Citrine's Monsters by Angela J. Ford

Genre: Fantasy

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

This prequel short story set the series up in away that made me want to dive right into it. Citrine is a unique character. When you see how she was betrayed by the one she loved and used by others you can't help but feel sorry for her and root her on.This is the beginning of a world filled with fantastic characters and what I believe will be a great adventure.

 

When the Silence Fell by Christopher Francis

 

Genre:  Young Adult, Dystopian

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

Christopher Francis has quickly become one of my favorite dystopian writers.  Mara is a survivor. She lives in a world coated with ash and silence.  She is on a journey to find her brother Gabe and her sister Cami. They left one day to find supplies and never returned. Now all she wants to do is survive and find them. Sometimes  life doesn't go as planned. When Mara finds a young boy named Silas, things change.  Silas has a device that leads him from one relay point to another. She is not sure how or why only he can receive the signal, but she is sticking with him to protect him and to hopefully locate her brother and sister.  Along the way she and Silas are saved by Jared, a young man they had encountered before. They also rescue a young girl who seems to be reacting to the signals the way a lot of adults do before they become hollow.

I kept reading to know more about the sickness and the signals and each of the characters we meet along the way. I kept reading to find out how a world could go so wrong, how adults who seem so ready to help and protect can be just the opposite. Although the ending was tied up neatly, it left us waiting for the next book in this series. 

How To Improve Leadership Development In Business: A Simple Blueprint to Build Strong Teams, Master Emotional Intelligence, Inspire Confidence, and Achieve Leadership Excellence Dr. Francis Dumbuya

 

Genre: Adult, Inspirational Leadership

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

This book is set up to teach you how to become a successful leader.  To do this you need to become well disciplined. Part of this is connecting emotionally with your team. This makes things so smooth. He talked about active listening and giving and receiving feedback. A lot of the things he talks about in the first half of the book are things we do with our students at school. We teach them to be active listeners. We teach them to be risk takers. 

The author describes different types of leadership shedding light on the pros and cons of each type. He gives examples throughout the book using real people and real situations. This is a very motivational book no matter what your leadership role is.