fiction

The Spinner of Dreams

January 7, 2025 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

This book, The Spinner of Dreams, was so interesting… I’m actually tempted to re-read it since I read it during vacation in September. When I read it I thought “I have to review this on my blog because it was so interesting.” But since it’s been a while not all the details are sharp you know?

Imagine struggling with a diagnosis and then writing a character who reflects it. Finding a way to bring that struggle to life in a way that others understand. Even though I know that different people struggle with the same condition in a variety of ways, seeing how one person handles it can help with understanding others.

The Story’s Synopsis

The Spinner of Dreams brings us Annelise and her uniqueness in life. She lives a life of aloneness since she was cursed by the Fate Spinner at birth. She has a black mark on her hand and a monster living within and a whole town around her blaming her for everything wrong in their lives. Her parents love and protect her, bringing light into her dark existence. The monster within is getting worse. What can she do?

Annelise does what she must! She will rid herself of this curse, she’ll find the Fate Spinner by entering the Labyrinth of Fate and Dreams. She needs to make it out alive. By doing so she’ll meet the merciful Spinner of Dreams and make her life better.

Title: The Spinner of Dreams
Author: K.A. Reynolds
Illustrator: Flora Delargy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 416
Intended Audience: 8-12 years
Genre: action & adventure, fantasy, fairytale, mental health
Available formats: hardcover, Kindle

So what did I think?

Honestly, it took me a while to get into this story as I found it rather horrifying the way Annelise was blamed for everything. People treated her and her family so badly. And then the cat showed up.

The cat was …. a bit odd, and somewhat unexpected.

And my curiosity got spiked. What’s with this odd cat? What does he have to do with the story?

And so I followed along with the cat, and got hooked on the rest of the story. You’ll note that every chapter has it’s own bit of artwork attached.

I saw kindness, trickery, pain, sadness, impossible odds, and more.

It was at times rather odd, but once I read about how the author tried to include her uniqueness’s with the story it all rather fell into place. Perhaps read the author’s note before reading the story? NAH, that might wreck it for you! 🙂

It took me off-guard with how much I enjoyed this rather quirky book. So in-between fantasy and fairytale while maintaining the good vs bad story.

Not everything is easy or perfect in The Spinner of Dreams. There’s lots of description, bad things happen in the maze, unique things happen that will make you wonder what is going on, and you’ll finish the story and want it to go on. 🙂

Medici Heist

December 18, 2024 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product Medici Heist through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Take a trip into the past with Medici Heist. Back into Italy in the days of the Medici brothers and political upheaval, where revenge, friendship, and family are all put to the test. Secrets abound, and difficult situation raise ugly heads, and through it all, a bit of history is revealed. Medici Heist keeps you on your toes wondering who will win out in the end.

General Info for Medici Heist

Title: Medici Heist
Author: Caitlin Schneiderhan
Publisher: Square Fish
Pages: 432
Intended Audience: grade 9-12, 13-18 years
Genre: Renaissance Historical Fiction, Young Adult, LGBTQ, Historical Romance
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio, Paperback
Received: ARC Paperback
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

Author and the Story

Ms. Schneiderhan loves Terry Pratchet books and grew up on them as a 13 year old. They remain as part of her adult library (I don’t blame her at all). She’s also an writer for the TV show Stranger Things.

In Medici Heist she brings us into the world of Florence in 1517. The Medici brothers rule Florence getting richer while the poor get poorer (with the church taking part in the wealth distribution). Into this world of opulence and intrigue drops in Rosa Cellini, a con woman with a mission. She wants to steal the money back! She assembles a rather motley crew of skilled misfits including a tinkerer, a fighter, and a master of disguise. Artist Michelangelo even plays a role. But the Medici’s have their own crew, and this crew has it’s own problems. What will happen? You’ll have to read to find out! 🙂

Taking a Closer Look

Mystery presented to us within the historic world of the Medici brothers in Florence, Italy. We know the Medici brothers are wealthy, and wanting to become more wealthy and getting more money through the church would be helpful to them. Helping the church sell indulgences may be part of their biggest pay out yet!

But we have a small problem. There’s a lot of political unrest, more guards are needed to keep the people under control, and unbeknownst to the Medici brothers there’s a lady out for a payout of her own with… just a touch of revenge mixed in. She’s assembled a crew and as the story progresses we get to hear them all.

Clear up warning… some of the stories are hard to listen to. Brutality and hardship abound in the lives of the crew. Pain is managed and not always talked about, until it is.

Character Development Pivotal

Relationships within the crew are flexible and not always as clear cut as one might wish. Same gender relationships are part of the mix. I was admittedly surprised by one of them.

Good character development and lots of history is included. One can well imagine being in the heart of Florence in 1517.

I do have to admit I didn’t quite get all of the Michelangelo stuff. He was an important figure but I had too many unanswered questions about him. Part of that is of Michelangelo’s historic relevance right? You expect bigger things and more details about him and his work. It’s kinda hard to explain, but of all the characters, I found his development the weakness.

Ms. Schneiderhan’s writing style is easy to read, with a compelling desire to find out how the story ends. Will Sarra’s prediction that her tinkering skills will be needed with the wagon? Khalid’s past… will it catch up to him in a solidly bad way for him? Does the life Giacomo lived through prevent his future from becoming a reality? Will Rosa get her revenge or will that desire jeopardize everything? These questions will fuel the desire to finish the story. You need to know the answers eh? 🙂

I received an ARC copy to review, so I don’t know if the greyscale artwork will remain as such in the final review copy. There are three distinct parts of this tale with the artwork remaining consistent for each part.

Should you read it?

Other than the one surprising to me same gender relationship that kinda spoiled the ending for me, I enjoyed this read. I loved the history, the mystery, and the interplay between not only the main characters, but the little add-on ones as well.

As a former homeschooler I would want my highschooler to see just how accurate the author was in depicting Italy and the Medici brothers in 1517. I don’t know my history well enough to tell you how accurate it all is. 🙂 But the sights and sounds feel historically accurate.

I enjoyed the story of Medici Heist, the stories of the crew drew me in, then the events they were going through swirled around me. Their life stories brought the struggles and dangers they were to life in a tangible way. Well-written and interesting.

With a Little Luck

April 10, 2024 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product With A Little Luck through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and it is so much appreciated. 🙂

Music, friendship, Dungeons and Dragons, the joys of school, and magic dice. Smack dab in the middle of it is Jude. Twin to Pru, friend of Ari, dungeon master, and artiste. A coming-of-age story that is heart-warming, funny, and interesting. With a Little Luck is a magically musical story filled with a good mix of competence and uncertainty…. teens in a nutshell!

The Basics for With a Little Luck

Title: With a Little Luck
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Square Fish
Pages: 368
Intended Audience: 12-18 Years
Genre: children’s books, teen contemporary, young adult contemporary, teen literature & fiction
Available formats: Kindle, Hardcover, Audio, Paperback
Received: ARC paperback
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books

About the Author

Marissa Meyer has wanted to be an author since she knew such a job existed. She’s written under various pen-names, and engaged in various types of writing. Hitting the New York Times best seller lists she lives with her hubby and adopted daughters near Tacoma, Washington.

About the book

Jude is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw comics, host D&D night with his friends, work at his parents’ vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible. That is, until the night he finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.

Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. …… But how long can Jude’s good fortune last?

Learning More

I have to admit, I laughed a lot reading With a Little Luck. Jude is such a likable character who just something got in over his head. His sisters were excellent, his folks were real, and Ari is a sweet girl with a good talent. The characters fit the story so well and the interplay with them all showed family in action with good friends mixed in. Laughter and fun are a part of this coming-of-age story.

Jude is an artist! His illustrations help tell the story! In the ARC version that I received the illustrations were all done in black and white. It fits Jude’s style to have them as simple pencil drawings.

Chapter headings show off the lucky dice. Lucky number 20 is an important part in playing dungeons and dragons. Knowing Jude is to be part of the stories he creates for his friends. How will Jude handle the luck that has dropped into his life. Or if the luck leaves, what will that mean for him? Can Jude truly discover who he loves and what he really wants to do?

READ THE STORY and find out. Laugh a bit. You’ll be glad you did. We all need a bit of young romance in our lives and the love of family to see you through.

The Watchman

March 20, 2024 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

This is my first Robert Crais book ever! I think I will have to read more of his Joe Pike books! Just think, there are 20 in the series so that should keep me busy for a while eh? This particular book is entitled The Watchman. It involves Joe looking after a young adult witness so she survives efforts to kill her.

The Basic Details for The Watchman

Title: The Watchman
Author: Robert Crais
Series: Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, book 11
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 292
Intended Audience: adult
Genre: mystery, thriller, suspense, action, adventure
Available formats: Audio, Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
Read: Hardcover

What Did I Think?

I enjoyed it! I did. Was it perfect? No. Were some scenarios predictable? For sure, but that’s not a bad thing eh? I knew the bad guys would want to kill the witness, and I also knew that Joe would save her. You know these things are going to happen right?

That doesn’t stop the read from being a good one. Action, mystery, throw in some suspense. A man with determination, a witness with a need to mature in some areas. Seeing hidden strength emerge and knowing the bad guys… even the ones hidden behind a screen will the found out in the end. That makes for a good read in my eyes.

You’ll find it to be a fast moving story with various elements that work well together. It’s funny in parts, especially with the science guy needing to step up a bit.

I also happen to like Reacher books, so if you like him, you’ll like this Pike book “The Watchman“.

Crown of Feathers Series

February 15, 2024 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

So for the past month I’ve been listening my way through the Crown of Feathers Series by Nicki Pau Preto. This series includes Crown of Feathers, Heart of Flames, and Wings of Shadow. Young adult fantasy literature that grabs your attention and focus you to listen for details. I’ve replayed whole sections where I know I missed something because I got distracted by my work! It’s got to be a good read if I hit the replay button eh? 🙂 If you aren’t part of Audible, get your own account! First month is free…

Anyways, I’ve so enjoyed this series with the Ashfire women, Sev, Tristan, and Sparrow. Honestly though, sometimes I just wanted to shake Sev so he would develop some confidence in who he was. And times when I just want Val to have a convenient accidental death. These characters inspired a whole variety of emotion and an eagerness to see how they resolved their problems.

The Details

Title: Crown of Feathers, Heart of Flames, Wings of Shadow
Author: Nicki Pau Preto
Series: Crown of Feathers
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages:
Intended Audience: young adult
Genre: fantasy, phoenix birds, action & adventure, siblings,
Available formats: Audio, Hardcover
Read: Audio

About the author

Did you know that Nicki Pau Preto is a Canadian? I was so surprised to learn this. Though she isn’t fond of hockey, geese, or snow….so can she really call herself Canadian? A graphic designer turned full-time writer she’s working on a middle school read called The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents.

Instead of going through the storyline of each of these books, I’ll invite you to go to Nicki’s website to learn about each one. Just click on the image!

So What Did I Think?

Each book has it’s own storyline and conclusion which I think is fantastic. I hate when books just kinda stop and then you have to decide if you like it enough to read the rest of the story. And yet, when each book ends… you want to know what happens in the next one! That’s a good thing eh?

Crown of Feathers introduced us to the word of phoenix fire birds, their riders, and Val, Veronyka, and the rest of the main characters. Veronyka finds a place to belong. A home that she can build from. Hard things happen and we start to see the strong divide between Val and Veronyka.

This book is a great start to the series, giving a good grounding into the heart of each of the characters.

Heart of Flames builds up some budding romances between Veronyka and Tristan, Sev and Kade, and more. These relationships help them grow into better adults, while in many ways they are still very young in learning to adult. I really wasn’t keen on the same gender relationship budding with Sev, but honestly, it kinda fit his personality/character. We get to see the deepening of Val’s darkness, and struggle of Veronyka to be the person she needs to be.

Now I haven’t actually finished Wings of Shadow yet, but Val’s abilities in Shadow Magic have grown in well…kinda scary ways, and Sev starts to kinda figure out his worth a bit. And Veronyka is becoming a bit of a force of her own…. I’m so looking forward to seeing where the story goes.

So if you like fantasy…. and big flying birds with riders out to do good in the world… then the Crown of Feathers Series will be up your alley. Get invested in a world aiming for turmoil…. and see if peace results. That’s what I am looking forward to finding out! Join me! 🙂

Warrior Girl Unearthed

June 28, 2023 By Annette1 Leave a Comment

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product for Warrior Girl Unearthed through Raincoast Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated. 🙂

Indigenous women go missing every year. Many of them are never heard from and their disappearances are not solved. Many factors come into play for this lack of resolution in their cases. Warrior Girl Unearthed tells the story of one young lady and her indomitable spirit. Interning over the summer and discovering the need of her people to hold to their past while battling and living in the present. I found myself power reading as I wanted to see what resolution could be gained, at least momentarily, in the now, through the actions of Perry and her friends.

warrior girl unearthed, Angeline Boulley

The Details for Warrior Girl Unearthed

Title: Warrior Girl Unearthed
Author: Angeline Boulley
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Series: Firekeeper’s Daugther (pt 2)
Pages: 400
Intended Audience: Ages 14-18
Genre: thriller, young adult, teen, women’s issues, indigenous women, mystery, teenage interns
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
Available formats: Audio, hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
Received: Hardcover with fly

About the book and author

Angeline Boulley is part of the Chippewa Indians of Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Ms. Boulley write about her Ojibwe community. Her first book Firekeeper’s Daughter was a New York Times bestseller. Currently she lives in SW Michigan as a full-time author. She has served in Indian education at the tribal, state, and national levels.

The book:

Set in the same community as Firekeeper’s Daughter, and featuring many of the same characters, Warrior Girl Unearthed is the story of an Ojibwe teen who, while working as a summer intern, discovers a plot to profit off robbed Indigenous graves.

A group of friends works with her to solve a mystery and to bring back the remains of her ancestors. In the process they need to deal with generational grudges, bureaucratic subterfuge, stories of missing women, family secrets, and painful realities about the legacy of colonialism.

Digging Deeper

You will find this a compelling story. Perry Firekeeper-Birch is a strong minded young lady who doesn’t easily fit a mould. She finds herself (due to some poor decision-making) compelled to work for the summer, her aunt helping her find a position as an intern.

From this point forward, Perry’s eyes are opened to bureaucratic nonsense for delaying the return of Native ancestorial remains to the people they belong to. She sees more deeply the lack of desire to deal with “yet another native woman” going missing. Instead of this beating her down, she discovers a burning desire to do something about it and to help fix the problems plaguing her people.

In this read, you’ll see her learning, developing new skills, and broadening her understanding, as we in turn, broaden our own understanding of the issues at hand.

This is not a book filled with illustrations, but rather with clearly written text and simple ornamentation for chapter headings. Divided into nine weeks, each week starts with a quote. 37 chapters and an epilogue round out the 400 pages.

You will find native american words used throughout. Most of the time the meaning of these words was found within context, but not always. The “not always part” let me feeling a bit frustrated, but overall didn’t affect the quality of the material written.

Scene breaks were acknowledged by little flowers, words read or messages given written in a different or darker font. Dreams were written in italics.

My thoughts?

I love it when stories well a deeper story. Granted I LOVE reading so a well-told story that is written strictly for entertainment value is appreciated too! But sometimes you need a story to be more than entertaining right? And this story is well-told, drawing us into the life of a young Native American girl who is starting to grow up. She’s not an easy-going, highly compliant child, but a young lady with a warrior’s heart, who wants to fight for what’s important.

In Warrior Girl Unearthed, Perry learns how some of that fighting needs to be done within the strictures of today’s society. Realizing how she needs to learn some new skills, and discovering potential within herself hitherto unknown.

Do note there is some bad language used in conversation. Nothing horrible. Difficult topics of missing women, and sexual assault are addressed. These are scattered throughout the story, but do not make up the WHOLE of the story. If studying Native Americans in history, this book will bring to life some of the ramifications are of what happened in the past.

Overall, a well recommended read.

All The Lost Places

March 18, 2023 By Annette1 2 Comments

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product All The Lost Places through Nuts about Books. Affiliate Links will be used, thank you for your support of my blog, costs you nothing to do so, and is so much appreciated.

Amanda Dykes presents to us a story of history interwoven in the present, and yet even the present has the depth of pastness woven in. Be drawn into the story of Daniel, Sebastian, and Massimo. Can there be a connection separating 100 years of history?

Learning the Details of All the Lost Places

Author: Amanda Dykes
Title: All the Lost Places
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 400
Intended Audience: young adult, adult
Formats Available: Kindle, Audiobook, Hardcover, Paperback
Reviewed For: Nuts About Books
Received: paperback copy
Genre: Christian Fiction, 20th Century Historical Romance, Historical Christian Romance, Christian Historical fiction.

About the Author

Amanda Dykes has written several books over the past few years. She writes from a faith-based perspective, and loves to drink tea. Her goal is inspire hope in her readers.

About the book

1807
A baby discovered in floating basket is raised by a guild of artisans in Venice. Raised in each of their trades, the boy Sebastien wonders about his origins, wanting to answer the question Who Am I? A stranded woman starts him on the path of answering that question. Getting the answer might affect not only his future, but also that of his beloved floating city of Venice.

1904
Daniel Goodman is a man haunted by his path, and looking for redemption. He’s given a fresh start in life as the century turns. His assignment takes him from California to Venice. His job: procure and translate a copy of a rare book, the book of Waters. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel soon finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries within the stones and canals of the ancient city and deep in the mystery of Sebastien.

Digging Deeper

I love the chapter heading images. That bridge? It fit so well into the entire story, symbolizing the bridge between history, love, and the hope hidden in the shadows.

Each chapter clearly lets us know if we are talking about the life of Daniel, Sebastien or the Book of Waters.

Two different fonts are used throughout the story to distinguish between the book of the past, and the working through of history and present company. I appreciated the distinction as it added an important element to the story.

My Thoughts?

It took me a long time to work my way through this story, far longer than I thought it would. The biggest reason was the story just didn’t really grab my attention. It’s poetic and introspective in nature and jumps back and forth in history. Not quite my style of read.

Is there a message of hope? Yes. Does good triumph? Yes.

Does the modern day story have a good ending? Certainly.

I want to say… go get it, but I was just left feeling meh, and I have a hard time recommending it. Now, if you are familiar with Amanda Dykes and her writing style and love it… well go get All The Lost Places! Enjoy it.

Learn some history, and be inspired to hope in something bigger than yourself. It’s a good thing that!