Spring Retreat for Seasoned Readers

  

Sara Nisha Adams

ISBN: 9780063025288

Publisher's Synopsis:

Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life in the London Borough of Ealing after losing his beloved wife. He shops every Wednesday, goes to Temple, and worries about his granddaughter, Priya, who hides in her room reading while he spends his evenings watching nature documentaries.

Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home.

When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list… hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too. Slowly, the shared books create a connection between two lonely souls, as fiction helps them escape their grief and everyday troubles and find joy again.

"Everyone needs to ask for help sometimes..."

MrsK's Review: Reality Fiction

Meet Mukesh, a gentle man who is in a season without his beloved Naina. Not really alone since his daughters have lives that are full. Yet, there is a cloak of loneliness that covers him in aloneness. Until the day he chooses to step forward. Those steps lead him to the small library in his community. Naina's books kept her company, he never took the time to "enter" into her world of books... maybe it's time?

Meet Aleisha, she has taken a summer job at the Harrow Road library.  Her brother, Aiden, always claimed that this library was peaceful, the people were "endlessly fascinating," and that he could find a "sense of quiet companionship" within its endless shelves of journeys. Currently, her "Mum shift" was all she did outside of the library job. Aiden and she shared the care of their mother, well truth be told Aiden did the most for her Mum, he always had.

Meet Priya, who is carrying on her grandmother's legacy. Naina had encouraged her desire for good books. Now, her grandfather is opening his life to her as he discovers his relationship with her. Is there an avenue for them to grow together?

Meet Nilakshi, Naina's friend. It's been so long since she had seen Mukesh. Out of concern, she has decided that it was time for her to move beyond her grief and reach out to Mukesh. Companionship is valued when grief has moved on. 

Meet Indira, Izzy, Chris, and Zac those whose life will become interwoven by the book list and the "Big Library Get-Together." Their journey repairs the foundation for the Harrow Road Library. When a community center, an area's hub, seems to be "outdated" how can those who value its existence keep its doors open for tomorrow's readers?

Once in a while a book is in hand, a book that proclaims, "Here is a journey... crying open me... experience the journey within these pages." To be read by those who know the power of sharing... "in case you need it!"

MrsK

With a "quiet" gentleness of uniqueness, 

this book list weaves its characters' lives through their own reviews of these titles.

 As a book reviewer, I applaud Karen Hawkins for the crafting of this endearing journey.

" A Bookish Wonderland"

Meet the Author:

Sara is a writer and editor. She lives in London and was born in Hertfordshire to Indian and English parents. Her debut novel The Reading List is partly inspired by her grandfather, who lived in Wembley and immediately found a connection with his granddaughter through books.

Karen Hawkins

ISBN: 9781982195960

Publisher's Synopsis:

When an antique tin of love letters is found hidden in her family home, noted historian Tay Dove rushes home to Dove Pond to investigate. Tay is still reeling from a romantic betrayal, so she’s relieved to refocus her energies on her latest a biography of her great-great-grandmother Sarafina, a star reporter who began her career in Dove Pond in the late 19th century before abruptly leaving town.

Tay believes the letters could be the key in solving what happened, but they only add to her questions—especially when they reveal a forbidden love affair with William Day, a wild youth who took part in a notorious train robbery. Some answers might be found in eighty-year-old Rose Day’s bookshop, which doubles as a town archive, but Rose is curiously resistant to give Tay access. Just when Tay thinks she’s reached a dead end, she finds an unlikely ally in Rose’s grandson, Luke, a fellow puzzle lover. Together, they set out to uncover what really happened all those years ago…and find the truth behind a love story that could be more precious than gold.

"I'm without you, and it's as if my soul has lost its way...

I think of you and all the darkness disappears,

because you are my brightness, my light..."

MrsK's Review: Mystery

Tay is dedicated to her writing, her research, and to her love for literature. She has a PhD in history and works at a University in Boston. Yet, an unexpected circumstance derails her current assignment. When Tay learns that her sisters discovered an antique tin of love letters belonging to her great-great grandmother Sarafina Dove, she feels "called" to return to Dove Pond. With such a delightful and intriguing discovery, the allure to the possibilities of a new research project might just be the distraction she needs to refocus and begin a better path. Who wouldn't want to know more about a famous ancestor? Will Tay be able to use the Dove family "gifted" talents to discover who and why someone was writing love letters to her "married" great-great grandmother?

Rose's Bookshop is a generational bookshop in Dove Pond. Every reader knows the "calling" of an established book shop. The smell of the "welcoming" pages that greets you when the bell over the door announces that arrival of a new discovery. Rose is the perfect guardian of the town's archives. At 82, Rose is perceptive, willing to let her readers wander the shelves, can match a reader with a book that is desperately needed, and is always "turning pages of her ever-present book" at the checkout counter.

Will Tay uncover the "hidden" truth of her ancestor William Day?

Luke is Rose's grandson. Currently he has returned to Dove Pond to help Rose raise Lulu, his sister's little, yet inquisitive daughter. Luke had received a full scholarship to Georgia Tech and graduated early. Everything seemed to come easily to Luke. For the present, his leaving his career to look after his niece was an unexpected characteristic. What will he do with this new journey home?

Sarafina showed talent in New York City, she had left Dove Pond for the big city and her dream as a writer for the New York World newspaper. All that anyone could remember about her move, was that at 19, in 1897, a young lady heading to New York to become a writer was quite an extraordinary decision. After a series of reports, as an "undercover" reporter, she gained high notoriety for being likened to Nellie Bly.

William, everyone in Dove Pond in 1890, knew how William and two other men had robbed a train ending in a gun fight. All three of the men went to prison. Why would a train robber write notes to a female reporter, especially one who was married to a wealthy man?

Such a delightfully crafted story. Within these pages, a story unfolds. One in which the main character will "hone" her craft, as well as her ability to discover relationships that will fulfill her heart's desire Another that recognized that living involves taking a risk when truth sends you on a pathway that must be derailed. Courageously crafted... a reader's delight with book quotes that must be remembered,

MrsK. 

Rose's was special... "the thousands of books that waited for new homes,

all carefully selected by the meticulous curator."

Meet the Author:

 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Hawkins writes novels that have been praised as touching, witty, charming, and heartwarming. A native Southerner who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where storytelling is a way of life, Karen recently moved to frosty New England with her beloved husband and multiple foster dogs. The Dove Pond books are a nod to the thousands of books that opened doors to more adventures, places, and discoveries than she ever imagined possible.

Percival Everett

ISBN: 9780385550369

Publisher's Synopsis:

When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.

Brimming with nuanced humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim's agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first-century American literature.

"Waiting is a big part of a slave's life...

Waiting for demands. Waiting for food. Waiting for the ends of days.

Waiting for the just and deserved Christian reward at the end of it all."

MrsK's Review: Excellent Rendition of Huck Finn and Jim

James, a man who meets life with courage, sincerity, and determined hope. Secrets are a given part of life. For many, they learn situational translations. Some learn to read and write. Some learn to "read" others... and then there are those who secretly must do what they must do.

This journey creates a woven backstory to Twain's classic tale of Huck and Jim. What I discovered was heart-warming. Revisiting characters that had planted seeds of explorations, daily adventures, and a common understanding of "goodness" in each other. When childhood matures into adulthood, there remains a hardship against the wrongs we meet in our world. 

When Jim must leave Sadie and Lizzie, it's not a runaway that is selfish, it's a grander love that signifies a determined hope. When Jim meets Huck on the island, it's a courageous friendship that helps them survive the escape. When Jim meets with evil... that's when what matters most must be action that will bring a renewed safety. Commonality can only become grace... when we seek to do what's right, life becomes a value statement of decency. 

In life, there are some who enter into our seasons, they experience our moments that we aren't sure we can get through... that someone speaks volumes into your story... blessing or not.... they are etched within your heart. Gratitude is an aged seasoning that becomes a fondness that is lifeless...

MrsK

"I kin keep me a secret, Huck. I kin keep yo secret, too."

Meet the Author:

 There might not be a more fertile mind in American fiction today than Everett’s. In 22 years, he has written 19 books, including a farcical Western, a savage satire of the publishing industry, a children’s story spoofing counting books, retellings of the Greek myths of Medea and Dionysus, and a philosophical tract narrated by a four-year-old.

James Patterson and Dolly Parton

ISBN: 9780759554344

Publisher's Synopsis:

From America’s most beloved superstar and its greatest storyteller—a thriller about a young singer/songwriter on the rise and on the run and determined to do whatever it takes to survive.

Every song tells a story.

She’s a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her.

She’s also on the run. Find a future, lose a past.

Nashville is where she’s come to claim her destiny. It’s also where the darkness she’s fled might find her. And destroy her. Run, Rose, Run is a novel glittering with danger and desire—a story that only America’s #1 most beloved entertainer and its #1 bestselling author could have created.

"Is it easy... No, it ain't.

Can I fix it... No, I cain't."

MrsK's Review: Reality Fiction

Meet AnnieLee a spirited and talented songwriter. She is fleeing someone, someone who will hunt her, someone who haunts her, someone who is a dangerous reminder of a life she had to leave. As long as she can remember, she's been making melodies. Her story begins when the "dazzling" red brake lights offer her a ride to her Nashville destination.

Meet Ruthanna, one of country music's "grandest queens." She's determined to remain retired, yet her writing songs and gathering her small group of musicians into her home for her "recording" of songs is baffling since... she would never release them to the public. Would she even agree to receive another honor award at this year's Country Music Awards?

Meet Ethan, a guitarist who is grateful to be hired by Ruthanna for her "recording" sessions. Often times, Ethan, plays at Ruthanna's bar. When he hears this young girl with a borrowed guitar, he knows that Ruthanna must hear her "celestial" voice. What he isn't prepared for is the job he is given. A matter of life or death.

When AnnieLee steps into the perfect dive bar... she is determined that this will be her Nashville debut. "Will you be the one to give me my first big break?" Boldly, she has entered the Cat's Paw Saloon. Would anyone recognize that she sang for joy? This was the moment that she would "woman up and take like a man." Her life depended on it!

AnnieLee's story is a true country melody. From rags to promised riches. From a fear that causes a leap beyond faith. From a bold acceptance to an acclaimed future. However, you, the reader, interprets this story... I'm sure you will discover a melody that is endearing... 

MrsK

"But I sure ain't gonna take it lyin' down."

Meet the Authors:

 Dolly Rebecca Parton is a Grammy Award-winning country music singer/songwriter, author, actress and philanthropist. To date, she remains one of the most successful country artists, with 25 number-one singles (a record for a female performer) and 42 top 10 country albums (more than anyone else).

 James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. Patterson has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton and collaborated most recently with Michael Crichton on the blockbuster Eruption. He has told the story of his own life in James Patterson by James Patterson and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Ascent by Roland Smith

Roland Smith

ISBN: 9780544867598

Publisher's Synopsis:

A few months after returning from Afghanistan, Peak Marcello is in Myanmar visiting Alessia. Myanmar has been in the grips of a brutal military regime for more than fifty years, but recently the government has allowed more tourists to enter. While there, Peak is invited to climb Hkakabo Razi, one of the most isolated mountains in the world, to discover the exact elevation of the mountain. But getting to the mountain will involve a four-week trek through tropical rain forests rife with hazards—from venomous reptiles and leeches to corrupt police and military. In the end, summiting Hkakabo Razi may be the easiest thing Peak does.

"A Bedraggled group of mud-splattered soldiers came

marching into camp..."

MrsK's Review:
Peak has found himself in the tropical rainforest of Myanmar. Not exactly his favorite place given the extreme heat, dampness, bugs, and of course venomous reptiles. Even though he is on this trek with Alessia and her body guard Ethan, the alluring target is their planned climb of Hkakabo Razi. One would think that his past life and death climbs would cause Peak a few moments of indecision, but for Peak the planning of a dangerous climb is completely alluring. After all, hanging by a "rope" is just a normal experience for any serious mountaineer.

Can you say "extreme chaos!" Peak's adventures are never a calm experience. There are always risks, some are life threatening (mutated strain of malaria, militia, environmental degradation, dangerous wild animal attacks, avalanches, and death). Of course there are minor challenges (extreme weather, treacherous footing, harsh conditions, and the expected "stabs, slices, pokes, bites, and stings"). And yet, for Peak to turn down a climb is like a reader refusing to open a book. He just has to answer the call of the next mountain.

If you are an "on the edge" reading junkie, there is no greater thrill than continuing a saga with characters that have "stretched" your every day universe beyond endurance. When Peak was first introduced, I considered him "edgy" and completely ready for any "over the edge" experience. With continued climbing experiences, he has matured into a mountaineer who is now a respected leader.

With every carefully crafted "cliff-hanging" moment, this author never disappoints. Even though this is the third Peak novel, any reader can get started with this climb and go back to the first two novels. Roland Smith always gives just enough prior details to entice a new reader to experience the beginnings for each series he pens.
Be brave and enjoy another "Peak" experience,
MrsK 

"We can top the mountain, 
then drop down onto the roof of the world."

Click here for information: Hkakabo Razi

"Now you must go out

and do good things."

 A trekking experience that leaves you... 
"anchored" and "clipped" 
by your locking carabiner!

        
Click here to read MrsK's reviews
for the first two books in this series! 

Roland Smith has always been my "go to" author for every "on the edge" reading junkie. No title will disappoint, no character will leave you unchanged. No situation will be insurmountable. And... every plot will leave you wanting more.

Meet the Author:

Roland Smith is an American author of young adult fiction as well as nonfiction books for children.Smith was born in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from Portland State University and, following a part-time job at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, began a 20-year career as a zookeeper, both at the Oregon Zoo and the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington. After working to save wildlife following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, in 1990, he published his first book, Sea Otter Rescue, a non-fiction account of the process of animal rescue. Smith continued to draw upon his zoo experiences for other non-fiction titles, including Journey of the Red Wolf, which won an Oregon Book Award in 1996.

In 1997, Smith published his first novel, Thundercave. The book continues Smith's theme, as teenage protagonist Jacob Lansa follows his biologist father to Africa where the father is researching elephants. The Lansa character also appears in 1999's Jaguar and 2001's The Last Lobo. Other novels by Smith include The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe, Zach's Lie, Jack's Run, Cryptid Hunters, Sasquatch (novel), about a boy who searches for Bigfoot. Peak, the story of a teenage boy obsessed with climbing mountains, Elephant Run and Tentacles (novel). In 2008, Smith published the first book in the series IQ, titled Independence Hall. Smith's books have won "Book of the Year" awards in Colorado, Nevada, South Carolina, and Florida, as well as in his native Oregon. Smith lives in Tualatin, Oregon with his wife and stepchildren.

Click here to discover what is within the covers of the above titles.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

By Rick Yancey

ISBN: 9780142425831

Publisher's Synopsis:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

"I don't cry for myself.

I cry for the Cassie that's gone."

MrsK's Review:

An intrusion in 1995 leads to a plan that will change every one's life. Cassie never had a chance to live out the "normal" teen years. The 4th wave happened. For now, she is trying to survive in the woods and the nights are getting colder. To build a campfire is too risky. The drones are everywhere.

The top steps of the bus were almost too high for little Sammy's legs. Cassie can't believe that her father allowed them to be separated. Once Sammy gave her his bear, he made her a promise that she would meet him at Camp Haven. A promise that will mean death for many.

"Do you know how to tell who the enemy is, Cassie?"

Evan Walker doesn't like what he has become. As a finisher, he is the one to track down and exterminate those who are hiding. It all started once the 4th wave crept into his little sister's body. Tracking this girl who "slept with a teddy bear in one hand and a rifle in the other," wasn't easy. Why couldn't he finisher her?

At the camp, Private Zombie is given charge over the littlest recruit. For now, his charge will need a lot of comfort, extreme training, and the transformation that begins in getting rid of those memories and hopes of his sister's arrival. Following orders means you live. That is until the removal of the tracker brings reality crashing in around you and experience the 5th wave.

With characters that you root for and some you want to see fail, you will be in a mode of survival. Angst will become your adrenalin rush as you as turn these pages. Do you think you have the grit to make it to the end?

MrsK 

"The eye will take care of her."

 
Amazing read
Added to GMT library shelves!  

   

                 The Infinite Sea #2                    The Last Star #3                    

Meet the Author:

   Rick is a native Floridian and a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago. He earned a B.A. in English which he put to use as a field officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Inspired and encouraged by his wife, he decided his degree might also be useful in writing books and in 2004 he began writing full-time.

Since then he has launched two critically acclaimed series: The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, for young readers, and The Highly Effective Detective, for adults. Both books are set in Knoxville, Tennessee, where Rick lived for ten years before returning to Florida.

Above by Roland Smith

Roland Smith

ISBN: 9780545564892

Available September 27th!

Publisher's Synopsis:

Pat O'Toole and his brother, Coop, are on the run from an enemy that specializes in hiding in plain sight. Along with their new companion, Kate, they've narrowly escaped a cultlike community situated beneath the streets of New York City. Kate has lived underground since birth, and the world above thrills her, but it's treacherous as well. With the cult's leader — Kate’s grandfather — on their trail, will they spend the rest of their days as fugitives? Who can they trust but each other?

The adventure that started Beneath concludes Above in this action-packed middle-grade thriller by Roland Smith!

MrsK's Review:

It isn't just Pat, Coop, and Kate that have survived the beneath explosion. Survivors of the radical Weather Underground Organization are above and they are on a mission to locate Kate while they continue their efforts to destroy the government.

Anxiously waiting the arrival of Kate and Coop, Pat is apprehensive about being spotted at Union Station in Portland, Oregon. Given the need to blend in above, the three decided to travel incognito to the west coast. With only a small backpack, an emergency iPhone, a laptop, and his notebook Pat is once again on the run. Worried about how Kate is surviving above ground, anxious to reconnect with his brother Coop and completely paranoid about the news that the originals have survived Pat isn't in a state of calmness. Who would be? Being on the run and alone isn't like a walk in the park!

"We don't know what they have, where they are, or what they're planning.

All we know is that they are planning something..."

People of the Deep (POD) are exceptional shadows, expert trackers, scavengers, and following a leader that always has a plan. In no way does it help that Kate just happens to be the grand-daughter of Dane, the leader and designer of all things concerning the POD. Dane is not someone you cross. You do not create any disturbance. You do not question his plans. And blood doesn't give you any special outs. It is a safe assumption that if Dane survived the explosion, he will find Kate, Coop, and Pat.

"Compromised..."

As a hand reaches out to grab Pat's iPhone, this word will begin a trek to the Oregon coast and won't end until the everyone, yes everyone is in... 

Ok, you know I won't be a spoiler... All I will say is this book is so fast paced you will feel adrenaline long after you've turned the last page!

I will leave you with some of my thoughts:

• Would you trust anyone if you knew you were being hunted?
• Once abducted, will Kate be safe? After all, she is a resourceful shadow.
• Can Coop continue getting them what ever they will need to find Kate?
• Is Dane's brother just as twisted as Kate's grandfather? 
• Who are the players in this deadly game of cat and mouse?

Excitement for the continuing adventure above ground kept me up late, completely charged, and filled with apprehension!
MrsK

A must read!

Add it to every home, classroom, and library shelf!

Click here for MrsK's review

Check out Roland's other books.

Meet the Author:

 I've wanted to be a writer virtually my entire life. When I was five, my parents got me an old manual typewriter for Christmas and it was my favorite possession. I spent hours in my room clacking away. Even before I knew how to read, I always loved books. I used to go down to my parents' library, pull books off the shelf and sniff them. I just loved the smell of books for some reason, and this hasn't diminished.

Writing is like any skill in life — the more you practice, the luckier you get. If you want to become a writer, you need to write every day, even if it's in a journal or diary, and you need to read everything you can get your hands on all the time. I know hundreds of authors and all of them are fanatic readers. You learn to write by reading other people's words.

The Tears of Dark Water by Corban Addison

Corban Addison

ISBN: 9780718042202

Publisher's Synopsis:

Daniel and Vanessa Parker are an American success story. He is a Washington, DC, power broker, and she is a physician with a thriving practice. But behind the gilded façade, their marriage is a shambles, and their teenage son, Quentin, is self-destructing. In desperation, Daniel dusts off a long-delayed dream—a sailing trip around the world. Little does he know, the voyage he hopes will save them may destroy them instead.
Half a world away on the lawless coast of Somalia, Ismail Adan Ibrahim is living a life of crime in violation of everything he was raised to believe—except for the love and loyalty driving him to hijack ships for ransom and plot the rescue of his sister, Yasmin, from the man who murdered their father. There is nothing he will not do to save her, even if it means taking innocent lives.
Paul Derrick is the FBI’s top hostage negotiator. His twin sister, Megan, is a celebrated defense attorney. They have reached the summit of their careers by savvy, grit, and a secret determination to escape the memory of the day their family died. When Paul is dispatched to handle a hostage crisis at sea, he has no idea how far it will take him and Megan into the past—or the chance it will give them to redeem the future.
Across continents and oceans, through storms and civil wars, the paths of these individuals converge in a single, explosive moment. It is a moment that will test them and break them, but it will also leave behind an unexpected glimmer of hope—that out of the ashes of tragedy and misfortune, the seeds of justice and reconciliation can grow.

MrsK's Review:

Not the typical read, yet very compelling... intriguing... and intense. Daniel and his son, Quentin, are sailing around the world. This voyage was an attempt at reconciling Daniel's relationship with Quentin... as well as a journey of restoration period for his marriage. Vanessa's "words were like a prophecy playing in an endless loop." A haunting in which Daniel is determined to rectify once they reached their rendezvous in South Africa. Ordinary morning sights of of "winking stars" and sailboats should have kindled adventurous energy, yet a fluttering of memories about Vanessa overshadowed Daniel's vision:

"Vanessa in the old Greek...

means 'butterfly.' 

It's like you're somewhere else --

in the air, dancing with the sun."

Vanessa was a double major in biology and music. Daniel was a law student. On that day when Daniel stood in Carnegie Hall "clutching the handbill," he witnessed the beauty of her violin. As the years passed their marriage began crumbling. All those years ago, Vanessa's words about her music "fading like everything else" brought an agonizing grief to Daniel's heart and spirit. His hope was in the voyage's destination. Would she meet them in South America?

Paul Derrick (a negotiator) and his twin sister Megan are special agents. Both are haunted by the death of their brother. Both chose career paths that would allow them to turn a "crisis" situation for others into a journey with support instead of agonizing suffering. On a holiday in Cape Town, South Africa they will receive a call to duty.

In the Indian Ocean, Ishmail is watching the cargo ship on the western horizon:

"Ismail looked across the tropical sea draped with the shadows of twilight

and clutched his AK-47." 

Trusted for his fearlessness, valued for his command of English, and known as a man of action... Ishmail is readied for this piracy mission. With complete surprise, the mission failed and now Ismail must find a way to get his crew to safety. They needed to take a ship!

"The clouds trundled in, effacing the sun...

The drops were huge...

pelting the sailboat...

like rubber bullets."

The Renaissance was heading southeast with the swells. Daniel has to keep Quentin safe. The GPS shows they are an hour off course. The satellite e-mail bulletin is warning about a pirate attack:

"If you proceed through the High Risk Area, 

please take precautions to avoid attack..."

On November 9, 2011... Vanessa's iPhone vibrated... The sailboat has been hijacked by pirates!  For everyone, the following days will be filled with anxious waiting, unbearable choices, reliance on others, and "uncharted" decisions.

Embedded within the piracy, is the foreshadowing about Somalia's history. The life endured by so many. The atrocities enforced. Although the choices are horrific, the humanistic perspective is illuminated with empathetic facets. Ishmail's faith and character is defined by quotes from the Quran. The bonds of family is portrayed on both sides of the injustice. With in the climatic trial, vindication and redemption is honestly portrayed. This was not a book in which the last page is read and you move on to another journey. While the topics of terrorism, hostage situations, piracy, and justice are plastered all over our social media, one rarely is provided a glimpse into the story behind the horrifying choices. This story needed time for me to comprehend its truth. I did not embrace compassionate ideology. Instead, I found empathy with justice and hope in a quieted forgiveness. Not unlike so many whom have extended forgiveness in every day atrocities...       

Voyaging with this book means that you will be experiencing more than any headlines could offer. 

Be prepared to be "swept" away... tossed about... anguished... and ready to see this journey through to completion!

MrsK 

"My mother always told me that strength is a choice.

Be strong."

 

Amazingly paced... depth defying characters...

all encompassing story line...

decisive conclusion! 

Meet the Author:

  Corban Addison is the author of three international bestselling novels, A Walk Across the Sun, The Garden of Burning Sand, and The Tears of Dark Water, which address some of today’s most pressing human rights issues. An attorney, activist, and world traveler, he is a supporter of numerous humanitarian causes, including the abolition of modern slavery, gender-based violence, and HIV/AIDS. He lives with his wife and children in Virginia.

"I received this book for free from the Fiction Guild for this review."

The Edge by Roland Smith

Roland Smith

ISBN: 9780544341227

Publisher's Synopsis:

The International Peace Ascent is the brainchild of billionaire Sebastian Plank: Recruit a global team of young climbers and film an inspiring, world-uniting documentary. The adventure begins when fifteen-year-old Peak Marcello and his mountaineer mother are helicoptered to a remote base camp in the Hindu Kush Mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. When the camp is attacked and his mother taken, Peak has no choice but to track down the perpetrators to try to save her. Fans of the bestselling Peak will be thrilled with this gripping, high-stakes sequel.

MrsK's Review:

The farthest thing from Peak's mind was another "on the edge" climb. He was comfortable with his life. His seven-year-old sisters were a big enough thrill. Even though his journey to the summit of Mt. Everest was only a few months ago, Peak was content with spending time with his family, at home or hanging out in his mom's bookstore. The "itch" to climb would come around soon enough.  For now Peak liked taking the twins to the zoo, museums, plays, concerts, and the movies.

Unprepared for his mom's text from the Summit Bookshop, Peak had no clue that in a few hours he would be on his way to Afghanistan. When Peak arrives at the book store, he is surprised by the Everest film crew, who were not there just to discuss the completion of the documentary nor its airing on ESPN. They were there with a personal request for Peak to join the Peace Climb. The whole "shebang" would be paid for by Sebastian Plank, a very rich high-tech businessman. The Peace Climb had over two hundred, under eighteen, climbers from around the world applying for the climb. Not a climbing scenario that Peak wanted to be a part of, that is until the crew informs him that he will be the only US representative. Plus the crew would not be hired to film the climb... and there was the incentive of the "top of the line" gear. If you know anything about climbers, you know that the newest gear is an obsession (for me it's great books, for cooks it's all about the cooking gadgets). What exactly causes Peak to change his mind? Is it his mom's declaration that she is going? Is it a challenge that is too tempting? Was it for his friends? Would Peak have said yes if he knew that the political unrest and risks would not be minimal?

Either way, Peak is on the plane heading for Hindu Kush. Ok, so Peak wasn't really informed about where he would be climbing. Nor was he told the truth about how many would be climbing with him. Evidently Mr. Plank only informs you what he wants you to know, as you need to know it.

"The Hindu Kush. Killer of Hindus.

Or so I have read. From two thousand feet, it looks dangerous,

stark, beautiful. Desert colors.

Browns, tans, rust, with spots of green where water runs..."

At base camp, Peak meets the "man in charge," Phillip Stockwell and his personal assistant, Cindy. Two Afghans carrying assault rifles, Ebadullah and Elham. One of the climbers Josette Charbonneau, a French Ambassador's daughter. Then there is Rafe Rounder, an Aussie who tells a few tales. Aki, from Japan and Choma from the Ukraine. The only good news for Peak was that Zopa (the cagey monk/sherpa from his Everest climb) was assigned to this climb. Peak soon learns that when Zopa was contacted by Plank, Sun-jo's name was on the list. Sun-jo was a sherpa and friend to Peak during the Everest climb. Why did Zopa cross his name off the list? What was the real reason for Zopa being here... with him... and his mom... on this mysterious climb? Zopa and his feelings are "often a reality," so what is it about this climb that Zopa sensed?

Nothing about climbing can be casual or expected. Nothing about climbing is easy. Everything about climbing...is survival. What Peak has learned from Zopa is to pay attention... pay attention to patterns... pay attention to things that are not suppose to be! What begins as a video stunt becomes a survival reality. Not everyone will live to tell about it. For Peak that means that his visions of the shen, "ghost" snow leopard, could prove to be his means of survival.

"I'm climbing alone.

The rocks slip and crumble under my boots.

In several places I have to use my hands to catch myself from skidding backward on the scree.

After one of these skids, I pause to catch the view....

I see something move a couple hundred feet above me along the cliff face.

A flash of dusky white..."

From the master of  "cliff-hangers," this climb will be even worst than Peak imagined. So "anchor" and "clip" your locking carabiner and get ready to ascend over the edge...

MrsK       

 Climbing the Kush Mountains

 "Over the top"

A must add to any Library, classroom shelf, and home collection!

If you want to read about Peak's first climb... Check it out...

 Read about Peak's first Adventure

 Mountain Climbing Terms

Other book reviews for Roland Smith

Meet the Author:

   Roland Smith has always been my "go to" author for every "on the edge" reading junkie. No title will disappoint, no character will leave you unchanged. No situation will be insurmountable. And... every plot will leave you wanting more.

I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. When I was five years old my parents gave me an old manual typewriter that weighed more than I did! It was my favorite possession. I spent hours in my room clacking away on that old typewriter. Of course, when I was five I didn’t know how to spell and I barely knew how to read, but I loved the sound and the look of the letters on the crisp white paper. Things haven’t changed much since then. I still spend several hours a day in my room clacking away and I still love the sound of the keyboard and the look of the letters and words that eventually turn into stories. The only difference is that I can read now and I spell a lot better.

Keep up-to-date with Roland's Blog

 "I received this book for free for this review."

Beneath by Roland Smith

By Roland Smith

ISBN: 9780545564861

Coming to you January 27, 2015

Publisher's Synopsis:

Pat O'Toole has always idolized his older brother, Coop. He's even helped Coop with some of his crazier plans -- such as risking his life to help his big brother dig a tunnel underneath their neighborhood in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Coop is . . . different. He doesn't talk on the phone, doesn't use email, and doesn't have friends. He's never really cared for anything but the thrill of being underground and Pat. So it's no surprise to anyone -- even Pat -- that after a huge fight with their parents, Coop runs away. Exactly one year later, Pat receives a package containing a digital voice recorder and a cryptic message from his brother. He follows the clues to New York City, and soon discovers that Coop has joined the Community, a self-sufficient society living beneath the streets. Now it's up to Pat to find his brother -- and bring him home.

MrsK's Review:

What really is beneath? This cover draws you in and down... down below the streets of New York City. Seriously, who wouldn't creep over to the light and peer down... down... down!

Before I share with you about Pat, let me share of few "things" about his brother Coop. For some reason, Coop really likes a pair of tap shoes. Now I get this, once those taps start resonating on differing surfaces you can't help but to keep your feet in action. Coop also likes reading, maybe not the same type of books I would choose... but a reader is an explorer. Someone who is willing to look "deeper" beyond the words or whatever society is trying to enforce. Coop is also a writer who has lost the opportunity to communicate in a journal. So, the next best option would be keeping an auditory journal (definitely a real-time... over the edge... survival and in the moment tech-nique). Coop likes digging, dirt, and tuna sandwiches. Nothing unusual... except, well he's going "beneath."

Now for Pat (such an amazingly brave character), his story begins after the explosion... after Coop has run away... and once a package arrives at his school. Coop has "hooked" him into keeping a journal as a way of documenting the truth:

"This is what I'm doing here in this journal...stringing together bits and pieces of information to make a story,

 each bead in the necklace made from different material. Memory beads. Recorded beads. Newspaper beads. Letter beads..."

Once Coop began digging behind their shed, Pat was recruited as a co-conspirator. This was not just a "hole" for discovery, it was well planned... eight months of tunneling "slithering beneath the neighborhood like a giant earthworm." Unfortunately, the tunnel ended up at the Mesa's swimming pool and the "whumpf" of the explosion brought "every local, state, and federal law enforcement agent" to their back yard shed. 

 Three days later, Pat awakens to the reality that his brother had been taken by the Feds. Even when Coop was returned, things were not the same. And then came the day that Coop was gone. No note... no tap shoes... no tent... no sleeping bag... backpack...or  flashlights... all gone... completely gone. Only some stationery and envelopes were left behind. 

Gone where? Where and why would Coop leave? It takes a year of  worry, anger, and change... but on the day the package is delivered at Pat's school , he begins a recorded communication with Coop. Consider it like letters or a voice-journal of every day happenings. Until Coop gets to New York: 

" When I finally got here I knew I was in the right place. What I'm looking for is here. 

I don't know how to explain it, but I can feel it...it's close."

When there is no recordings, no letters... Pat decides to tell both of his parents that something has happened to Coop. The only thing they are concerned about is where Pat will spend Christmas break. Now that they have divorced and have new interests, neither are thrilled that the other one has plans. So Pat decides his own destination... New York City... in search of Coop. He has ten nights to find him.

So what is Coop looking for? Who is this old guy who knows everything about NYC? Who is the girl and why is she wearing shades at night? What does Coop mean that he has earned his "entrance fee?" Who is the guide? Who is that strange man opening Coop's mail box?

With so many unknowns, a plot that takes you "underground," claustrophobic tunnels, and "deeply-rooted" communities... Pat must find a way to help Coop before it's too late. It takes courage to even be in the tunnels, can you imagine being underground with no plan, no map, nothing that gives you a moment of peace or sleep? Could you trust strangers with your next breath? Would you be so driven to find your sibling that only true grit would bring you a few miles closer to the truth?

 "I put the earphones in and fast-forwarded to Coop's references to what lies below..."

Pat's journey is not an adventure, it's a harrowing experience that only leads to more questions, suffocating decisions, constant agony pulsing through your veins... and certain death. This novel will keep you turning the pages and only stopping to gulp in a breath, grab a bite to eat, and return with a ferocity to reach Coop for yourself (yep, that type of reader enmeshment is delightfully delivered). Every character has their own story, each decision is pre-determined to take Pat deeper underground, and every life-threatening chase is smothered by miles of dirt overhead. Or at least it appears that no one is noticing where Pat is...

My only question to the author of a "stand alone" novel would be: Are these characters seriously not beckoning to you to finish their journey?

This is a must reserve read... don't wait... get Roland's newest book for your New Year kick off.  It is beyond expectations. It is a winter's journey not to be forgotten. It will... well, it will make you re-live Pat's moments "beneath" civilization (a true read-it-forward novel).
MrsK

 "Over the top"

A must add to any Library, classroom shelf, and home collection!

 Meet the Author:

---

  I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. When I was five years old my parents gave me an old manual typewriter that weighed more than I did! It was my favorite possession. I spent hours in my room clacking away on that old typewriter. Of course, when I was five I didn’t know how to spell and I barely knew how to read, but I loved the sound and the look of the letters on the crisp white paper. Things haven’t changed much since then. I still spend several hours a day in my room clacking away and I still love the sound of the keyboard and the look of the letters and words that eventually turn into stories. The only difference is that I can read now and I spell a lot better.

Keep up-to-date with Roland's Blog

"I received this book for this honest review"

Mutation by Roland Smith

It's Here....Are You Ready?

 

Roland Smith

ISBN:  978-0545081801

 Publisher's Synopsis:

Monsters of legend come to life! The final thrilling title in Roland Smith's popular series

Marty and his best friend, Luther, have managed to rescue Marty's cousin Grace from the clutches of the nefarious pseudo-naturalist Noah Blackwood, but their most dangerous mission lies ahead of them. Marty's parents have been missing in Brazil for months and their trail has all but run cold. With time running out, Marty and the Cryptos Island crew race off for Brazil -- where they discover that Noah Blackwood has twisted the natural order of things beyond their wildest, most terrifying dreams.

MrsK's Review:

Have you ever been excited about the newest book in a series? Have you known that as soon as you got the book in your hands all other aspects of life would be put on hold until the final punctuation ended your journey? Well that is exactly what so many of Roland Smith's fans are anticipating...

So what is all the "buzz" about Mutation? Well it might have something to do with a Gizmo and a dragonspy, but that would only be about the type of "tech" gadgets that is causing a fuss with in the jungles of Brazil. It could be the sounds of the characters on the zip lines up in the canopy, but then again there probably wouldn't be much noise down below... even if one of the characters gets a bit "carried" away and slams into a tree. Then again, it could be the high-tech motor of the "Rivlan," but with its ability to move up the Amazon with out any detection... it probably isn't that either.

It just might be that every character arrives at Dr. Lanza's Jaguar Preserve, including the hatch-lings (there is nothing better than having your favorite character back in action with the Cryptid crew). Maybe the buzz is connected to the fact that Marty and Grace are safe (for the moment) and you are anxiously waiting for Noah Blackwood to reach the end of his tyranny. There could even be a need for closure... the truth about what happened to Marty's parents.

Or it might just... be... that you are so involved in this series... that your adrenaline is pumping and you are ready to "survive" this final destination regardless of who is detained, captured, killed, or left forever missing. After all, there are those amazing "cryptid" creatures that every reader hopes will one day be seen "alive." Maybe it's just because you are a reader who is addicted to "on the edge" adventures, with characters in "survival" modes, and page-turning hooks. What ever the reason for opening this book, be ready for an all night journey. Once read, you will be the one sharing the "buzz" about this book.

Oh, and teachers be forewarned that your students will not be able to sustain their focus until they have turned the last page of this book. If you want your students to be "engaged" readers, then be ready to lengthen their "free choice" reading time. Or better yet, why not  introduce the series... pass out the first three books... take a seat yourself and begin reading Mutation. The "buzz" will be in all of their discussions, predictions, and desire to be the first one ready to read your copy of Mutation.

Way to "put your pen" to the paper Roland, you never leave your readers wanting less... but always wanting more!
MrsK

 Read MrsK's Cryptid Series Review

 It all began with:

        

And for me, it all began with:

 

Amazing read
Added all these titles to my shelf

  Today the adventure continues..... Are you ready?

  I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. When I was five years old my parents gave me an old manual typewriter that weighed more than I did! It was my favorite possession. I spent hours in my room clacking away on that old typewriter. Of course, when I was five I didn’t know how to spell and I barely knew how to read, but I loved the sound and the look of the letters on the crisp white paper.

Things haven’t changed much since then. I still spend several hours a day in my room clacking away and I still love the sound of the keyboard and the look of the letters and words that eventually turn into stories. The only difference is that I can read now and I spell a lot better.
If I’m not writing I’m traveling — doing research and taking photos for upcoming books. Or, I’m out visiting schools — something I love to do! My writing led me to animals and my work with animals led me back to writing. It’s funny how things work out. I spent over twenty years working with animals. Now I’m going to spend the next twenty years writing about animals…as well as a few other things.

"Writing is like any skill in life — the more you practice, the luckier you get. If you want to become a writer, you need to write every day, even if it's in a journal or diary, and you need to read everything you can get your hands on all the time. I know hundreds of authors and all of them are fanatic readers. You learn to write by reading other people's words. "

"I received this ebook for free from Net Galley for this review."