I bought “The Cheetah and the Dog” for my granddaughter’s birthday. She loves books, and I knew the subject of a dog and cheetah, and the colorful pictures would appeal to her. I read it after it arrived and loved the flow of the rhyming words. A sweet tale that’s based on a real dog’s relationship with a cheetah with a lesson in friendship, no matter what your differences are. Then, after the story, there are facts and photos of cheetahs, which is a wonderful bonus. I can’t wait to share it with my four-year-old grandchild. I’ll be buying more of Ms. Furstenberg’s children’s books as gifts. Five-Stars!
“Liars and Thieves” is a fantasy with Elves, Goblins, and Changelings living in an uneasy truce with crystals as their energy. The theme of greed and need felt current to me, and the world was brilliantly written in beautifully described images. My favorite character is Talin, who is a spy with a heart, and Alue is a close second as an Elf who has more sense of justice and temper than most. I enjoy the interactions between them in any form. Naj, the half-Elf and half-Goblin, approaches things more logically but is a solid leading character with a charming relationship with the Goblin he loves. I like what binds the three together. Then, there’s a lack of trust and blame between the three groups that felt very real to me as well as some misplaced loyalties. The unexplained disappearances and earthquakes threw in some chaos. I can’t wait for the next book to see what happens. If you love fantasies, you will want to read this. Five-Stars!
James dies and ends up with a girl he hasn’t seen since they were children. This is only the beginning of his journey. I loved the places they traveled together, and the history weaved into them. Each stop had a different story they had to maneuver through without making any changes that could affect the future. I appreciated the relationship between James and Sam how they fell back into the connection they had as children that worked now that they were adults. Then having to deal with Lucifer, who interfered with their travels, was both amusing and a bit chilling to me. Their time travels were not only action-packed with lessons weaved in, but each place they visited was an engaging tale within the main story. The attention to detail and research was well done. Many parts had me laughing and a couple that left me teary-eyed. The ending surprised me, but I was satisfied with its conclusion. This is a story I won’t soon forget, and I highly recommend it! Five-Stars!
HMS Lanternfish (The Lanternfish #2)
by C.S. Boyack
I loved the first book of this series, Lanternfish, so I was excited for the seafaring journey to continue. I was not disappointed with all my favorite characters back, including the root monsters. Those little guys always bring a smile to my face, even when they are up to no good. James Bloodworth is pulled out of retirement into a war that could ultimately affect his peaceful life. He calls for a return of the old gang, which was satisfying to have them back together, along with some new characters. It was nice to see Serang in her element, along with the rest of the crew. Back at sea, they do what they do the best — forage for what they need. Captain Bloodworth is an excellent leader of his pirates turned soldiers; he not only is trying to undo what his father did, but helps in ways I didn’t expect. Each stop along this voyage offers new friends and a lot of enemies, which kept me reading late into the night. All the small details and created images are weaved into this story so vividly that it brings this world of sea creatures and assassins to life. I can’t wait to see where the third book goes. I highly recommend this if you love a well-told tale. Five-Stars!
I only post my 4 & 5-star reviews. If I don’t like a book, I won’t finish it. It doesn’t feel right leaving a review in that case, but I have been known to email the author:) Life is too short not to enjoy every book you read!
NOTE: I’ll be hosting two fabulous authors this week. Be sure to stop by and say hello!
Embrace your inner child by reading a good book! D. L. Finn