WWW Wednesday (57)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…


• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

01. Currently Reading:
Cross My Heart by Abigail Strom. When a busy surgeon's daughter comes to visit, it's a safe bet that they won't get along. Until her idol, rocker Jenna Landry ends up living next door. Fast paced and flirty!

02. Recently Finished:
A Vision of Angels by Timothy Smith. A novel focused on the Middle East and what happens to the cast of characters as the fight for peace becomes war.

03. Reading Next:
The Lover from Hell by Rob Palmer. Love leads to obsession leads to murder? This synopsis has me intrigued!

A Vision of Angels

A terrorist attack planned for Easter Sunday in Jerusalem sets off a chain of events that weave together the lives of an American journalist, Israeli war hero, Palestinian farmer, and Christian grocer.

Alerted to a suicide bomb plot, Major Jakov Levy orders the closure of the border with the Gaza Strip. Unable to get his produce to market, Amin Mousa dumps truckloads of tomatoes in a refugee camp. Paul Kessler, an American journalist, sees it on television and goes to Gaza for Amin's personal story.

Hamas militants plot to smuggle the bomb out in Paul’s car and retrieve it when he returns home, but he’s unexpectedly detoured on the way. Meanwhile, a Hamas member confesses to the plot, and the race is on to find Paul and retrieve the bomb before the terrorists can.

A Vision of Angels is a human drama set against the background of the Middle East conflict. Ultimately it’s a story of reconciliation and hope, but not before events as tragic as a modern passion play change the lives of four families forever.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Timothy Smith brings the war between and within countries to the frontlines with his novel, A Vision of Angels. It's dramatic, touching, heartbreaking, and real. I had never read anything like this before and the poetic fear that this novel creates astounded me. 

There are multiple characters in the novel that take center stage. It's hard to pinpoint one main character that readers will build a relationship with. The fact that the characters rotate makes it hard to build a firm connection but in that same light, the array of characters does allow for each reader to find one they feel more drawn to than the rest. 

For me, there were two characters that drew me in: Mishe and David. Mishe is a young man who demonstrates for peace while his father works in the government he hates. Smith takes readers into his life and shows how the war in the Middle East affects his relationships, his feelings, and his hope. David is a photographer from the United States who wants to share what the war is really like. His photos evoke various emotions, outrage and faith being two that stand out. I connected with Mishe because he stands strong behind his cause and I empathized with his troubled family relationship. David pulled me in because of his sincerity, creative eye, and helpful nature. 

The plot of A Vision of Angels revolves around the week leading up to Easter Sunday. Each day represents new tasks, new fights, new worries and new hopes for each character. Some characters get exactly what they deserve, while others face the horrors of living in a war-ridden country. Recommended for adult readers. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

A Vision of Angels

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience.


As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here - one of whom was his own grandfather - were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason.

And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive

*May Contain Spoilers*

Ransom Riggs takes readers into haunting photographs to reveal the story behind the subjects. In Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, carnival tricks and sideshows are just the excuse and readers around the world will love the time traveling troop of peculiars as they meet the main character, changing his life forever. 

Jacob holds the point of view and the title of main character in this fantastic novel. After his grandfather dies, Jacob is prompted by his helpful psychiatrist to explore the truth behind his grandfather's stories. This leads him to Wales and Miss Peregrine's orphanage. As Jacob explores the (seemingly) abandoned children's home, readers will come to learn that he's loyal, intuitive, protective, and realistically brave. His realistic attitude and down-to-earth nature will breathe believability into this strange twisted tale. 

What adds to the plot is that all the photographs seen between the covers are real. Ransom Riggs is actually a collector of old photographs and these are the basis for the novel. The plot is ingenious and full of life. The mystery that shrouds the island, the hunting of peculiar children, and Miss Peregrine's children are forces that keep readers enthralled. Astounding novel with the highest recommendation. Read it now before book two is released! 

Rating: 5/5 Cups

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Teaser Tuesday (67)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

A Vision of Angels (Kindle Loc. 4915)
   - Timothy Smith


"Let people know how good men die here. That's what you can do for all the children."

Yellow Socks and Blood Spots - Blog Tour

Synopsis:
Two lines means pregnant, and pregnant is the very last thing seventeen-year-old Isabelle wants to be. She’s just beginning her senior year, she’s rekindling the respectable relationship she once had with her family and she’s finally fallen in love.

Her boyfriend, Jason, wants an abortion, while Isabelle wants to give her baby a chance at life, whether that means adoption or raising her baby herself. Her situation raises a question of values, beliefs, rights, societal expectations and personal opinions, and as Isabelle’s friends and family discover the news, they seem to think that only they know what’s best for her and her baby. Within two weeks of finding out about their beautiful disaster, Isabelle and Jason have to come to a mutual agreement and make a life or death decision.

Review:
A controversial topic is brought to life with Bailey Thompson's novel, Yellow Socks and Blood Spots. She's a teenage author who set out to tackle a subject that draws a prominent line in the sand. 

Isabelle is the main character and readers will have the chance to connect with her emotionally even if they don't agree with her decision. She's a bright young girl who makes a terrible mistake by not using protection when she first experiments with sex. She's undoubtedly a courageous girl but is weak when it comes to standing behind her own opinions. Throughout the novel, she is against abortion, but her boyfriend manages to convince her to go through with it. Isabelle's emotional struggle will evoke strong feelings from readers. Written in first person, the readers get a front seat take on what she goes through, constantly questioning what the right choice is. 

The plot follows Isabelle through her pregnancy, the abortion she doesn't want, and the debilitating emotions that follow. Though Thompson occasionally repeats herself, contradicts earlier statements and decisions, and leaves a couple questions unanswered, Yellow Socks and Blood Spots is a wonderful novel. It explores teenage pregnancy from the perspective of a teenager. It explores the chaos of unknown emotions, worries, hopes, and dreams that bloom from a situation like this. Bailey Thompson's novel is highly recommended to give perspective, discover various views on a controversial topic, and exploring the emotional impact of teenage pregnancy.

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Yellow Socks and Blood Spots

Meet the Author:

Bailey J Thompson is a teenage author that resides in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. She has been storytelling since the moment she could talk, and has since developed passions for creative writing, photography, nature and the environment. Yellow Socks and Blood Spots is her debut novel.

www.yellowsocksandbloodspots.com

Bailey's Personal Website

WWW Wednesday (56)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…


• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

01. Currently Reading:
Yellow Socks and Blood Spots by Bailey Thompson. When a seventeen year old girl becomes pregnant, her boyfriend wants her to have an abortion. Blog Tour Review coming soon!

02. Recently Finished:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. Amazing financial crime novel, thriller, upside down love story, and murder mystery. Everything you need for a great read.

03. Reading Next:
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. An abandoned orphanage on a secluded island that is surrounded by mystery. Why wouldn't I read this?

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch—and there's always a catch—is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. 

With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Why haven't I read this entire series yet? I can't believe that it's taken me this long to pick up Steig Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I'm completely blown away by the cunning storyline and stylisitic features of this novel. And I cannot wait to get my hands on the next two. 

Mikael and Lisbeth share the spotlight in this gripping novel. Mikael is a reporter who always gathers the facts, with sources. He is diligent, intelligent, loyal, trustworthy, and as readers find out, a damn good investigative reporter. Readers will love his forward thinking, his attention to detail, and his honesty. 

Lisbeth is a bit more difficult to connect with, Mikael being the only person in the novel that seems to be able to break through her reserves. As Lisbeth learns to trust and rely on Mikael, readers, in turn, will be able to build their relationship with her. While Mikael's connection with readers is firmly rooted from the beginning, Lisbeth's connection is an evolution.

The plot of this novel is, in a word, astounding. I was thoroughly impressed with how Larsson weaves such an intimate story, bringing together two completely different situations. The mystery of Harriet Vanger brought harsh family secrets to light while also uncovering a serial murderer. I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, along for the ride. 

Again, why haven't I read this series before now? 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Teaser Tuesday (66)

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


Yellow Socks and Blood Spots
   - Bailey Thompson


"I believe that it starts when you're able to start making memories and think," he said.
"Then what happens when it ends?"

BLOG TOUR REVIEW ON JUNE 25th!

The Cuckoos of Batch Magna

When Sir Humphrey Miles Pinkerton Strange, huntin' shootin' and fishin' Squire of Batch Magna, goes to his reward (doubtless to find God as true-blue British as his more recent but equally worthy ancestors), his rambling but rotting estate passes to distant relative Humph, a hapless dollar doodler in New York.With $$ in his eyes, Humph decides to make a killing by transforming the sleepy backwater of Batch Magna into a theme park image of rural England - a vacation paradise for free-spending US millionaires.


But while the village's threadbare businessmen see the plan as a windfall, the tenants of the estate's dilapidated houseboats are above any consideration of filthy lucre and stand their ground for tradition's sake . and because they consider eviction notices not to be cricket.Each disgruntled faction sees the other as the unwelcome cuckoo chick in the family nest!

So, lead by randy pulp-crime writer Phineas Cook and Lt-Commander James Cunningham DSO, DSC and Bar, RN (ret) - a man with a glass eye to suit every occasion (and all painted with naval battle scenes where the Union Jack flies triumphant) - the motley crew takes on Wall Street .

*May Contain Spoilers*

The Cuckoos of Batch Magna by Peter Maughan is a humorous novel based in England, or Wales (depending on your nationality), and shares the story of the erratic troop that call the grounds home when it is threatened by an outsider. 

Batch Magna itself is the main character of the novel - with each actual character a piece of it's personality. The stubborn Commander. The foolish Phineas. The adventurous (and I use this term loosely) Lucy. The wanderer Daniel. The know it all Jasmine. The mothering Annie. All of these traits add up to one hilarious main character as they take on the next heir of the estate, Humph. Readers will thoroughly enjoy reading about the group's plan to kill Humph and let the estate pass to another relative of the late Sir Strange. Though it will be hard for readers to connect with all of the characters as a whole - they will definitely find at least one quality that will bring them into the story, evoking true feelings for the fate of the crazy troop.

The plot is a wonderful tale of finding happiness, pride, and courage within. As Humph comes to know the villagers of Batch Magna, he finds that he actually likes them (even with the death threats). Through the progression of the book, Humph discovers that to be himself he must go against the wishes of others and stand up for what he thinks is right. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

The Cuckoos of Batch Magna (The Batch Magna Novels)

WWW Wednesday (55)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…


• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

01. Currently Reading: 
The Cuckoos of Batch Magna by Peter Maughan. When the owner of a Welsh estate passes, he leaves it to the next heir - an unexpected American relative. Now he's planning on turning into a resort while planning to evict everyone who lives there. 

02. Recently Finished:
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. A woman runs away from an abusive marriage and tries to start over in a small coastal town. Wonderful story. 

03. Reading Next:
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson. Finally getting around to reading this Swedish murder mystery. 

Teaser Tuesday (65)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Cuckoos of Batch Magna (Kindle Loc. 1186-89)
   - Peter Maughan


He had been wondering when this would happen, and here it was. His comeuppance. And it found him, as it were, without his trousers on.
Because, beleaguered and hungover, all he'd ended up with when he'd tried to find a story anywhere near convincing enough to explain the other Sally to this Sally, was a headache.

Safe Haven

Love hurts. There is nothing as painful as heartbreak. But in order to learn to love again, you must learn to trust again.


When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Nicholas Sparks' novel, Safe Haven, is an emotionally moving story that inspires faith and hope in even the darkest of situations. When Erin escapes from her abusive husband she must learn how to survive, how to trust, and how to love without fear. 

Erin is the main character, who goes by Katie most of the novel, and she is a true inspiration to readers. She has been controlled, manipulated, and beaten most of her adult life by a husband who claims to love her. When she finally realizes that he will never change, no matter how many promises he makes, she decides to save her own life by running away. Erin is full of life, incredibly courageous, and braver than most. Readers will connect with her through these traits but also because she's good-hearted and sweet natured. The story of her past will pull readers in and the hope for her future will keep them reading until the bittersweet end. 

The plot of the story combines love and mystery. As it unfolds, readers learn that her husband hasn't given up on Erin and will do anything it takes to find her. Throughout the course of the novel, we see Erin reaching for her new life and opening herself up to new possibilities. But the horror of Erin's life isn't over yet as her husband and her past both come unbidden. 

Rating 3.5/5

Safe Haven