Showing posts with label Paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paranormal. Show all posts

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Noises From the Other Side by Tabatha Shipley

 


Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Mystery
Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing

This was one of the quirkiest books I have read in a long time. Annie Lewis and her mother move into a duplex after her parents split up. It's bad enough being pulled away from all of your friends your senior year. However, Annie begins hearing noises from the other side of the duplex that is empty. I have lived in duplexes before and they can be quite creepy.

This is where things are quirky, and I mean that in a good way. I believe it is a ghost, so I read on trying to figure out who would be haunting the place. Like Annie I missed so many clues along the way. The author did a great job building the world in this book. It takes place in reality and then also in an alternate reality. That's all I will say about that. I didn't see the person who ends up as the antagonist as the one. The pacing and the twists and turns kept me reading non-stop. I literally read this book in a little over four hours. Would I recommend this book? Definitely! I love the way this author thinks as they write. Awesome book!


Saturday, August 1, 2020

Dead School by Laura Gia West



Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.


This book baffled me. I was exci


ted to get it based on the premise that Tina Crocker  is a teen performing at a talent show when she is suddenly killed and ends up in Dead School. She is put in the guide division as an assistant to another person. This has never happened before.   They have to guide and help change the life of another person.  They classify this girl as a loser.

I started and stopped this book so many times. I very seldom abandon a book. I decided to sit and read it until I was finished.  The main character gave me mixed feelings.  She has such a self-loathing attitude it was hard to like her. I was pleased when she decided to perform at the talent show. I felt like maybe her attitude would change.  When she is killed and lands back in Dead School she is the same person.  In many ways she was like Melinda,  the girl to whom she was an assistant. Both of them came across as bullies.  The bouncing back and forth between the different “classes”  was unique and well written. I really thought that the ending was headed in the right direction. It was satisfying. Then the ending is ripped from your grasp and an alternate is thrown in and the story ends.

I wish I could say what it was that really made me not love this book. For some reason I didn’t click with it the way I hoped I would. It wasn’t terrible once I got it started, it just wasn’t my favorite.


Sunday, June 28, 2020

Catalyst by Tracy Richardson


Genre:  Young Adult, paranormal, Science Fiction

Source: I received an ARC. The opinions expressed here are my own.

 Marcie, her brother Eric and his girlfriend Renee are spending the summer with their mother. She is the head of an archeological dig  called Angel Mounds. Marcie has been having some strange feelings since she stepped foot on the site. These are enhanced when she meets Zeke and Lorraine who are their team leaders.  Their team leaders reveal to Marcie, Eric, Renee, and another young man named Leo that they have a purpose. They are special, connected to the Universal Energy Field and have a role to play in saving the earth.

 This story kept me reading. No matter what your spiritual belief system is, the underlying message was that we as humans have trashed the earth and if we don’t do something now then we can expect it to destroy itself.  The setting was in my home state of Indiana. I have been away from there for so long that I was not aware that they were fracking up there. I grew up on a farm and could only imagine how I would have felt if  they had come by our farm trying to buy up the rights to frack on our land. We had an artisian well. The thought of it being contaminated by fracking made the story more personal for me. The story line was well written and the characters were well developed. This was an interesting book by an author I have read before. I will recommend this book.


Monday, July 1, 2019

The Field by Tracy Richardson


Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, paranormal
Source: I purchased a copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.


This book starts out with Eric and his best friend Will trying out for the soccer team. Eric has an uncanny ability as the goalie of knowing just where the ball is going to go. He doesn’t understand why he gets these feelings, he just accepts them. He and his best friend are both taking an AP science class. This is where he meets Rene, the new student and learns that her father, a French scientist is going to guest teach some classes and offer an internship. After his first guest class he has forms for students to fill out if they want to be considered for lab experiments. Naturally Will and Eric are pulled in to this.  Eric and Will have some issues. Eric must use his new found abilities to help get things back on track with his friends. I was hooked on the premise of this book the minute I first read it. If you are a science nerd and really like science fiction then you will really like this book. However, you don’t have to be a fan of science or paranormal to like this book. Those things just make it really enjoyable. It is a quick easy read because it grabs you, pulls you in and you don’t want to stop reading.  I really enjoyed this one and will definitely be adding it to the science fiction section in my classroom. This is one I will recommend to our school librarian.


About the Author
Tracy wasn’t always a writer, but she was always a reader. Her favorite book growing up was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. In a weird way her life reflects the book through odd synchronicities. She has a degree in Biology like Mrs. Murry and without realizing it she named her children Alex and Katie after Meg’s parents. (Really, it was not intentional, because that would be weird)!


Tracy uses her science background in her writing through her emphasis on environment issues and metaphysics. Growing up, Tracy’s younger brothers called her ‘sarge’ and once when she took a personality test for a job, the evaluator said she could give a Drill Sargent a run for his money. If you need someone to boss you around, Tracy’s your gal! Tracy lives in Indianapolis.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The Seascape Trilogy by Vicki Hinze

Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my ow.

Beyond the Misty Shore
Welcome to Seascape Inn. Here you will meet the inn keeper Hattie, T.J. MacGregor and Maggie Wright. I would say these three are thrown together, but that wouldn't be true. T.J. MacGregor is a recognized artist. Seascape is very familiar to him. He finds himself drawn back there after his the death of his fiancee, Carolyn. He needs the time and this place to heal. There is a problem though, every time he tries to leave he can't. He struggles against something until he passes out. He has been stuck there for nine months.

Maggie has been looking for T.J. for quite some time. She blames him for the death of her cousin Carolyn. When she sees a painting T.J. did, that was supposedly in the car with Carolyn when she died, Maggie is sure he is guilty. After all that could be the only reason the painting is there. Since she can't find him, and the painting seems to  be calling her she drives to Seascape Inn.  There she finds T.J. She has witnessed first hand T.J.'s inability to leave. She knows how uncomfortable her being there makes him and she does everything possible to make him more miserable. That is until she finds that she is not only becoming friends with him, but developing true feelings for him.

The inn itself is one of the characters. Hattie seems to know what is going on but chooses to let things unfold they way they need to for the good of all. Vicki has done a wonderful job of connection all things in a manner that leaves you wanting to read the rest in this series. I love the way the book is written, If you've read any of my other posts you know I am a fan of romance only if there is mystery or something else tied to it. I've never gone in for the mushy romance stories. Maybe that is why I find Vicki's books so intriguing. There is something here for everyone, so come and join us at Seascape Inn.

Upon a Mystic Tide
This is the second book in the trilogy. In this book we meet psychologist Bess and her investigator husband John. The biggest problem here is one that is so ironic. Bess and John are in the process of a divorce. You would think that Bess, as an on air radio psychologist, who gives out advice daily, wold be able to find a way to straighten out her own marriage. You would think that John who has been over zealous in trying to solve a case would have gotten the clues that his marriage was in trouble. But, neither of them did this. For many this may be a sticking point. For me I see it as a way of setting this wonderful story up. I chalk it up to the fact that they were working so hard to keep other people from knowing the truth about them that they were blinded to solutions. John still loves Bess and both of them end up at Seascape Inn. Bess end up there after seeing the painting in a gallery and John follows her to square some things away. Hattie and the townspeople we met in the very first book are there to add the local color and flavor to the book. Of course a lot of this would not have happened if it hadn't been for John, the resident ghost helping things along. After all he is the one who made things known on air during one of Bess's shows about her divorce, something she'd kept secret not only from her listeners but also from her boss.

Like the first book, it is packed with emotions and the hope that things will work out for our two main characters. But, as you read you see Bess kicking the whole journey. Will their relationship be healed? This is a book you must read to find the answer to the question, because I won't give it away.

Beside a Dreamswept Sea
This book is so different from the first two, even though it maintains several similarities. In this story we find Bryce, a widower visiting the inn with his three children. Bryce is emotionally broken. You know how much he loves his children because he sleeps in the hallway just in case his daughter has a nightmare, he can be there for her. There is almost a bitterness left from his relationship to his deceased wife. The second character is Callie, a recently divorced woman who fought hard to get her ex-husband to pay her alimony. She ends up at the inn determined to never marry again. After all, who would put themselves through that kind of anguish again?

This book is the one I related to the most. My husband and I both went through divorces vowing to never marry again. We had both been raked over the coals with our first marriages. The funny thing is we knew each other while we were married to our former spouses. When my husband moved back to town and went to work for my father we just kind of clicked. For me this was terrifying. There was no way I was ever going to marry again, yet I did.  I know that is how both of these characters felt.

All of the charm from the first two books is found in this one. For me with my personal experiences it resonated with me. However, I have absolutely no problem recommending all three books in this trilogy to readers. It is a series you will want to read over and over again.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Four Books by Koos Verkaik

Alex and the Wolpertinger – The Monster Inn


Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Middle Grade
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Alex is a young boy who was from the Alps. He found himself picking berries in Westland, the kingdom of Prince Ruff Rumble. This prince was the son of King and Queen Clover who ruled Northland. They had two other sons. Prince Dozen ruled Eastland, and their son Prince Prime ruled Southland. When Alex meets up with Prince Rumble he is taken to the castle to work in the kitchen. It is here he witnesses the capture of a very important magician, who has landed in the lake. The Prince locks him away. His parents soon arrive looking for the magician, who they tell the Prince can make gold. There is a big problem here. The magician’s magic books are all wet, the ink is smeared and his memory is going. He tells the Prince to make gold he needs help from the Downhills. The Prince agrees to send Alex and the kitchen cat Shabby Tabby Chum to get that help. Alex is shrunk down to the size of the cat. They find the magic tree that lets them into the Downhills. It is here their adventure begins as they meet and get help from a Wolpertinger.  I really enjoyed the mysterious adventure this author has written about.  I think young and old alike will enjoy this book.


Alex and the Wolpertinger – The Downhills

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Middle Grade
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Alex’s adventures in the Downhills are not what he expected. He finally finds a way to help Halo the Magician, only to discover he can’t help the magician there. He must return to the Prince and get help from someone else. Like the first book, I enjoyed the land of the Downhills. I enjoyed all of the characters and the quest. The adventure and the situations they face because of Prince Ruff’s greed make this a book you just can’t put down. I really enjoyed it. Eventually I will read the other’s in this series.



Saladin the Wonder Horse

Genre:  Adventure, Middle Grade
source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This is a wonderful tale from the middle ages. What happens when the King leaves his brother in charge of the country, while he joins the Crusades? Trouble is what happens. Prince John is not there for the people. He is there for himself and all that he can take. When he tries to take the horses that belong to Lord Baltimore, a young orphaned stable girl named Annie takes a young colt named Silver and flees.  She meets up with Saladin the wonder horse and his owner. She is trying to find Robin Hood while Prince John is trying to find her. She is saved multiple times by Silver and Saladin.
One thing that really impressed me about this author’s writing is his ability to write about complicated themes in a language children can understand. At the same time he never dumbs down or insults their intelligence. This for me, as a teacher, is very important when it comes to suggesting books to my students. This is one I will definitely recommend.


Nibelung Gold

Genre: Adult, Paranormal
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is a different type of book from the others I have reviewed. In this book we take a look at spiritualism in Europe in the early 19th century.  While some put all paranormal activity under witchcraft, the main character sets out to prove whether the paranormal can be debunked or if it is real. Wilhelm Wolf and his mentor Jacob set out to debunk people who say they can do specific things. They often find wires and other hidden tricks. However, they are led to Were Keller who claims she is telekinetic.  During their visit Wolf has an experience he can’t explain. This leads him to search for more answers. The book is full of suspense, and gives us a look at the beginnings of Spiritualism and how many set out like Wolf to debunk these people. The book is well written. It is completely different from the author’s children’s books in style. It will be unlike any paranormal book you have read. It reads somewhat like a research journal as we find our main character doing just that, research. This author’s variety of styles in writing intrigues me and I will read more.