My Life is Good by Mark Tiffany

 

Genre:  Children's Chapter Book

Source:  I purchased a copy

Carter and Jack are two dogs living the good life. Even though they are brothers, their personalities are completely different.  Jack has smelled a coyote in the area. He knows the danger for all smaller animals.  Many have gone missing.  Carter, on the other hand, doesn’t want to concern himself with such things. He thinks they should be focusing on how humans need to take better care of them.  In his opinion, humans were put on earth to wait on them hand and foot. It isn't until he is attacked by a coyote that he learns what is really important in life.  

This is the perfect book for this time of year when we reflect on what we are thankful for. This is a time when we really practice gratitude.  What a wonderful chapter book for the young reader.  I definitely recommend this book to adults and children alike.

Blood Gone Cold by Katy Grant

Genre:  Young Adult, Thriller, Novel in Verse

Source: I own a copy.

This is a quick read. The novel is told in verse. The story starts out with two sisters snowboarding with their parents, Abby is the nerdy one and Natalie is the popular sister.  They used to be so close. They are constantly arguing with each other. After returning to the cabin and arguing about what to do for dinner the parents solve the issue. The two girls can figure out what they are going to eat and the parents are going to go out for dinner.  Abby hides her sisters phone while she is in the shower. Then she goes out and sits in the hot tub.  She sees car lights in the drive and assumes it is her parents returning. To her surprise and horror it is not her parents but two men in a pickup.  She hides in the hot tub and hears them break into the house.  Now she is worried about her sister.  When they bring her sister downstairs she has to come up with a plan to save her sister and escape from these men.

This kept me on the edge of my seat. Abby comes up with the plan and Natalie is grateful.  This is a book that accurately displays the relationship between sisters and how it changes over time yet often finds its way back again.

 

Kristjan's Rise by Kandi J. Wyatt

Genre: Young Adult, Adult, Fantasy

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

Kristjan is the son of the chief. One day he will be the new chief of the clan. Only one thing can stop this from happening, the voices in his head that keep telling him how useless he is. For every positive voice he hears there is a negative voice.  Kristjan and his best friends Marko and Bastian his cousin are almost inseparable. They live in a city carved out of the stone. The gems they mine have been found less and less. They need these gems to bring the traders in. Marko and Kristjan are more like brothers. They have been this way since they were tiny.  Kristjan's mother died giving birth to him. His father the chief raised him. For some reason Kristjan doesn't believe he can live up to one day being the chief. The darkness in his mind escalates when he volunteers himself, Marko and Bastian to go out hunting for food. A freak accident claims the life of his best friend and sets him down the path of darkness.  He blames himself for Marko's death. He feels he needs to be punished, and the punishment should be death.

I believe there are so many people who could relate to this book.  I was once like Kristjan.  I had dark thoughts.  The thing is that as a Christian you just keep crying out to God to help you find the peace.  The journey Kristjan is on is hard to read. We will either see ourselves in him or we will see someone we know or knew. For me this book was very  soothing.  It resembled a time in my life I can look back on and know that God brought me through.  There is so much more to this book than just the darkness. This is as much a book of hope.  I highly recommend this book and can't wait for the next one to come out.  This book is supposed to be published sometime in September so keep your eye out for it.