The plot of "The Lure of Shapinsay" by Krista Holle falls heavily on the myth of the selkies. A selkie is a marine creature that looks like a seal but can shed its skin and become human-like. A human male that finds the skin of...

This is an interesting tale that is well done and entertaining. It will enhance any family library. The writing is easy to read, clean and engaging. This is the first book in a series and the end shows this clearly. I enjoy this style of...

"One Year in Wonderland" by Christopher Combe is the story of his family’s year as expats in Dubai from 2006 to 2007. The author seizes the chance to work abroad in the construction industry when it comes his way so that he can experience another...

What an adorable book! Poor little Henrietta Hexagon thinks she doesn’t fit in with the other shapes of the world. Adopted by the Triangle family and living on Groveland Circle, Henrietta feels different. Her mom tried to convince her that she was special and that...

Beverly Stowe McClure has written a treasure for young adults that will enhance their knowledge of the Civil War and transport them back in time. "Caves, Cannons and Crinolines" is written from the perspective of fourteen year-old Lizzie who is growing up during a scary...

Jane Baskin is a highly talented author. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from this novel, but I got some good laughs and really had the wild ride-of-my-life with this interesting story. Ms. Baskin has done a wonderful job at creating a complex...

Poet Payal Roy explains in the preface that poetry has been a major focus in her life since junior high when she was required to create a poem as a class assignment. Inspired by the emotion of writing as well as nature photography, she includes...

Grigory Rasputin was a spiritual advisor to Russia’s last Tsar and Tsarina, and has been vilified because history is written by those in power instead of the common man. And even though I know nothing about this subject, I do see the truths of what...

It is summertime and life is good in the Gibson household, or so they all thought. But it all came tumbling down when sixteen year-old Myra Gibson found a paper about an adoption. Her adoption. Is this some kind of a joke or something? Surely...

Puggie cannot escape the bullies at school, especially Sammie and her groupies. Puggie's sister Gigi does her best to protect her brother from those students who ridicule Puggie's weight and his super "nerd" status, but her efforts are not always effective. There is no escape,...

Did you ever wonder what if you had married the other guy? What if I could fix my past mistakes? Well, Marlo Leavitt gets that chance in the “Sand Bar” by Rebecca Bryan. The book begins with Marlo driving home from San Francisco to her...

"As corny as that may sound, it is as true today as it was to our parents during their time and their parents during theirs. Who we are when we arrive at the “other side” of growing up depends not only on our parents and...

Unison by Eleni Papanou is a well-written science fiction book. It is told by Damon, the leading character of the story, in great detail. The time is after the Great Cataclysm and the city is Unity. Home is a very large dome offering protection from...

A Horse Named Viking is the tale of the life of one horse, whose future seemed doomed from the beginning. His mother was an intractable mare whose temperament was vicious and unmanageable. It was so vile that she was put down after she killed a...

It is over one hundred and fifty years into the future and the world is in total disarray with infrastructure collapses and diseases everywhere. Abalus, his mother and father live in the small town of Dealton and are visited by the Cardinal of Surrendom. They...

When Kat opened her dance studio she went to the bank for a loan. On that particular day she talked to Mason Everett. He granted her the loan but business had not been doing all that well and Kat was afraid that she was going...

Brianna thought she would be with her high school sweetheart Colin forever. She certainly wasn’t expecting him to break up with her to focus on football and college parties. Four years later her life is finally getting back on track, her heart has mostly mended...

"Sins of the Father" tells the story of two people who are from different worlds. There is Bowen, a child who has had misfortune of the worst kind and there is Aaron who has lived a saintly life but is miserable over his own questionable...

Just how bad can one kid’s life get? When 13-year-old Erik Burks discovers a black lace bra in the glove compartment of his dad’s car his life falls apart. Totally! His mom leaves his father and drags Erik from being king of the hill in...

"Crimson & Cream", book one of "The Oxbow Kingdom Trilogy" is a rollicking ride through a land where magic is outlawed. C.M. Skiera's novel tells the story of Jetsam, a young orphan whose life is as bleak as they come. With their parents murdered, Jetsam...