Mad Max & Sweet Sarah(Greek Mythology Fantasy Series #3)
Max leaves his home in Hawaii and goes to Seattle to spend the summer with a father he doesn’t know and a place he doesn’t want to be. He agrees to stay for at least two weeks and work at the local pool as a lifeguard. His younger half-sister, Sarah, is determined to forge a relationship between them and convince him to spend the entire summer there. Max quickly makes a friend who has some strong opinions about family and people. Although this is a fast read, it dives nicely into good communication and judging others. Like the other two books, Greek Mythology was woven into the story and brought new insight into developing situations. This is a great read for children with some good lessons that I also enjoyed.
“Slivers: Chiseled Poetry” is another amazing collection of poetry by Ms. Singh. The poetry is based on the Japanese forms of Haiku and Tanka, and Acrostic poems. They are short but packed with a lot of emotion and images. Although it was hard to choose, here are just a few of my favorites. “full moon still lingers/trees delight in divine light/blissful spectacle,” “where two hills meet/clouds hide and seek/river watches calmly,” “we fly on the waves of whim/when our dreams get wings/ clouds crumble to comply,” “when we try to cage/each precious moment of life/harmony edges away,” “celestial confetti/that fell on me mesmerized./magical messages,” “far into the woods/we wander in quest of calm/which lies within us,” “I wrote my song on the wind/I know that it touches you gently/when you step out/I know you can hear its melody/deep within your pining heart,” “Her skirts are dark/She rides on the billowy clouds/Love in her eyes/could move the horizon/A thread binds her to eternity,” “Dream/Dauntless we walk into the Realms of our choice, Enamored by the hues of hallow, Accentuated by ardent yearning of accomplishing a Myriad ideas that mentor our journey.” I loved this collection and highly recommend it!
The One Chosen: A Diasodz Short Story (Chronicles of the Diasodz)
I’m a fan of the Chronicles of the Diasodz Series. So, when I learned there was a short story related to it, I couldn’t wait to read it. Valerie leaves home to train to be a Diasodz warrior. She is immediately taken with one of her instructors, Nolan, but he doesn’t appear to be interested in her. I don’t want to give too much away, but another Diasodz is interested in Valerie. I love the characters and how Valerie adapts outside of the strict dress code of the 1600s as she explores a new world with one of her instructors. The settings are vivid, especially in the forest. The friendships and budding relationships develop at a nice pace while the monsters are terrifying. Some moments made me smile, and others had me worried they wouldn’t survive. It’s a fantastic short story that can be read on its own, but I highly recommend reading the series to learn more about this amazing world Ms. Calleiro created.
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!
Embrace that inner summer child! Read a book 🙂 D. L. Finn
Three good reviews! I do like Ms. Singh’s poetry. Slivers sounds fabulous.
Thanks, Priscilla 🙂 I’ve never been disappointed by Ms. Singh’s poetry and this one was no exception!
Well done, Denise.
Thank you, John 🙂
Good reviews. I especially liked the Mad Max one. I was drawn to the story, read the blurb and to be honest, got a whole lot more out of your overview! Nicely done.
Thanks, Jacqui 🙂 It’s a fun series, and I especially loved that it was written by a young author.
Denise, you’ve really picked a group of winners. Thanks for your mindful reviews. Congrats to the authors. Hugs all around.
Thanks, Teagan:) It is a great group of writers. Hugs back xo
Sounds like a great selection.
Thanks, it was, Craig 😉
Wow, you got your August book reviews already, Denise! Mad Max sounds interesting. I love Balroop’s poetry and look forward to reading her new book. I got Yvette’s book on my Kindle also. Hope it’s not too hot in your area.
Thank you, Miriam. You have some good reading ahead! Yes, the heat continues, but not as hot as it was. Hope it’s staying cool for you too. Xo
Three great reviews. Congrats to Ellie, Yvi, and Balroop. Thanks for sharing, Denise 🙂
Happy to share my good reads 🙂 Thanks, Harmony!
Great reviews. I loved Yvette’s series. Nice to know she’s added to it.
Thanks, Staci:) I know you’ll enjoy this short story!
I’ve only read Slivers of the three (which I thoroughly enjoyed) but all of these sound wonderful. Congratulations to the authors on the great reviews!
It was a fantastic book of poetry for sure. Yes, they were all good reads you can’t go wrong with, Mae!
Excellent reviews, Denise. I enjoyed Yvette’s short story immensely and it fits right into her Diasodz series. I am intrigued by Ellie’s book as a budding child author. Thank you for sharing.
It did fit perfectly into the Diasodz world, which was nice to be revisiting. I’ve really enjoyed Ellie’s Series especially through a young author’s perspective. Thanks, Jan 🙂
Many thanks for sharing your review of Slivers Denise and I am delighted to be placed with two fabulous authors. I have enjoyed Yvette’s magical series.
It’s a book I’m going to have to have on my shelves, Balroop 🙂 This is a great addition to Yvette’s magical series.
Wonderful reviews, Denise. I’ve read Balroop’s book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for the introduction to Ellie and her book, and for the nudge to pick up one of Yvette’s. Congrats to all the authors.
Thanks, Diana 🙂 It was one book of poetry I need for my shelf. Glad to introduce you to a young budding author! This short story is a good glimpse into Yvette’s wonderful series. Happy reading xo
I have the first book to Yvette’s series somewhere in my kindle. LOL. I have to find it!
Thanks for the beautiful review, Denise! I enjoyed sharing Valerie’s love story. I’ve read some of Balroop’s poems and enjoyed them. I’ll have to check this book out. 😊
It was a perfect companion to Diazoda. And I loved Valerie’s story 🙂 You’ll enjoy Balroop’s latest book!
Wonderful reviews, Denise. Congrats to the authors!
Thank you, Jacquie 🙂 xo
Great reviews, Denise. I’ve read and loved SLIVERS. The other two sound like great reads. Thanks for sharing. xoxox
Thanks, Sandra 🙂 Yes, it was a fantastic collection of poetry! Can’t go wrong with either of the other two. xoox
You’ve selected wonderful writers to review. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m looking forward to the reads. 💗
Thank you, Gwen. You have dome good reading ahead.