother, Zach and her boyfriend, Hugo, need to fight to release their inner demons.

Anderson's characters are very well developed and realistic.   The   characters drew the reader into their story and made the reader care about their outcomes.   Life had made Meg mature beyond her years;   she possessed the wisdom of someone older and the aura of the same.    No wonder Hugo was drawn to her without a clue as to her true age and identity.

The storyline was a bit complicated, with Zach trying to keep the family together and being almost paranoid about bringing outsiders in to their "secret" lives.   Meg saw things differently, but tried to abide by his wishes...for the sake of the family.   She wanted to be a normal teen-ager....no possibility of that under the circumstances.

All was resolved in a satisfactory albeit, almost unbelievable fashion.

Now I had not read the first in this series, but this book was easily read as a standalone and quite enjoyed as such.   This is one of those stories that just qualifies as great escapism for the reader.

I rated this as a 4 wink read!


   Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I received a copy of this book from the author or their representative in exchange for an honest review.








Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The Changing Season by Steven Manchester---A review




SYNOPSIS:

This was supposed to be a simple summer for Billy; one more lazy expanse of time before college began. He'd fill the hours playing with Jimmy – his canine best buddy – going camping and doing all the things he promised Jimmy they'd do before Billy left.

But that was before the accident that shook the entire town.

It was before the summer job that turned into something so much more than a way to get a paycheck.

And it was before Vicki.

This summer was destined to be many things to Billy, things he didn't truly understand until now. But it was definitely not going to be simple.

An enormously touching, richly textured, deeply moving novel of new adulthood, THE CHANGING SEASON is an experience to savor.


FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:

In my humble opinion, Steven Manchester is one of this generations greatest writers and so when something comes out by him, it becomes the top book to be read in my TBR pile.   I can't help it, his writing always speaks to my heart and leaves me with so much to think about.

The Changing Season resonated with me as I could relate on so many levels to this tremendous tale of growing up.   Like Billy Baker, I loved animals and I was carried on a splashing sea of uncertainty....what did I want to do with my life after high school?   I never did determine what I should do, unlike our young hero, Billy.

Another thing we shared was a strong moral ethic and a strong sense of loyalty to our friends.    Billy was your normal teenager experiencing first love, a vile test of friendship, and a job he came to love and appreciate.

The author could have taken this story in so many different directions, but I loved the simplicity of the relationship between dog and boy.  The story could've been about your next door neighbor or at the very least, someone you know.

This book is an easy read for those who love coming of age tales, dogs, and first love.
I loved it. I am excited that it was my first read in 2016.   It's a good sign for future reads this year.

I rated this a five Wink read!


 Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I received a copy of this book from the author or their representative in exchange for an honest review.




Monday, January 4, 2016

December Reading Recap

Happy New Year fellow readers.    I didn't succeed with my twenty -five days of Christmas reading this year.    First I took the summer months off and then in early December I received a breast cancer diagnosis, that thoroughly threw my planning into utter chaos.

This diagnosis came just in time for the depressing winter weather we have in Iowa.    I am so looking for sunshiny days and milder temps this year.    I don't want to get depressed.

Anyway, I only read five Christmas stories In December, but I think they were worthy Christmas reads....certainly enjoyable to this reader.   All but one was reviewed during December 2015.   Evergreen Springs will be blogged about during December 2016, but is quite worthy of the read.






















Wishing each and every one of you the best that 2016 has to offer us in the coming year!    May God richly bless you through out the New Year!

and Happy continued Reading!


Miss Beth