Soul Redeemed (War of Destiny Book 5) by Theresa Van Spankeren

 

Soul Redeemed by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series!! Usually by book 5 in a series, the story has started to wane some and the action isn't quite what you expected but that is definitely not true in this saga!!

I highly recommend reading these books in order. Failure to do so will lead to much confusion amongst the characters and the situations. There is a lot of backstory to this saga that is necessary in order to enjoy this series as it's intended.

Julia is just now learning about her powers and the ones she possessess haven't been seen in other vampires in centuries. Not really knowing how to best manifest them, Julia has to rely on her katet to help her hone her skills and use them for the best benefit to everyone. At the same time, Julia is concerned that Valentino is doing his dead level best to destroy her katet and all the humans too.

There is a lot I want to say about this book but I'm not going to ruin it for anyone. There is a lot of action, loose ends tied up, more loose ends created, and emerging storylines for future books in this series. This made for an enjoyable afternoon read!

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The Messy Kids by Lois Wickstrom

 

The Messy Kids by Lois J Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Chester does not want to clean his room when his mom asked, so like any typical kid, he goes outside. While playing in his sand box, the "messy kids" come out to play. Eventually they follow him inside where Chester gets some help in cleaning up his room.

First of all, I LOVE the illustrations in this book! They are very vivid and appealing to the eye! Second, this is a story that kids can relate too. So can moms! It's a good life learning story about the value of help, but also of teaching others what you need help with.

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Lap Baby by Amy Q. Barker

 

Lap Baby: Emotional Women's Fiction by Amy Q. Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emotional is an understatment for the sentiments of this book. I've not read anything by this author before but I'll look for more by her.

This is the story of Julie, Marie, Paige, and Terry. They were all in a plane crash over 20 years ago. They were the only survivors on the flight that crashed when an engine failed during a blizzard. Julie was the flight attendant on that flight, while Marie, Paige, and Terry were passengers. Julie was instructed by the pilot to go into emergency mode so she did as she was trained. She had the lap babies moved to the floor between the feet of their parents. Julie fought for years to have this policy changed after the loss of life that took place on this flight.

This is a story of redemption, forgivenesss, and moving on. Each person has dealt with this situation very differently. They each have their own demons that they must face. There were a few times that I thought the story lagged on too much but overall, was a very good story.

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Living with Conviction: A True Crime Memoir by Toby Dorr

 

Living With Conviction: Unexpected Sisterhood, Healing, and Redemption in the Wake of Life-Altering Choices by Toby Dorr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an interesting read!!! I am pretty sure I either watched the Lifetime movie "Jailbreak Lovers" or saw a featured story on Dateline as this did sound familiar to me.

In this memoir, Toby Dorr tells of her life as the "Dog Lady"...her volunteer program at the Lansing Correctional Center running an inmate dog training program. She meets many inmates but one really captured her attention. His name is John Manard and he escaped prison with Toby's help. They spent 12 days out on the run before they were found and arrested. Toby became an overnight celebrity and had to learn to deal with the media through her various court appearances. She did a couple of years in prison for her antics and in this book, she tells about her time on the inside.

It was very enlightening to read about life on the inside of prison and even more so, how difficult it is to live outside of prison after being there awhile. Toby went through some very challenging times while incarcerated and lost of lot of family along the way for her decisions. This book is very difficult to read in terms of things that were experienced, both by Toby and by people she met along the way. It is also inspiring to see how she turned things around in some of the deepest, darkest moments of her life.

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Editor Kill Fee (The Taylor Browning Cozy Mysteries Book 3) by GG Collins

 

Editor Kill Fee by G.G. Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun read that is a first read for me from this author. I've already added the previous books to my never ending TBR file.

This book is full of adventure as Taylor has to go undercover to help try to solve the mystery of the missing local book club president. When the ever prompt Anita Juarez doesn't show up for the regular book club meeting and her car is located on a very mysterious road, a lot of care and concern is shown.

This book will not let you down, although this series should probably be read in order. I love Taylor's cats and how they play into the story too! There are twists and turns, with lots of intrigue and even some humor sprinkled throughout.

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Huff... Puff... Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom

 

Huff...Puff...Grind!: The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stella, Hal, and Brad are the stars of this classic retelling of a popular nursery story. They are once again trying to evade the Big Bad Wolf. In today's day and age, they have new tools to combat the scary beast.

I loved the twists of this story and actually found myself laughing at the very end. Stella, Hal, and Brad are very witty!! There is a STEM focus on this book, as well as many others that Lois Wickstrom writes.

I would recommend this to be added to personal and school libraries and daycares asap! Kids will love the story as they think they already know it but will be pleasantly surprised by the twists.

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The Wandering Isles: A Crown of Stones Novella (Soulbound Journeys Book 1) by C. L. Schneider

 

The Wandering Isles by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a novella that comes after The Crown of Stones series and covers more of the story of Ian and Jarryd. This can be read as a standalone but having the background of the series before it will help certain situations make more sense.

Fantasy lovers will love how this story evolves. There is a bit of mystery in this one too! Anytime Ian and Jarryd are together, adventure is sure to abound. When they come across an island full of mysterious beings, reality starts to blur and neither are sure of what's really going on.

I do get a little confused as this writer tells the story one perspective at a time. I have a hard time keeping up with who's telling which side of the story and I have never been a fan of skipping back and forth. This was a little more difficult of a read for me for that reason. However, it was still enjoyable overall.

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