#BookReview Collection: A Daisy Hunter Story by Marianne Sciucco #MarianneSciucco #DaisyHunter

Collection: A Daisy Hunter Story by Marianne Sciucco may be a short story but it is one that stays with you long after you have finished reading it. In fact you will want to reread the story again just to make sure that you did not miss anything. Young Daisy Hunter accompanies her whole family in attempting to collect her father’s pay for painting an entire house. The simple task of collecting money turns out to be more difficult than anyone expected.

Marianne Sciucco paints a beautiful picture with her words in Collection. From the very first paragraph it was as if I was no longer reading the story, but actually sitting in the car with the Hunter family. This story reminded me of the ones my father would tell me about growing up poor. I identified with Daisy Hunter in being the girl that was always picked on or talked about in school because she was not dressed as good as the other kids. The mother, Meg Hunter, is a hero in my eyes. She is the glue of the Hunter family. I do not want to give away the story but I wonder if the mother told Sadie to do it.

I loved Collection. I was sad when I finished the story because I wanted more. I want to read more tales about Daisy and her family’s lives. What happened in this story happens far too often in the world. I recommend everyone to read this story and then just stop and actually think about it.
*I reviewed this book for Reader’s Favorite

I gave this story 5 stars and have posted my review on Goodreads and Reader’s Favorite. I will also upload it to The Reading Room.

#BookReview Finding Flipper Frank by Patrick M. Garry #FindingFlipperFrank #PatrickMGarry

I thought Finding Flipper Frank by Patrick M. Garry was a good story. When Walt Honerman’s uncle dies he gets guilted in to driving his uncle’s friends Izzy Dunleavy and Moira Kelly cross-country from Montana to Maryland. Upon arriving in Crawfish Bay, Izzy is arrested and Moira tries to discover if there is any truth in Izzy’s elaborate stories. Walt is busy trying to help a little boy’s dream come true.

Finding Flipper Frank is a calm story with complex characters. Garry did a great job on creating such unique characters. All the characters are hiding things in their past. Walt was a good nephew and obviously had a huge heart, but his past kept haunting him. I loved the flashbacks of his life which explained why he acted the way he did. Izzy was a loveable character and a great storyteller. I could not help but to read his lines in actor Jerry Stiller’s voice. Moira I was unsure of at first. I knew she had a secret but my guess was slightly off to what it was. The first half of the book focuses on the road trip and the characters getting to know each other. The story really picks up after this and becomes more of a mystery. The ending of Finding Flipper Frank was a huge surprise and caught me off guard.

This is not Patrick M. Garry first book, in fact he has several more out there. If they are anything like Finding Flipper Frank then I as well as everyone else should read them. I really enjoyed Finding Flipper Frank. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story about accepting others.
*I reviewed this book for Reader’s Favorite. I have posted my review on Goodreads, Reader’s Favorite and The Reading Room.

#BookReview Another Sunset by Jason Zandri #AnotherSunset #JasonZandri

If there was a way to give Another Sunset by Jason Zandri more than five stars then I would. This book was an inspirational and at the same time a very emotional read. When David Stephenson, a drifter, arrives in the small town of Westville, Texas he sets about to help the people there. David focuses on making a little girl’s dream come true. While he is there he touches the lives and hearts of Westville’s residents. The people of Westville are not sure where David came from but they know he is hiding something and are set to uncover his secret.

I have never read a book with so many inspirational quotes in it. Another Sunset is filled with them. One of my favorite quotes was “Life happens while you’re busy making other plans. You have to grab onto it when you can and ride it for all it’s worth.”  At first I thought David was an angel sent to the town to restore its faith in humanity. Reading on I knew David was running or hiding from something. Zandri does an awesome job of not revealing too much of what David is hiding until the very end. Caroline Romero is a little girl with a big dream. The dream she has was a dream very mature for her age and it made me wonder how many towns are forgotten about like Westville.  It is rare for me to like all the characters in a book, but I did with Another Sunset. In fact I got emotionally attached to them. I admit this book actually made me cry at some point in it. I cannot blame it on hormones, but I can blame it on Zandri for forcing me to love his characters that much.

Jason Zandri has written a prequel to Another Sunset named Before Another Sunset. If it is anything like Another Sunset then it is also a must read. I will be recommending Another Sunset to everyone I know.

*I reviewed this book for Reader’s Favorite and have published;ished my review on Reader’s Favorite and Goodreads

#BookReview Street Light by R. L. Herron #TheReicholdStreetTrilogy

Street Light by R. L. Herron is the third book in the Reichold Street Trilogy. It also happens to be the first book in the series that I have read. Street Light is sort of a follow up book of all the events that have occurred in the first two, yet it also contains its own events.

Having not read the first two books in the Reichold Street Trilogy, I was a little lost at first, but R. L. Herron was quick to fix that by revealing pieces of major events that occurred in the earlier books. The Reichold Street Trilogy follows the lives of a group of friends from their teenage years, through Vietnam, and a deadly stalker. In Street Light the Reichold Street gang thought that they finally escaped the person that was trying to ruin their lives. Little did they know that evil has many faces and they are not safe on their own territory.

I found Street Light hard to put down, especially after R. L. Herron revealed a little of what happened in the other books. I especially liked how R. L. Herron told each character’s perspective by making every chapter told by a different character. My favorite character was Donnie, just because he was loveable and seemed to have lost the most. The friendship that the group had was amazing. I found myself regretting that I have never a lifelong friendship like them.

L. Herron has made me want to read his previous books in the Reichold Street Trilogy, just so I can make sure I read the full story. If they are anything like Street Light then they are great. I recommend anyone to read Street Light but my advice is to start with the first book, Reichold Street.

*I reviewed this book for Reader’s Favorite and have posted my review on Goodreads, Reader’s Favorite and The Reading Room.

#BookReview Kill the Balloons: Williamsburg in the Singles by Anthony Joseph Morrone

Kill the Balloons: Williamsburg in the Singles by Anthony Joseph Morrone is about one day in the life of a group of friends in Brooklyn, New York. The book is written in a way almost as if you are a fly on the wall observing everything. The characters are brutally honest and feel like real people. The book may be long but it is an easy read.

Kill the Balloons follows the lives of a group of friends who have one goal in common. That goal is to have fun and enjoy life. The story follows them as they all get ready to attend an art party. Each character is unique and has their own way of doing things. My favorite character was Pretty because she seemed the most level-headed to me. The main thing I enjoyed about Kill the Balloons is Morrone’s detailed descriptions of places and events that occurred in the book. His words painted me a very clear picture of what was happening in his story. I also enjoyed the photographs of locations and scenery that are at the beginning of each chapter. This gave the book an artsy feel to it which flows with the story nicely.

I admit Kill the Balloons is not for everyone. It does contain a lot of swearing, so if you do not mind that, then give it a try. I did find the story interesting, however I do wish that there was a little more description about the characters. I had trouble picturing what they looked like. If you enjoy the movies like Saturday Night Fever, then I recommend you read this book.

*I reviewed this book for Reader’s Favorite

I gave this book 4 stars and have posted my review on Reader’s Favorite and Goodreads.

#BookReview To Do the Deal: A Novel in Stories by Cathy Baker

Cathy Baker’s book To Do the Deal: A Novel in Stories is an easy read. Like the title states it is a novel made up of short stories. Each chapter is a different year in the life of Kenneth Bodine. The years range from 1991 to 2000 and usually focus on his employment or lack thereof.

I enjoyed reading To Do the Deal and found it funny at times, especially with how Kenneth lost his jobs. My favorite story had to be the first one, where he met his future wife Jodi. The nickname he gave his girlfriend at the time was hilarious. While reading the rest of the chapters I came to the conclusion that I am glad that I am not married to Kenneth because of his lack of trying to move up and find a better job. His wife Jodi is a saint for putting up with him and allowing him to do this. While Kenneth did get on my nerves, I also completely understood him for not knowing what he wanted to do in his life career wise. I liked that Baker made Kenneth like that because it makes him for real as a character. I also really liked the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter.

I would recommend To Do the Deal to anyone who enjoys reading about everyday life. I had trouble remembering this was a work of fiction while reading it. This book seemed too similar to real life. Baker has done a great job.

I gave this book 4 stars and have posted my review on Goodreads, Reader’s Favorite and Amazon.

*I reviewed this book for Reader’s Favorite.

#BookReview Ephraim’s Curious Device by Lita Burke

Ephraim’s Curious Device by Lita Burke is the second book in her Clockpunk Wizard series. It also happens to be the first book of hers that I have read. I enjoyed this book a great deal. The story follows the characters Sir Bright (a half-elf/half-human) and his business partner Wizard Kadmeion. In order to save a friend they are forced to go on a quest to retrieve the fabled Ephraim’s Curious Device.

Burke’s book Ephraim’s Curious Device is as if the books Harry Potter and the Wizard of Oz had a love child. All the characters in this book are very likeable. I absolutely loved Sir Bright, and so do all the magical creatures apparently. I liked that Bright and Kadmeion work so well together. It is obvious they have great chemistry. It is nice to read an adventure book where there in not constant fighting and drama. The thing I liked most about this book is all the different magical creatures that the adventurers encountered. There were harpies, dragons, fairies and a lot more. This is what truly made the book so magical. I now have a new fascination with harpies because of this book.

I really enjoyed Ephraim’s Curious Device and look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series. Burke was able to create a fantasy world that came to life and I wish I could visit. Few authors are able to do this. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about magical worlds.

I gave this book 5 stars and have put my review on Goodreads, Amazon and Reader’s Favorite.

*I reviewed this book for Reader’s Favorite

#BookReview he Chronicles of My Paranormal Romance by Adam G. Tarsitano

The Chronicles of My Paranormal Romance by Adam G. Tarsitano is not your ordinary romance novel. Instead or a way to mushy, Twilight-like love story, Tarsitano writes a unique one. The story is told from the author’s point of view and shows how he struggles to write the ultimate vampire romance novel.

The Chronicles of My Paranormal Romance is the second book I have read by Adam G. Tarsitano. The first one being Broken Birdie Chirpin, which was about a rock star. So far The Chronicles of My Paranormal Romance is my favorite work of his. I really liked that it was not the typical romance novel. I do love vampire romances but too often they are the same story told in slightly different ways. Tarsitano puts a completely new spin on the romance with it being in the background and the focus of the story being the author’s life. Tarsitano not only wrote a romance but also showed what authors go through to actually create a novel in this book.  I have yet seen any other author with a story similar to this.

I really enjoyed The Chronicles of My Paranormal Romance and liked seeing how an author thinks and what he goes through to actually write a novel. This book has added to my respect for all authors. It has also made me curious about Adam G. Tarsitano and wonder how similar is he to his character Zevon Drainer. I do look forward to reading more of Tarsitano’s work.

I gave this book 5 stars because it is so unique. I have posted my review on Goodreads, Amazon and theThe Reading Room.

#BookReview A Fearful Lie” by Jean Fournier Johnson

I thought “A Fearful Lie” by Jean Fournier Johnson was going to be a predictable book with an ending that is all too common. Instead this book was hard to put down and nothing like I thought it would be. When Gloria accidently kills a little boy while driving, she tells no one. Instead she sets out to help the family of the little boy. The book follows how Gloria lives her life with the secret of her crime hovering over her. That lie changed her life and everyone around her.

I liked that Johnson wrote such a unique perspective on a crime. Usually when you hear about such a crime on the news, you automatically think negative thoughts. No one stops and thinks about what the criminal is actually thinking or going through in their life. “A Fearful Lie” makes me wonder how often this type of crime happens. At first I hated Gloria. I did not understand how she could have kept the secret. Reading on I grew to understand her and even like her. She made me want to better my life when I saw her changing hers.

“A Fearful Lie” is a powerful book that makes you think. If you accidentally committed a crime, how would you react? How would you live your life? Johnson has a gift for writing. Not many authors can tell such a powerful story that makes the readers think and root for the bad guy. I recommend this book to anyone that loves a good book.

I gave this book 5 stars because it was just WOW! My review is posted on Goodreads and Reader’s Favorite.

* I reviewed this book for Reader’s Favorite