Spring Reading Thing Wrap-Up and Why I Haven't Blogged As Much

I started this challenge with an ambitious goal as usual.  I had 42 books on my list.  Of those 42 books I managed to read 7 from my original list which you will find here.  I read an additional 19 books for a total of 26.  That's a little more than half of my original goal.  So what happened?  Life.

This was one of the toughest and most stressful school years ever.  I have  had several medical and dental issues that have prevented me from reading as much as I normally do.  This also hindered my personal writing.
At first I was very down about not meeting my goal.  I pride myself in reading a lot.  This was the first time I fell  real short of a goal.  However, I read some really great books. Here is a list of the other books I read.

Children's Picture Books:
A Rose in the Desert - Chi Emerole  
Eutopia - Kathy Motlagh 
I Remember Mommy's Smile - Diana Wolfman Baker
Sofia's Rainbow - Lina Simoni
Sweetie goes to Bed - Lydia Lin 
Tashi and the Tibetan Flower Cure - Naomi C. Rose
Stripey Follows His Dream - Gail Shumway


Middle Grade / Young Adult:
My Monster Burrufu - Alberto Corral 
Night Buddies - Sands Hetherington
The Prince Who Fell From the Sky - John Claude Bemis
Spectral - Shannon Duffy
Swipe - Evan Angler


Adult:
A Gift For My Sister - Ann Pearlman
As One Devil To Another - Richard Platt
Kill 4 Me - Joel M. Andre
Mirrors of Anguish - R.P. Kraul
Walter's Muse - Jean Davies Okimoto


Short Story:
Tea With Death - Joel M. Andre


Nonfiction:
Off to Class - Susan Hughes


I had some books that were absolute favorites of mine:  My Monster Burrufu was one of my favorite upper elementary/middle grade reads.  It is all about stereotyping and prejudice in a wonderful story.  I want to start my school year reading it aloud to my new students.  The Prince Who Fell From the Sky was a wonderful Fantasy told from an animal's perspective.  If you liked C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters then it is a safe bet you will like As One Devil to Another.


If you are unfamiliar with the author Oliver Neubert then you need to acquaint yourself with him.  I first read and reviewed  his book Chantel's Quest. He wrote and asked me to read and review His Wind of Life Series.  I read the first two books.  All I can say is OH MY GOSH THEY WERE WONDERFUL!  The Flyers and The Wanderers are both fantasy books in a series about two different groups of people who at one time lived together but later were separated by their appearance.  The prejudice was evident in these books and the lessons were wonderful yet subtle.  The third book in the series Vita is due out soon.  These are definitely MUST READS!  All ages will like these books.

If you want a humorous read then you must read Scary School by Derek the Ghost.  Kids will really enjoy this.

Adults will enjoy the thriller Mirrors of Anguish by R.P. Kraul.  This is a classic thriller in every sense. This is an author whose other books I look forward to reading.

I guess over all I would have to say that even though I didn't reach my goal number wise, I've read some really terrific books.  I've slowed down my reading this summer as I'm working on my writing.  I'd like to have one completely fleshed out and one completed.  I don't know how well that will work as I've been connecting with next years students and their summer reading.  It is great to see so many of them excited about reading.  I must share a post from one of my students with you, so that you can understand how excited they are.


"Are you guys reading a book and then when your parents say Dinner DINNER and you will not get up because you enjoy the book so Much.................Well I do and It is Called Boys Without Names it is a Happy/Sad book And I am Convincing you guys when I am done with the book go to the Public Library and they will have it I Maybe Promise Not sure because I have to Return It in "



This excited me because this is one of my students from next year.  Most of them have been chatting back and forth on Edmodo about the books they are reading.  It seems I have a lot of readers coming to me next year.  Not only that, but a large number of them LOVE to write.  They have been participating in our weekly writing prompts.  They encourage each other.  I am hoping this will be my dream year of teaching.  I look forward to doing a modified version of the Fall Into Reading challenge with my students.


Thank you Katrina for such a wonderful, laid back challenge for readers and reviewers.  

Mirrors of Anguish – R. P. Kraul

Publisher:  Immortal Ink Publishing

Pages:  290

Source: Review Copy form the author

Genre:   Adult, Literary Horror

From Goodreads:

Young reporter Jill Duport returns to Belcorte, Pennsylvania, intending to sell the Victorian house that once belonged to her grandparents—the house where her grandfather allegedly mutilated and murdered a teenage girl. The house where he committed suicide.

The mystery surrounding the murder-suicide traps Jill in this small town in the Pocono Mountains. Knowing her grandfather was thought of as a serial killer by some is not enough for Jill. She wants to know why, twenty years after his death, the murders have continued.

What was her grandfather’s connection to the sadistic madman known as the Indianhead Reservoir Killer?

As Jill unravels the mystery of her grandfather, she draws herself closer to the killer, who has waited for decades to unleash his vengeance on Belcorte. His female victims are vessels for his feral children, and when Jill unknowingly enters his furtive lair, he decides to put in motion his sadistic plan to destroy the town.

My Thoughts:

If you were to look at the labels for my books  on Goodreads, you would find that I’ve read very little horror.  This is not because I don’t like horror.  It is because there is very little horror that I find to be good, and actually finish. I grew up on a farm in Indiana.  We lived in the 100+ year old farmhouse that had been my great-grandmother’s before she passed away.  It was a house that she claimed was haunted.  I grew up in that old house watching horror shows.  You know the ones that had you screaming at the character to do something, or not do something and they did THEIR OWN thing which always caused a problem.  That is what this type of book is like.  Classic Horror.  This it the type of book anyone who LOVES horror will want to read.  It transported me back to those late Friday or Saturday nights when I would sit up alone watching those shows that would scare me so much I wouldn’t want to leave my chair to go to bed.  That is what this book did for me, and yes I read it at night.   The author sets the tone for the book from the very beginning with his description of Belacort, Pennsylvania.  The town felt so real that I actually googled it to see if it existed.  His description of the town sets you on edge and keeps you there.  The characters are believable.  You have real people who have real problems that you can identify with.  Some you will love and some you will love to hate.  They are fleshed out in such a way that you can’t help it.  For me I will always choose a character driven plot because if the characters are not believable, then no matter what happens to them it makes the writing seem unbelievable.  Kraul has managed to find that delicate balance.

The horror in this book is the type that messes with your mind.  It is not your typical “slasher” type of horror. This is worse.  This is the type that will creep you out to the point you will be afraid to close the book, and afraid to continue reading.  So you want something creepy for a change?  Get this book.  It is just thing to fill that horror void in your reading.

Child of the Mist - Kathleen Morgan

Publisher:  Revell

Pages: - 336

Source:  Free download from Christianbook.com

Genre:  Adult, Historical Romance

From Goodreads:

In the harsh Scottish highlands of 1565, superstition and treachery threaten a truce between rival clans. It's a weak truce at first, bound only by an arranged engagement between Anne MacGregor and Niall Campbell-the heirs of the feuding families.

While Niall wrestles with his suspicions about a traitor in his clan, Anne's actions do not go unnoticed. And as accusations of witchcraft abound, the strong and sometimes callous Campbell heir must fight for Anne's safety among disconcerted clan members. Meanwhile his own safety in threatened with the ever-present threat of someone who wants him dead.

Will Niall discover the traitor's identity in time? Can Anne find a way to fit into her new surroundings? Will the two learn to love each other despite the conflict? With a perfect mix of a burgeoning romance and thrilling suspense, this book is historical fiction at its best.

My Thoughts:

It was really interesting to see how something as simple as performing what we know today as CPR could have you branded as a witch in the 1500’s.  In this wonderful historical fiction book we get a look at the past and how far we’ve come.

If you are into Scottish history or you just love reading about feuding clans then this is the book for you.  To create a truce Anne is pledged in marriage to Niall.  It is not what she desires.  The one thing that neither of them counted on was falling in love.  But that is just a portion of the story.  Read to find out what trials they both must go through and how they handle it.