Hello and welcome to Booknificent Thursday! I’ve been reading a lot lately and have actually run out of books in my TBR! So please, help me out and give me some good suggestions!!!
And now, it’s time to party! Please link up any posts you have, past or present, about books, reading, and literacy. This link party is all about sharing how books are impacting you! Joining in is easy; just click “Click here to enter…” next to “You are next” and copy/paste the URL of a blog post (not your homepage). Choose a photo to upload and then click some of the other great posts in the party and meet new bloggers and find out about new books!
Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?
Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:
You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my Google+ profile or my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.
Congratulations to the three winners of our Booknificent Birthday Bash Giveaway last week! They are Laura P., Hannah N., and Tina M. The winners have been contacted by email, and I’m waiting to hear which book they will each choose! Thanks to all who participated and shared about the giveaway!
And now, it’s time to party! Please link up any posts you have, past or present, about books, reading, and literacy. This link party is all about sharing how books are impacting you! Joining in is easy; just click “Click here to enter…” next to “You are next” and copy/paste the URL of a blog post (not your homepage). Choose a photo to upload and then click some of the other great posts in the party and meet new bloggers and find out about new books!
Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?
Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:
You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my Google+ profile or my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.
Hi all! Welcome to Booknificent Thursday! I promised you a giveaway last week to celebrate our first year so here we are! The results are in – each of the readers in our family has chosen their favorite book of the past year. Three lucky winners can each choose the book of their choice from our favorites in Kindle format from Amazon. Winners will be announced next week here on Booknificent Thursday!
Bignificent – Blue by Lou Aronica – I would have chosen this book myself but I haven’t read it in the last year. It is an all-time favorite though, and I was so happy to be able to share it with Bignificent this year. It has some big themes of death and cancer but is so hopeful and magical. We love it again and again!
Middlenificent – The Candymakers by Wendy Mass, Both of the girls really enjoyed this book. It’s really thick so they could really immerse themselves into the fictional world. THey really enjoyed the quirky characters, the unique plot and the happy ending.
Daddynificent – any book from the Psalm 23 mysteries by Debbie Viguie – We have loved every book of this series multiple times and are so excited for the next one which is set to be released at the end of the month. You can choose which book you’d like, including the one coming soon, if you choose this option for your prize.
and me, Mommynificent – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay – I read this book a couple of months ago, two times straight through without stopping and I am still suffering a bit of a book hangover from it. I have seriously not been able to get into another book world sufficiently since. It was so good. I’m still processing my review of it. Every time I go to write it, I go to look some favorite part up and accidentally start to read the book again from there and forgot to write the review! So that is coming soon, but just know that I loved, loved, loved this book so much.
And now, it’s time to party! Please link up any posts you have, past or present, about books, reading, and literacy. This link party is all about sharing how books are impacting you! Joining in is easy; just click “Click here to enter…” next to “You are next” and copy/paste the URL of a blog post (not your homepage). Choose a photo to upload and then click some of the other great posts in the party and meet new bloggers and find out about new books!
Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?
Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:
You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my Google+ profile or my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.
Welcome to Booknificent Thursday, and Happy Anniversary to all of us!!!
It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year! But it has been so much fun! I thought that to celebrate, we would do two things.
First, I’ve added a second linky under the normal one for everyone to link to any social media page that we can help you grow. So link away to your facebook pages, G+ pages, twitter, pinterest, etc. I thought this would be a good way for us to show each other some love! Please be sure to hop around and like other people’s pages as that’s the only way this will work!
Secondly, each of the readers in our family picked their favorite book from the past year. I haven’t been organized enough to get the giveaway put together for that, so I’ll have that ready for you next week. In the meantime, be thinking of your favorite book from the past year as we will be asking!
So without further ado, let’s party! Please link up any posts you have, past or present, about books, reading, and literacy. This link party is all about sharing how books are impacting you! Joining in is easy; just click “Click here to enter…” next to “You are next” and copy/paste the URL of a blog post (not your homepage). Choose a photo to upload and then click some of the other great posts in the party and meet new bloggers and find out about new books!
Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?
Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:
You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my Google+ profile or my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.
Happy linking and have a great week! Remember, this list is only for book-related blog posts. And feel free to link up your post even if someone else, including me, has done the same book. Your perspective is always unique and appreciated!
And here’s where you can enter your social media pages that you are looking to grow. Please be sure to hop around and give likes generously! I’m just linking up one of mine to show you how to do it, but feel free to do as many as you want of yours. If you want to like my pages, my links are on the sidebar! Have fun!
Today, I’m excited to be taking part in The Regency Tour for the book A Perfect Secretby Donna Hatch. The tour is being hosted by Prism Book Tours. (That and any other links in this post that take you to Amazon are affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.)
A Perfect Secret
(Rogue Hearts #3)
by Donna Hatch
Adult Historical Romance
Paperback, 348 Pages
December 14 2013
Desperate to protect her father from trial and death, Genevieve breaks off her engagement with Christian Amesbury and marries a blackmailer. After a year of marriage, she flees her husband’s violent domination only to have fate bring her back to Christian. Just when she thinks she’s started a new life of safety and solitude, her husband tracks her down, stalks her, and threatens everyone she loves.
Still brokenhearted over Genevieve’s betrayal a year ago, Christian can’t believe she’s come back into his life–and worse, that she’s done it on the anniversary of his brother’s death, a death that haunts him. Though tempted to throw her back into the river where he found her, he can’t leave her at the mercy of the terrifying man she married.
When her husband torments Genevieve and puts his family in danger, Christian will do anything to protect those he loves…anything except give Genevieve another chance to break his heart.
I very much enjoyed reading this book. It is a great escape into the early 19th century! I found it quite fairy-tale like in that there is a lot of suspension of belief necessary. How the characters keep ending up in the same places at the same time can only be accepted in that way.
The emotions the characters go through in the book are heart-wrenching and are extremely well-written. It was easy to immerse myself in the lives of the characters and really feel what they were feeling.
Since I was reading on my Kindle, I never looked at the cover so I didn’t realize until I reached the end of the book that I was reading book three in a series! I never, ever read books in a series out of order so this was a bit of a shock for me! It works okay for this series though as each book is about a different member of the Amesbury family. I feel I could easily go back and read the other books about Christian’s brothers without feeling like I know too much already.
All in all, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
About Donna Hatch
My passion for writing began at the tender age of 8 and I’ve been hooked ever since. Of course, I also wanted to be an actress and a ballerina, but one out of three isn’t bad, right?
In between caring for six children, (7 counting my husband), my day job, my free lance editing and copy writing, and my many volunteer positions, I manage to carve out time to indulge in my writing obsession. After all, it IS an obsession. My family is more patient and supportive than I deserve.
- Grand Prize: $20 Amazon gift card and an ebook (INT) or print copy (US Only) of A Perfect Secret OR The Stranger She Married (winner’s choice)
- 5 ebooks of A Perfect Secret
- Open Internationally
- Ends July 20th
Today I’m participating in another book blast hosted by Mother-Daughter Book Reviews. I think you and your kids will really enjoy the book A Different Kind of Safari by Helen C. Hipp. (That and any other links to Amazon are my affiliate links. If you click on them, and choose to make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!)
About the Book
Title: A Different Kind of Safari | Author: Helen C. Hipp | Publication Date: March 19, 2013 | Publisher: A Different Kind of Safari LLC | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 5 to 10
Summary: What do you need to feel happy about being different? Based loosely on real life experiences, this heartwarming and powerful book illustrates how self-awareness, and courage help a young boy named Raymond learn the difference between seeing things as they appear to be and seeing things as they are. Feeling “different and lonely” Raymond befriends a hippo while on Safari in Africa. Unlike other grey hippos, this hippo is pink. Ray is soon carried into a world beyond labels and challenging assumptions. You will never guess what happens next!
The Inspiration Behind the Story by Helen Hipp
Inspired by real-life adventure, the story behind the story unfolded when I went on an African safari back in 2001. The trip was lead by my father whose dream was to share the safari experience with his family. Little did I know that this trip was going to incite me to write a children’s adventure book but it did.
The storyline made it appearance when my family spotted a pod of hippos and one was pink! My son Ray fourteen at the time immediately named her “Rosie”. Curious and wanting to learn more about this hippo we asked the guide many questions about hippos and hippo behavior. Specifically I wanted to know why the pink hippo stood so far outside of her pod. The familiarity of the guides answer took me by surprise, he explained that “Rosie” was tolerated but not necessarily accepted by the herd because of her differences. As a parent of a child with special needs I immediately felt a strong affiliation with Rosie’s situation as did my son Ray who has experienced his own challenges with acceptance. Inspired, I decided to share the story with the world by weaving them into a children’s adventure book that celebrates differences. The book is entitled “A Different Kind of Safari”. Find out what you can learn from Rosie the pink hippo, and how you can share those lessons with the children in your life.
Book Video
The Buzz About the Book
“A timeless book, that will speak to everyone. To be enjoyed over and over again! A fun, yet very thought provoking story for all ages. If books had a satisfaction guarantee, this one would be on the top of the list. ” ~ 5 Star Review, Adden B. Chrystie, Amazon
“A Different Kind of Safari is truly a different kind of children’s book! The beautiful artwork bring a very special story to life and I am excited the book is now available in audio format for an added bonus while driving kids around town! I particularly love the message of the book, which teaches us to celebrate our unique differences through Rosie the Pink Hippo rather than allow them to keep us from exploring our potentials. I highly recommend this book to all parents and special needs educators in particular. Thank you for writing this wonderful story!” ~ 5 Star Review, missladyjane, Barnes and Noble
“I really enjoyed this book. The illustrations were beautiful. I found this book to be very interesting and it was written from real life experiences. A Different Kind of Safari draws you in along with Ray on his journey to find his happiness and the answers to his questions. I recommend this book to children that are of grade school age but yet many younger children may enjoy the illustrations.” ~ 5 Star Review, Whittle House, Goodreads
“The book has a great story. The illustrations are amazing!!!!! Get this book! All children from the young to the old will love this book. ” ~ 5 Star Review, Mel, Amazon
“A Different Kind of Safari is not only a good book, but a great story! It is not only for caregivers, teachers and parents, but for anyone who has ever felt out of place. A pink hippo named “Rosie” and her friend “Ray” take a journey and explore their similarities and differences on the river of life. Self- acceptance and the acceptance of others is exquisitely conveyed in a fresh, FUN way through this sweet tail. It is a prize for all libraries!” ~ 5 Star Review, Anna Wood, Barnes and Noble
Helen Hipp’s experience raising a special needs child led her to an M.A. in clinical psychology and certification as a life coach. She began her career as a psychotherapist to help people find answers for their life problems. Her work eventually evolved into a coaching practice, WithinU Life Coaching, focusing on individuals with special needs and their families. Helen uses her 13+ years of counseling experience and 20+ years’ experience as a successful advocate for individuals with special needs by helping them reveal their innate ability to solve difficult situations. Her debut book ” A Different Kind of Safari” puts into words the essence of Helen’s teachings addressing the many questions life asks by offering up lighthearted, ever-changing perspectives that transform personal challenges into opportunities.
For more information, visit the books official website and to see a picture of the real Rosie the real life pink hippo that inspired this story, go to www.adifferentkindofsafari.com
Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest ends: August 6, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Helen Hipp and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
Hello and welcome to Booknificent Thursday! I haven’t been feeling well this week, so I’ve done a lot of reading, playing with the kids, and watching Wimbledon on the couch. Other than the not-feeling-well part, all-in-all, not a bad week since those are some of my favorite things to do!
I’d love to hear how you’re spending your week, and especially what books you’re reading! This week I’ve read:
Raspberries and Vinegar by Valerie Comer -I have to be honest and tell you I both bought and read this book completely because I loved the cover! I don’t do that often, but I just loved the whimsically illustrated cover of this book. It looks so different than most covers right now that it totally made me want to read this book, knowing absolutely nothing about it, so kudos to the illustrator and the person who choose to hire her! AND, the book did not disappoint. I loved it so much, I immediately went and bought the next book in the series:
Wild Mint Tea also by Valerie Comer -Again, I love this cover!!! Both of these books are about a trio of young ladies who set out to build and run a sustainable homestead in the Idaho panhandle. Each book focuses on one of them, with a third book coming out in 2015. I can’t wait! I loved that the girls were followers of Jesus – we rarely see or hear followers of Jesus talking about sustainability and using our planet wisely and I think we should! I loved the plot lines and the gentle romances. I just really enjoyed these books!
Courting Kate by Leslie Gould -This is an Amish take on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, certainly not something I’d ever have conceived of! I enjoyed it though. It was a fun read, and I particularly enjoyed how the characters grew throughout the book. (I happened to notice when I went to grab that affiliate link that this book is available for free for Kindle right now!)
After Wimbledon by Jennifer Gilby Roberts - I’m not including an affiliate link for this one like I did for the others as I can’t really recommend it. I read it for obvious reasons, but I did not appreciate the language or the lack of morality in the book. On the bright side, it did make me start to really pray for the real-life tennis players while I’m watching them play at Wimbledon!
And now, it’s time to party! Please link up any posts you have, past or present, about books, reading, and literacy. This link party is all about sharing how books are impacting you! Joining in is easy; just click “Click here to enter…” next to “You are next” and copy/paste the URL of a blog post (not your homepage). Choose a photo to upload and then click some of the other great posts in the party and meet new bloggers and find out about new books!
Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?
Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:
You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my Google+ profile or my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.
Today, I am thrilled and honored to be joining in a Book Blast coordinated by Mother Daughter Book Reviews on behalf of author Jourden Cleghorn who writes under the pen name of Teddy O’Malley.
Jourden was recently involved in a serious automobile accident resulting in severe injuries just days after her new book, Destiny and Faith Go To Twincentric Academy, was published in May 2014. The indie author community has come together to support this young author/illustrator during this challenging time. Please read below to see what you can do to help in a small way.
About the Book
Title: Destiny and Faith Go To Twincentric Academy | Author: Teddy O’Malley | Publication Date: May 11, 2014 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 62 | Recommended Ages: 6 to 10
Summary: Destiny and Faith are going into second grade and their mom has a great idea. She’s going to send them to a school for twins! They’re not sure whether to be excited or terrified. Come join them and see what happens!
The Buzz
“Anyone who’s tried to buy a book or birthday card for a child who isn’t white will know how few are available. Golden hair and blue eyes rule. I was delighted by Destiny and Faith, who are mixed race/bi-racial, perfect for some children very close to me. However, let me quickly say that this is a story for all children. A school for twins is such a great idea and Destiny and Faith’s adventures have a universal message about friendship and learning how to get along with each other. This would also be a good book for actual twins as some of the issues that arise in twin relationships come up in the story.” ~ 5 Star Review, Mary Josephina Cade, Amazon
“I just finished reading this book. I got it for my daughter and decided to read it myself. It is so ORIGINAL and totally ADORABLE! A MUST READ for young children looking to read their FIRST CHAPTER BOOK! My daughter LOVES it!! I highly recommend this book!! ” ~ 5 Star Review, radams, Amazon
“A great story for young girls, with lots of fun dialogue. Accompanied throughout by black and white drawings. These capture the body language and expressions of the different characters perfectly. Looking forward to more in the Destiny and Faith series.” ~ 5 Star Review, M.J. Kinsman, Amazon
About the Author: Teddy O’Malley
Jourden Cleghorn, who writes and illustrates children’s books under the pen name Teddy O’ Malley, was born in in Saint Louis, Missouri. She has traveled all over the United States and enjoys learning about new things and other cultures. She dreams of visiting a foreign country. She has enjoyed studying Spanish, German, and now Italian as well. Jourden paired her language skills with pictures of puppies to write Tell Me How You Say Good Night, a bedtime story. And a childhood friendship with a biracial girl named Hope influenced Jourden to make the Destiny and Faith characters biracial in her series about twins. Many of her books include a thread about friendship and acceptance of others. Jourden previously worked part time as a nurse assistant helping the disabled and elderly.
On Thursday, May 15, 2014, Jourden was the passenger in a small car when a much larger truck turned in front of them. She suffered severe injuries as a result of this accident including a cracked sternum, punctured lung, broken arm, and broken foot. Unfortunately, the nature and severity of Jourden’s injuries have limited her ability to promote her books effectively. I was very moved when I was approached by a member of the Facebook group, “Fun-tastic Children’s Books ” (of which Jourden is an active member) to help this young author. This wonderful group took it upon themselves to promote Jourden’s books on her behalf. They bought, reviewed, tweeted and shared her books throughout social media and are sponsoring (along with MDBR) the giveaway below.
If you should choose to enter the giveaway below (open worldwide), you will see an option to earn 10 extra entries in the giveaway by purchasing a copy of Teddy O’Malley’s latest book, Destiny and Faith Go To Twincentric Academy from Amazon for only 99 cents. I hope you will consider helping out the author in this small way.
Of note, during her recovery, Jourden found the inspiration for another children’s book. It will be about a child recovering from a car crash and having to cope with learning to write with the opposite hand, and other hardships that must be overcome during the healing process. Jourden usually writes with her right hand, but plans to illustrate the book using her left. She wants to show that hardships can be overcome if one does not give up.
* $50 Book Blast Giveaway *
Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest ends: July 30, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by author PJ LaRue/Fun-tastic Children’s Books and Mother Daughter Book Reviews, and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
Welcome to Booknificent Thursday! We are literally surrounded by books today. One of the sad things about living abroad and staying in one place is that it seems you are constantly saying goodbye to people who are moving on. The silver lining is that we almost always end up helping them get rid of their excess stuff which means the books they are getting rid of make their first stop at our house! Look at the piles that got dropped off yesterday!
You can see all the adult fiction in the front, and there are more piles to either side of the picture. But the girls were extremely excited to find the entire series of Daisy Meadows’ Fairy Books (affiliate link). They aren’t my favorite as I tend to avoid magicky stuff, but the girls absolutely love them. They checked them out of the library over and over when we were last in the States!
Even though Bignificent has read them all, she and Middlenificent have sat on the couch reading pretty much all day – despite my attempted distractions of a walk to the beach and painting. Bignificent is flying through them – I think she’s read 25+ books today! And, at last count, Middlenificent was at 8 books. You can see that even the two little ones are joining in the Read-a-Thon!
How about you? Are you getting any summer Read-a-Thons in this year? If you could, what would be in your pile of books?
And now, it’s time to party! Please link up any posts you have, past or present, about books, reading, and literacy. This link party is all about sharing how books are impacting you! Joining in is easy; just click “Click here to enter…” next to “You are next” and copy/paste the URL of a blog post (not your homepage). Choose a photo to upload and then click some of the other great posts in the party and meet new bloggers and find out about new books!
Why should you link up to Booknificent Thursdays?
Linking up to parties and leaving comments on other posts is a proven way to increase traffic to your blog and grow your blog’s followers! Here are a few rules and suggestions:
You can link up as many posts as you want.
Please grab the Booknificent Thursday button and share it somewhere on your blog (sidebar, post, bottom, etc.) and please share about this party with any book-lovers you know.
I’d also really appreciate it if you’d hop over to my Google+ profile or my facebook page and give me a “like” and/or subscribe to receive my blog (just enter your email address up on the sidebar.)
We do want to keep it family-friendly, so I reserve the right to remove anything I consider offensive.
And one final rule, please visit AND comment on at least one other linked post if not more.
Today I have a great fantasy book to share with you, The Valley of Decision by Shannon McDermott. I’m not usually a huge fan of fantasy, but I found myself intrigued when Kirkus Reviews commented that it wore its spirituality lightly, and that was enough to convince me to sign up to be a part of the book tour. I’m glad I did!
A themed book tour through Prism Book Tours. This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. Thanks for your support!
This book felt a lot like a Tolkien book to me, although I have to admit to enjoying it more than I enjoy Tolkien. (Sorry, just not a huge fantasy fan!) I found the start of this book quite slow, and I wondered if I had made a mistake, but by the time I was about a third of the way into it, I had developed some attachments to the characters and was having a hard time putting it down.
The characters were definitely my favorite part of the book. I really enjoyed coming to understand the complexities of the three main characters, who interestingly are all male. I also really enjoyed the unfolding mystery of who the Fay are and why they are a part of this world. Female characters are few and far between in this book, and none of them play much of a role in the story. There is a lot of adventure and fighting for freedom, but I didn’t find the violence overwhelming in any way.
This book is classified as adult fantasy which made me wonder if it would be really violent or in some way inappropriate for younger readers. I found nothing that would keep me from passing it on to anyone who had enjoyed Tolkien’s books. All the characters are adults but it has strong themes of loyalty, bravery, and doing what is right that I think many teenaged boys would enjoy.
All in all, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
The Valley of Decision by Shannon McDermott
Adult Fantasy
Paperback, 416 pages
May 31st 2014 by SALT Christian Press
“A solid fantasy that wears its spirituality lightly yet effectively.”
~Kirkus Reviews (read the entire review here)
Where the Black Mountains pierce the sky, they divide the south from the north, Alamir from the kingdom of Belenus. Belenus, the undying master of the north, commanded Keiran, the Captain of the Hosts, to conquer Alamir. But the Captain is deep in conspiracy, and he has his own plans.
The Valley of Decision is a fantasy novel, a saga of slavery, freedom, and choices.
Shannon McDermott is a Christian author of speculative fiction, as well as a humorous detective series of short stories called “The Adventures of Christian Holmes.” She has written both fantasy and science fiction, and has yet to decide on which one to like better.
She was born to Wisconsin, expatriates in California, grew up on the East Coast, and now lives in the Midwest. Her principal hobbies are politics, history, novels, and coffee.
- INT Grand Prize: $25 Amazon gift card and ebooks of The Valley of Decision and The Sunrise Windows - 2 print copies of The Valley of Decision (US only)
So that is coming soon, but just know that I loved, loved, loved this book so much.
Jourden Cleghorn, who writes and illustrates children’s books under the pen name Teddy O’ Malley, was born in in Saint Louis, Missouri. She has traveled all over the United States and enjoys learning about new things and other cultures. She dreams of visiting a foreign country. She has enjoyed studying Spanish, German, and now Italian as well. Jourden paired her language skills with pictures of puppies to write Tell Me How You Say Good Night, a bedtime story. And a childhood friendship with a biracial girl named Hope influenced Jourden to make the Destiny and Faith characters biracial in her series about twins. Many of her books include a thread about friendship and acceptance of others. Jourden previously worked part time as a nurse assistant helping the disabled and elderly.
