The Dark Deliverance by D.L. Blade (The Chosen Coven, #3) – 3 Star Review!

Story Rating: ***
Cover Rating: A

This last edition of The Chosen Coven series was packed full of action, intrigue, and romance. We see all of the loose ends get tied up, and all in all it ended on a pretty entertaining note. The one thing I had an issue with in this book is that Mercy is invincible. I really prefer heroes/heroines who have obvious weaknesses, and I would have also preferred additional internal struggles because Mercy just seems too set on doing what she needs to do from the get-go, but that is just my personal preference. All in all, the book and entire series were enjoyable.

The cover is eye-catching and offers an accurate description of what readers should expect to find within the story.

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Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman – 3 Star Review!

Story Rating: ***
Cover Rating: A

This is an interesting historical book written in fictional diary formatting about a young woman who doesn’t want to be “sold off” into marriage by her father. She fights at every turn, using her sharp wit and mischievous nature. This is a telling book into a time of history we’ve not experienced, where young woman had little to no say about their futures. It makes a person wonder how many other young maidens decided to fight against their prospects of arranged marriages to wealthy men old enough to be their fathers or grandfathers.

The cover is eye-catching and offers an accurate description of what readers should expect to find within the book.

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The Darkness by Brittney Leigh (Bulwark Anthology, #8) – 3 Star Review!

Story Rating: ***
Cover Rating: A+

This book was slightly different from the other Bulwark Anthologies I’ve read, as it was written in diary form from the POV of a local high school student. I love books written in diary form, so that was a big plus. I also enjoyed the look at history the book provided, and the characters were realistic enough. I definitely felt the teenager vibe in the entries, which was great. They were dry at all. My only major issues with the story was that (A) it seemed a little rushed, and (B) there were a lot of liberties taken with Cherokee heritage and tradition. I know, writers take liberties (I myself included) but I just felt it was a little too much. Otherwise, it was a quick, fun read that gave me chills.

The cover was perfect and only the second to receive the big A+ rating. It is eye-catching and offers a perfect description of the story found inside.

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Spiral Aloe, by L.A. Forbes- Three Star Review

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“Spiral Aloe” by L.A. Forbes was a good story…at first. I did get through the whole book, which was packed with action, deception, and plenty of side stories mingling with the main plot. A few things got a little tangled, but they seemed to be clearing up in the end of the story. Actually, let me put it this way: I was enthralled with this book until it ended- by which I mean, I don’t get the ending at all. The story just stopped in what I assumed was the middle of the story. Nothing was resolved at all, and there was no indication of a follow up book. You know, no hints or cliff hangers, just a blunt ending. I’m still sitting here wondering if it actually ended…although I read the last bit twice through to make sure. Otherwise, the book really was great. The word choice was good, the story was entertaining, and the interesting cultural information was awesome. The ending just killed it for me though. While I appreciate authors taking the freedom of putting things in their own way, I would have just liked more completion to the ending. The dialogue was decent, the characters believable, and the story brought some very important topics into the spotlight. A good book, but just not for me.

*This review was written by Chelsea*

Southern Attraction, by Tracy Kauffman/Three Star Review

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This story pulls you in right from the very beginning. The author is talented, to be sure, and the plot line is incredibly interesting. It starts out in a way that you would assume is cliché, but moves forward to show you that it is not cliché at all. I only had two problems with the book, and they were both matters of personal preference. First, I felt the story was a little rushed, and second, I felt it lacked depth. I felt more like I was being TOLD rather then SHOWN. Of course, I’m a real stickler for details- the more, the better. Now, allow me to stress the fact that the plot line is fascinating. I also greatly appreciated the fact that this book highlighted the tragedies of the Alabama tornado. I have a large portion of my family who are from Alabama, and I know how hard that tragedy affected everyone. Second, I greatly appreciated the fact that the author slipped in some information about Addison’s Disease, as it is a little known disease that should receive more attention. My Mamaw suffered from it, and I know the travesties it can wreak upon a body when left unchecked. If there were a follow up book, would I read it? Probably. While I prefer more detailing at a slower pace, I couldn’t help but feel drawn into the story nonetheless. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a sweet, light read that highlights a few major traumatic events.

*This review was done by Chelsea*

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Poetically Baring My Soul, by Jerald Brown/Three Star Review

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Poetically Baring My Soul was both good and bad. The bad was that I did not think the way that the poems were written were the best that they could be. The poets word usage and form were a bit unappealing. I appreciated his striving towards placing the beauty and mercy of God into every day terms or likenesses, but I simply felt it left me wanting something more. Honestly speaking, the form and wording were a bit juvenile. The joy in receiving God that I believe the poet was trying to display did not seem to come from the depths of his soul, but instead seemed rather forced. Now, I mentioned that there was good also. I truly enjoyed the fact that the poet put so much effort forth into depicting his personal relationship with God, and being a Christian myself, I always appreciate those who try to spread the word of the gospel. There were also individual poems within the text which I felt were very well written or exposed true depth of emotion. If you enjoy a christian book or poetry (and are not a finicky poetry reader like myself) I would recommend this book to you.

*This review was done by Chelsea*

 

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Where Hummingbirds Come From, by Adele Marie Crouch/ Three Star Review

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The story was very cute, and both my daughter and I enjoyed it. I would actually rate it 3.5 stars, but obviously I’m unable to do that here. Although the story was very cute, it read just a little ‘broken’ for lack of a better word. I think mostly I tripped over all of the “grandmother said” parts in the book. I believe that the author could have reworded it a bit, or simply left out the “grandmother said” parts here and there. The pictures of the hummingbirds were fantastic! I did feel that the pictures of people were not overly appealing, but certainly not crude either. My daughter enjoyed it more than I did (obviously, as this is a children’s book), and would have probably rated it a 4 or 4.5.

*This review was done by Chelsea*

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Barely Breathing, by Heather Allen/Three Star Review

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As usually happens with follow up books, I preferred the first installment in this series. It was still a really good book and it played the story out very well. It was well-written and engaging, but I couldn’t help but feel the ending was a bit hectic, and I would have liked it better if there was less of a cliff hanger and more of a wrap up. That’s just my personal preference, of course, and I do have to say that if nothing else the ending makes me desperately want to grab hold of the third (and unfortunately, last) book in this series! I simply have to know how everything pans out for the characters, and I must know what happens after… well, I can’t say after what, but those of you have read this story know! All in all, it was a very good read, and I can’t wait for the next one. I would highly recommend this book who enjoys a good paranormal romance or a cliff hanger ending!

*This review was one by Chelsea*

 

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Allister Cromley’s Fairweather Belle (Bedtime Stories For Grownups To Tell), by Shane Portman- Three Stars

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Allister Cromley’s Fairweather Belle (Bedtime Stories For Grownups To Tell) was a unique book to say the least. I thought the idea of bedtime stories for grownups was very interesting, although the stories found inside of the book were not exactly what I was expecting. I liked the bits of historical knowledge and personal insight you find woven into the stories, and the oddity of those stories was amusing. I almost felt as though I was tucked away inside of someone’s head, but that someone was rather insane. While the idea or moral behind most of the stories was easy to grasp, there were a few where I had no idea what I was supposed to come away from the story with, and as such, came away with absolutely nothing. In regards to the wording or writing, instead of the story, the book was remarkably well done. The author obviously possesses a wide ranging vocabulary, and if I don’t presume too much, a vast amount of knowledge on a variety of subjects. This appears to be clear through his very fluid writing, and the interesting facts he easily slipped into the story. All in all, it was a fairly good read, but some of the stories dragged despite being only a few pages long. For this reason, and the fact that some of the stories did not seem to have a definite reason behind them (which bedtime stories always do), I give this book three stars. Would I read it again? Probably not. Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes, I actually already have a few people in mind who would probably enjoy this book much more than I did.

 

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Savannah, by Malobi Sinha- Three Stars

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Savannah is a collection of poetry that I did not particularly enjoy, but I did not exactly dislike either. I guess you could say that it was just ‘not my cup of tea.’ It was neither fantastic nor dreadful, rather falling somewhere in-between. I believe my biggest problem was that the poetry seemed forced. I do, however, appreciate the unique styling of the poet and the originality of each poem. I can see why others would enjoy the poetry, and, after all, poetry is a very subjective type of reading. I was just not particularly moved.

*This review was done by Brandi*