Rosamund Lupton's Afterwards

When the school starts on fire, Grace’s reaction is to run straight into the building to save her children that are caught inside.  Her eight-year old son makes it out unscathed however Grace and her daughter, Jenny, are seriously injured.  When Grace finds out the fire was arson she is determined to track down the criminal who put her children in danger.  New information leads Grace to believe the fire was started to eliminate her daughter and when Jenny’s breathing tube is disconnected, it’s clear the person still wants Jenny dead.  But the police investigation comes to a halt when an anonymous witness claims the fire was started by Grace’s son.  As Grace does her best to unravel the truth and exonerate her son, she learns far more about the people she loves than she ever thought she knew.  A truly amazing book about family, especially mothers and the overwhelming love they have for their children.    

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

In Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Taylor paints such a mysterious, complex and imaginative world it’s difficult to describe in short.  Some descriptions may seem typical of a young adult novel but it’s a story you haven’t come across yet.  

Tattooed and blue-haired Karou doesn’t understand her life.  She is filled with questions she can’t get answers to and is always feeling unsettled.  Karou was raised by creatures that would scare most people but is all she knows as family.  Her foster father, Brimstone, is a ram/dragon cross and wishmonger of the Chimaera world.  Without explanation he often sends Karou on errands through magical portals around the world to collect human and animal teeth from traders.  While off on these errands Karou notices mysterious smoldering handprints seared into the portal doors.  This only creates more questions for Karou, but when she tries to find out for herself what all her life’s mysteries mean she angers Brimstone so much that he banishes her from entering the Chimaera world again.  Losing what little family Karou had has been devastating especially when she runs into an angel that has his heart set on destroying the Chimaera world.

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

During their annual family summer vacation Vanessa’s sister, Justine, washes up on the shore dead.  Justine had been cliff jumping earlier that day but Vanessa just can’t believe her death was an accident or a suicide like many believe.   Now a family friend, Caleb, has gone missing and two male bodies have washed ashore grinning from ear to ear.  Vanessa, with the help of Caleb’s brother, a cute, geeky love interest for a change, set out to search for answers.  What they find is definitely unique in the paranormal genre. This is another trilogy where I just cannot wait for the final book, coming out in July! 

World Book Night

Happy World Book Night!  I was given the opportunity to participate in World Book Night and am so thankful to the publishers and authors that came together for such a great event and allowed us to give away books for free.  The book I selected to give away was The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.  It's a compelling memoir about Walls’ tumultuous upbringing and dysfunctional parents.    

I was a little nervous to go around approaching strangers but it got easier once I realized people love free stuff.  Although, a few people were hesitant to accept a free book and one even asked me if I was sure it was free.  What really made my day was actually the first book I gave away.  A man was sitting on some steps eating a slice of pizza.  He was really friendly and accepted the book easily and then I was on my book giving way.  Thirty minutes later when I passed him he was already reading and didn’t even notice I was walking by.  When I passed him again about an hour after I first talked to him he was still reading.  It was a great feeling. The second best part of World Book Night was my mini Book Giver, McFly.  I'll definitely be signing up again next year.  Thanks World Book Night!