Nefertiti the Spidernaut: The Jumping Spider Who Learned to Hunt in Space by Darcy Pattison

Genre: Children's Picture Book, Nonfiction
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Darcy Pattison has written a wonderful and informative story about a spider who went to space.
Nefertiti was a Johnson Jumping Spider. She was chosen because she was the largest of her siblings. They wanted to see if she could adapt to zero gravity to hunt in space. They sent along a food supply of fruit flies.   She not only learned to hunt in space, but when she returned to Earth, she needed to learn to change her hunting methods. I never realized how smart spiders  were until I read this true story. I believe, like all of Darcy’s books, this is another great book that should be in all classrooms.
I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Indecent by Ethan Brant

Genre: Young Adult, Adult, Suspence

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

From Goodreads:

Based on true events!

There was a time when six countries were united by one man named Tito. He defended the country from the tyranny of Hitler, thus establishing himself as a leader. His system of government was Socialism controlled by his Secret Police¾the UDBA. Most of the population was thrilled to live such a life and they considered the agents their protectors, but one brilliant kid disagreed. 

Zlatan, at the age of sixteen, decides to live outside the system, but that leads him to prison, to serve a sentence of five years. Inside he meets his teacher, Uncle, a former spy for Tito’s Gestapo, who arranges an early release for him, but it comes with a high price. 

In front of the prison gates, two agents catch him and give him an ultimatum¾do or die. Zlatan agrees to their criminal requests but not for ”King and Country” but for the freedom he craves. His actions lead him to discover something dark in the pit of his mind. He learns there are greater things to fear than the police and other criminals. He must answer the question . . . 

IS HE ACTUALLY FREE? 

Be the first one to find out in this debut novella by a young author, filled with suspense and psychological battles of an abnormally self-aware man.

My Thoughts

If you are looking for a light, easy, feel good read, then put this book down. This young talented writer knows how to draw out the emotions in his readers. His book is a fictionalized account of actual events.  His main character Zlatan has found himself in a situation where he is searching for freedom. The acceptance of what he hopes will give him that turns out not to be freedom. We see this young man go from a period in his life where he is a small time criminal who ends up in prison, to a young man who accepts what he thinks will be his ticket out. He leaves the prison only to find himself in a deeper hole. It makes you wonder how dark a person is willing to let their soul get. For Zlatan you can see the struggle within. He is power hungry yet you still see a side of him that wants to be rid of all the evil.  We can remove ourselves from bad situations and turn our lives around. Unfortunately the things we have done in our past, no matter how much we are able to cover them up still haunt our thoughts and memories.  This up and coming author has done a great job of touching a nerve in his readers. It makes us take a deeper look inside our own selves. With the exception of  a small amount of language I didn’t care for, I would definitely recommend this book.

Guest Post - Radine Nehring

I am pleased to have Radine Nehring write a guest post for me.  When I read it I immediately thought, "this is exactly the way to speak to my students who think I am crazy when I talk about hearing voices."  Please enjoy the post and check out her book.

A discussion of writers as "weirdos" because they hear voices in their heads has been going 'round Twitter recently.

As a famous heroine in fiction would say--"Fiddle de-de."  Nothing weird about voices in our heads. Truth be told, which of us does not hear interior voices?

Some of the time they are us speaking silently to ourselves. "Whew--look at those tattoos. What will they look like when she's 80?"  "Sheesh, another one who ran a red light on the end of yellow."  "I used to be slender, and look at me now. Still--the extra weight gave me worthwhile cleavage." "What am I gonna do about _____________?" (Fill in the blank.)  And, "I miss her so much, but at least I can still hear her voice. I pray that memory never fades."

Admit it. You, too, hear those "yours alone" voices--or at least your non-verbal voice and the voices of those close to you. That is NOT weird.

Yes, I am a writer and yes, I hear voices in my head. Some are me speaking to myself about my work as an author, and, at other times, about my life in general. These voices make no outward sound. In addition, when I'm working on a short story or novel, editing my work, or just reading something I wrote, I definitely hear my characters as they speak their lines. Thing is, would they come out as believable if their voices weren't heard somewhere? Do they sound like real people? Is her voice distinguishable from his? Call it playing God if you want, but fiction writers are in the business of creating quasi-real characters, whether earthlings, or a being from a galaxy far, far away. My friend, those beings HAVE to communicate--first, to their creator, and then to everyone who reads their story.

Is that what makes up a writer's voice--which is something we hear talked about frequently? Partly, yes, but the term is usually applied in a more generic way. A writer's voice is a composite of all that person is as a writer, plus the words they put in the mouths of their characters. I wonder--How often do people reading a series of books by one of their favorite authors have a feeling of closeness to that author simply because they are steeped in a special series of voices the writer has created? 

Brief bio and links for Radine Nehring

For more than twenty years, Radine Trees Nehring's magazine features, essays, newspaper articles, and radio broadcasts have shared colorful stories about the people, places, events, and natural world near her Arkansas home.

In 2002, Radine's first mystery novel, A VALLEY TO DIE FOR, was published and, in 2003 became a Macavity Award Nominee.  Since that time she has continued to earn writing awards as she enthralls her original fans and attracts new ones with her signature blend of down-home Arkansas sightseeing and cozy amateur sleuthing by active retirees Henry King and Carrie McCrite King.

Website URL:  www.RadinesBooks.com

Blog URL:  http://radine.wordpress.com

Facebook URL:  www.facebook.com/RadineTreesNehring

Twitter:   @RTNehring

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/radine-trees-nehring

Buy link for Portrait to Die For

http://www.amazon.com/Portrait-Die-Radine-Trees-Nehring/dp/1610092228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457470278&sr=8-1&keywords=Portrait+to+die+for+nehring