Inescapable: A Ghost Story by D.K. Stone

 

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book but now it is fully released and simply put, go out and get this book!

Here is my review I wrote on Goodreads and in order to not give anything away at all about the book, that is all I am going to post.

Wow wow wow! 

I just finished Inescapable! I adore Danika’s writing so much. It’s just flows and it’s so easy to see. 

Chapter Nine blew me away. The moving between the stories but never missing a beat. 

My heart was racing, I was yelling, I was crying, I was smiling and laughing. Phew. 

What a great book!

Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle

 Dangrdafne review 

This book was recommended in a tweet by a good friend I trust with book recommendations. I immediately ordered it through my local bookstore "The Next Chapter" but when it finally came in, I was in the throws of Christmas and didn't pick it up. Then a few more book purchases covered it up in my to be read pile. Finally this weekend, I dumped checking social media and set out to read the book.

I did NOT read the blurb on the back and dove in. Imaging my surprise when I realized this book was not set in reality. LOL! I did wonder how my friend loved the book so much but I also knew she would never recommend something that wasn't good. So while this non-reality definitely threw me for a loop and I found it a little hard to get into the book, once I finally let it all go and read all the hilarious current people, places and events in the book and how many of them are related to what my family  and I like ... and dislike, I was in 100%.

What a wonderful read. Well rounded characters with a great story and so much laughter and wonderful holiday cheer. I think I am glad I read this after the Christmas season, as it is keeping the spirit of the season going for me now. 

 

One thing I really loved was how important each word was. You should not speed read this book as every word matters and means something to the story. There are many names and you have to read each to enjoy the hilarity that Sarah puts into the book. The play on words too just enhances each chapter.

 

I can't wait to give this book to my Mom to read. I know she will wonder why in the beginning chapters but as she goes along she will completely understand and agree with me that this is very funny and good story. I can say without a doubt, I have never read anything like it before ... and that is a good thing.

4 paws

This is the back of the book blurb that I didn't read and in the end, I am glad I didn't :)

Baltimore Comic Con 2022

Our first con back since 2019 and it is one of our favorites ... and ... it remains so.

Small, easy to navigate, easy to talk to all the vendors, good panels, great volunteers and nice people across the board.

These are the items we purchased during the con, most from previous artists/vendors that we love but there are some new people here. I recommend all of them and I hope you enjoy looking through our purchases and please be sure to click through to see all the amazing people's websites and other wares.

http://dawngriffinstudios.com/

https://ewacats.com/

https://steveconley.com/the-middle-age/

https://artnessbyjustinbrown.com/

http://www.mouseguard.net/

https://www.skjaldborgartisans.store/

https://www.thescarygodmother.com/

https://jeremybastian.bigcartel.com/

https://mouseguard.bigcartel.com/

https://redstylo.com/product/ninja-bear-1/

https://baltimorecomiccon.com/

https://sourkissdesigns.com/

https://martybaumann.com/

http://www.geekboypress.com/

The Sandman - Netflix

 Dangrdafne review:

I am again in love.

This time with Tom Sturridge as Sandman, Dream, Morpheus ... by any other name, he would be just as amazing in this role! Wow!

I have never read The Sandman but I know a lot about it from Brainwise and other friends who love the story and Neil Gaiman. I had no idea what to expect or if I would even like it. And I didn't like it.

I LOVED it! Although I will say having no background at all, I think there are some things that I missed and didn't understand. I am hopeful it is just a long game in the storytelling and it will all shake out in the end. But I am a little frustrated that we have watched the whole season and I still have questions. I guess I am more used to closed ended seasons, I will just have to let go and play along.

Death. 

What a glorious actress and performance for Death, sister to Dream. Their moments on screen together are some of the best acting and story I have seen, and I have watched a lot of amazing shows lately. I am completely taken with Kirby Howell-Baptiste in this role. It would sound a little funny to say that I think she was born to play this role :) I know she is completely different than the original but both are perfection and both can live in this story without any issue from me.

Vivienne Acheamong as Lucienne is another favorite of mine. I just love watching and listening to her. She is the perfect companion to Dream and I am completely jealous of her :)

I also adore Vanesu Samunyai as Rose Walker. She is brilliant in the role and although her story seemed to flip the storytelling around from the opening of the series, it ended up fitting right in and led to an incredible conclusion.

The music, the cinematography, the characters and the actors who portray them, the costuming, the everything is done to perfection. Including the end credits art that you definitely should not skip. 

Fair warning that there is lots of gore, violence and extremely difficult scenes but honestly they fit right in with our current times. I have to say that the show really affected me. I slept terribly each night we watched and I am not sure if was just The Sandman messing with my dreams or if the story lines had my mind working overtime. Worth every lost moment of sleep, mind you.

4 paws

The Ingredients of Love by Nicolas Barreau

 Book review by Dangrdafne

What a lovely lovely book. Such a joy to read and I don't know why but I am so surprised it was written by a male author. 

I love that Nicolas Barreau is in touch with love and how much it means to people. His writing is impeccable and pulls you right in to Paris and the lives of his characters. I could smell all the food and I got as intoxicated as the characters as they drank their wine. Such a luscious unconventional conventional love story.

There is so much to talk about but I wouldn't want to give anything away. I do love though that the author at times prepares the reader for what is to come and you still wonder what it will be. I don't usually think about books becoming movies but since I could see so much of this book from the writing, I would love to see this come to life on a screen. 

4 paws

The Flight Attendant - HBO Max

 Dangrdafne review:

Holy Moly!!

What a show!!!

I never read the book this series is based on but if it is even half as good as this show, then it is incredible!

Kaley Cuoco as Cassie is absolutely mezmerizing in this role. So unexpected to me and so incredibly amazing. She had to hit all emotions and play a role I never thought I could see her in but I am so glad I did. I almost passed this up when I saw the first ads for it. But one day while on the treadmill I thought, why not? I can always turn it off if I don't like it. 8 episodes later... no I didn't walk for 8 hours but I was tempted... I was so happy I started this series.

I loved that I only figured out one thing in the mystery thriller and I loved more how they twisted and turned and tricked me all along the way. It is cleverly written, filmed and told to the viewer.

One of my favorite actors is in this show too, Michelle Gomez and she is now added to my list of people I would love to meet and talk to or at least thank for the joy she has brought me through her roles she has played. She is perfect but once again.

Rosie Perez, boy do I love her too. She plays her role with such vulnerability and at times it seemed like a quiet and small role but it is not and she doesn't let it be either. I know the series is coming back for a second season and I hope she is part of it. I need more of her on my screen and I really need to know what happens with her character, if they should decide to show us.

Zosia Mamet as Annie was spectacular. She went through the wringer as Cassie’s best friend. Her role is critical to the story and she played it perfectly. I must see what else she has been in. 

I am most grateful that the show is focused on women and all the power they hold in various ways. I was uncomfortable with all the alcohol use but it was imperative to the story. This truly was a great mystery thriller and everyone was perfect for the roles they played. 

4 paws!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

 Dangrdafne review: 

“Men tell stories, … Women get on with it.”

I’m so grateful that in this case Kristin Hannah told a story. And what a story it is! An intense story of love, grief, war, family and survival at all costs. 

My sister wanted to be sure I read this book especially after my review of WandaVision. I was more than curious but it turns out that this book is just another way of conveying how grief can inspire and spur on humans. And it was mostly definitely about superheroes. Super human women who changed the world. Who did the impossible and showed just how women “…get on with it.”

This is a long, tough read but one I don’t regret and encourage you to do also. While there is the typical you will laugh and you will cry, there is also cheering, terror, blood pressure raising sections and moments of pure elation and joy. And lots of tears, both happy and sad. 

I think after this book, though, I need to take a break from World War II stories. I’m not sure my heart can read any more for now. 

I just started to type up what the story was about but fear I will give something away that would hurt your pleasure of reading the book. Basically it is the story of two sisters and how they deal with living during WWII. I do like Kristin Hannah's clever storytelling and her way of choosing to lay out the story. 

I don't usually like large books but the writing is so good and "simple" that I read through the book in 2 days. An amazing story about amazing characters from an amazing author.

4 paws

Sip Sip Bang Bang by Danika Stone

 Dangrdafne review:

 

A fast paced thriller with a love story brewing underneath it all. I was literally exhausted after reading this book. Soooo good.

I LOVE Danika Stone's writing. She always creates incredible characters that go against the norm and surprise you at every turn. She also creates wonderful scenes and tales that intrigue and excite.

I truly don’t want to tell you about this book because you have to read it to feel it all. I literally was out of breath at certain points because the writing and story were so thrilling and one part was verrry claustrophobic!

I love how the book is set in real time and uses the perfect pop culture references to move the story along and add just the right extra insight into the story. Danika knows her pop culture and I often wonder which cane first: the reference or the story. Whichever it is, I’m just glad it’s there 🙂

The ironic part of the book, that I will say, is that I kept thinking about what a good movie this will make and it turns out to be part of the book too. I could really see the book in my mind and I definitely would LOVE to meet the main characters in real life. I feel that way about all Danika’s books. She just has a way of writing her characters and making them real and plausible. Even if the story is winding around like crazy, her people are realistic and I want to know them more.

4 paws

His Dark Materials - HBO Max

 Dangrdafne review:

This post was originally only going to cover Season 1 but we couldn’t stop watching, so it is a post for both seasons.

I listened to the audio book for The Golden Compass years ago and I saw the 2007 movie version of The Golden Compass but that is it. So I am missing the rest of the Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

That said, it did not ruin my enjoyment of this series. WOW!!!! The music is incredible, the cinematography is immense and the CGI is barely noticeable to me. Dafne Keen as Lyra is perfection. Exactly how I pictured/remembered her from the book. The animals/daemons are simply adorable and created perfectly. There are many times I wondered if they were real or not, to me that is a good sign of the amount of time they took to create them.

I would say the weak spot of the whole series for me is Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby. He was not gruff enough and he was too happy, even sounding like he was rhyming at times and that is not the Lee Scoresby I remember from the book. But again it was not enough to ruin the series for me and I am more than grateful that Lee Scoresby exists in the series for reasons I will not spoil.

I did remember a lot of the Golden Compass but since this is not distinctly one book per season, but almost I think,  there were things I didn't know during the first season and I knew even less in the second. I will add that watching the two seasons now, I want to go back and re-read the first book and read the other two books. I am curious as to what was different and if it made a difference. Since it has been so long since my reading and watching the first book, I could not recall what was in the book or not in the series.

Again, like so many other shows we have watched lately, it is another very timely tale and I am sure my blood pressure must go up while we are watching. There are so many storylines that just get me so angry but it is all necessary and part of the story. I am sad we have to wait quite some time for season 3 but I will patiently wait as I know it will be well worth it.

4 paws 

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

 Dangrdafne review:

I could not have have picked a better day to finally sit down and read this book: Memorial Day. I feel as though I fully honored the millions of people who have given their lives for our freedoms by reading this book today. And what a glorious book it is.

I finished it speechless and crying. I impatiently waited for this book from Madeline Martin but it was worth every second of the wait. Her writing and story telling are impeccable. I could see every moment of the book in my mind and while some of it I wish I couldn't, that means it is a great book. 

It is a story about World War II with incredible historical accuracy but it is so much more than that. It is about friendship, family, love, honor, compassion, loss, strength, the love of books and women who defy all the odds. It is truly a remarkable book. As I wrote to Madeline after I finished the book, "You touched a part of my soul that has been quiet for a long time." 

I kept writing down passages I liked until I realized I was writing most of the book. But I know it was going to be good from the very first page and this line, "...and gave a freshly applied vermillion smile." What a perfect description!! I feel like every word was perfectly chosen and held more meaning that I could even glean from them. I just really fell into the world and it is very hard leaving it now.

It also seems like a book appropriate for the pandemic. The themes at times were very similar and the teachings from WWII could certainly apply to 2020 and 2021. There are so many pieces of the book I want to share with you but it would most definitely take away from the beauty of discovering it all on your own.

All I can promise is that it is worth your time to read this book and relish in its beauty. To all my friends who love books, please, please add this book to your 'to read' list to read next. I can not recommend it enough. "One book at a time."

4 paws and a tail

ARMOR (1984) Re-Read

 

// It was an odd being which rose from Felix and through him. It was, in fact, a remarkable creature. It was a wartime creature and a surviving creature. A killing creature. From a distant place, the frightened Felix scanned himself. He recognized little. Still, what he saw was a comfort of sorts and he concentrated himself toward it, toward the coldness, die callous machinelike... The Engine, he thought. It’s not me. it’s my Engine. It will work when I cannot. It will examine and determine and choose and, at last, act. It will do all this while I cower inside. // 

I finished another re-read of ARMOR by John Steakley (1951 - 2010) over the weekend. As I recall, I first read this novel in the late 1980s. I next read it in the mid-1990s. I'm not sure if this latest revisit is my third or fourth. But I will say that, for the most part, I think this book still holds up as an exploration of the psychological toll on combatants -- think STARSHIP TROOPERS (the novel, not the movie), but with better battles and more internal examinations. On second thought, it doesn't matter whether you compare the novel ARMOR to either form of STARSHIP TROOPERS; the simple truth is that ARMOR is superior. 

Some reviewers have pointed out that the shift in perspective from Felix the military scout in Part 1 to Jack Crow the mercenary in Part 2 is jarring and maybe unnecessary. I've also seen the argument that, maybe, Steakley just jammed the manuscript from another unfinished novel into ARMOR and then stitched them together in Parts 3 and 4.  I suppose that is possible. I also suppose that attitude might be a conceit from modern (post 2000s) reviewers having trouble with a form of storytelling (military sci-fi) that was in its nascent development in the late 1970s and through the 1980s. I liken it to kids these days being frustrated with the storytelling and editing of classic films. 

Anyway, like I said, the novel more or less holds up. Some aspects are even reminiscent (or would that be prescient?) of military conflicts that occurred decades after its publishing. 

I found the image for this post online, but it's a good match for my 1984 printing of the paperback.

"That’s the trouble with armor. It won’t protect you from what you are.” ~The Masao to Felix

Lovecraft Country - HBO Max

 Dangrdafne review:

Should I or shouldn't I watch this show? It is horror. It is scary. It is amazing according to many of my friends. I figured I watched Preacher, so how much horror could it be? Enough :)

Yes, it was extremely violent and gross and hard to watch but at the same time it made sense and I didn't feel like it was gratuitous. It fit the story and was even needed at times. I survived ;)

What an extremely thought provoking show. I had so many questions not only just about the story but about the history and the use of black actors in traditionally white roles. It was refreshing to see sci-fi and horror turned on its head. The cast was incredible and I would love to sit down with them to discuss the show and their thoughts on it all. 

I love that I had to live in their world and realize that sci-fi was a part of their world. That Lovecraft Country was real and that is not what they were surprised to learn about as the story went on. It was a great mystery story and again a beautiful family story. I really really love stories of families that are either by blood or even more so by choice. Such subtle things happen within the overall global story and I was enthralled with it all. 

I get why people loved this show so much. It is different, intriguing, thought provoking, horrific, glorious and timely. I am on board if there is a season 2 but I am also ok if this is all the story they get to tell. Although I think I would rather it continues so we all get to see the upside down sci-fi world of Lovecraft Country and make it the norm. 

4 paws

The Undoing - HBO Max

Dangrdafne review:

WOW! WOW! WOW!

My mother actually stated this show as a 10 out of 10 for her and along with the story in Entertainment Weekly, and the cast of this show, I knew I wanted to watch it.

It is only 6 hour long episodes and oh my goodness the amount of story that happens in those 6 hours is a massive undertaking and one that David E Kelley can more than handle.

An incredible story told by the most wonderful cast: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Noah Jupe, Donald Sutherland, and Lily Rabe and a supporting cast of people I hope to see for a long time to come.

It's a mystery wrapped in a courtroom drama wrapped in a family drama. Sooooooo very good.

I can tell you nothing specific because you need to watch it for yourself and enjoy the ride. It is beautifully filmed and the costuming is luscious. Nicole Kidman is a force to watch and I believe there is nothing she can't do at this point. Hugh Grant had me needing to watch Notting Hill after the show so I could clear my brain of his character. Donald Sutherland was pure, intense, heartbreaking, demanding and one of the best roles I have seen him create. But the actor who stole the show for me was the young boy, Noah Jupe. Oh what a joy to watch this young man portray his character. The emotions he had to go through, it was impressive.

Bonus information: the singer of the opening credits song is none other than Nicole Kidman. Simply beautiful.

4 paws and a tail

Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim

Dangrdafne book review 

So for my 50th birthday last year I wanted to go to Paris and see Notre Dame as my birthday trip. But then, on the same day, Notre Dame burned and I received a letter that my passport was lost when it was sent for renewal. I was devastated on both counts and didn't know what to do. 

Many months have passed and my passport have never turned up but I did get my renewal one and Notre Dame is hopefully being restored and I will get there at some point. And now we are in a pandemic and travel is on hold no matter what for me. An author friend of mine posted a retweet of Roselle Lin's tweet announcing her book release a few months ago and as soon as I saw the title and read Roselle's tweet I knew I had to get the book: Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop.

I ordered it immediately from my local bookstore and waited for them to let me know it was ready for pick up. I waited a week and then finally it was ready. My hubby went to get the book for me but upon his return I found that they had placed the wrong Roselle Lin book on the pick up shelf for me. I was so sad and I had to wonder, am I ever meant to go to Paris... even in a book?? They corrected the error and another week later I had my book.

It was worth the wait for sure. I can still see all the sights, hear all the sounds of Paris, smell all the glorious foods and feel all the wonderful emotions of the book. A truly beautiful read.

It is a story about Vanessa Yu and how she searches for love, a life and herself. She has an incredible family, if not a little overbearing but certainly full of love. Roselle's writing is simply beautiful. Her descriptions are real and easy to imagine. Especially when she writes about food. Oh the glorious food. Make sure you are not hungry when you read this book and even if you are full, you will still want all the food. Roselle has an affinity for describing all the smells and tastes of the food in Paris. 

This was truly a wonderful book to get lost in and it was so easy to lose yourself to the streets of Paris and the lives of the Yu's. I love stories about family and this did not let me down. The family is crucial to the entire story and I would love to know them in real life. Their loyalty to each other is something to aspire to in our own lives.

Will Vanessa find love? Will she find a life? Will she find herself? You will have to take the journey with her and enjoy all the twists and turns in the book to find out. So grab a snack and strap yourself in for a ride through Paris and Vanessa's Yu's journey.

Educated A Memoir by Tara Westover

 Dangrdafne book review

What a difficult read. I truly disliked the people in this book but I shouldn't because really they all have untreated mental illness. This was one of the hardest books I have ever stuck with. My psychology mind was reeling from it all but it couldn't let it go.

It is the memoir of a young woman who grew up in Idaho with a very different upbringing than many people. The major influence of the story is that she does not got to school or even receive home schooling as a child. I know schools are not perfect but I can't help but feel that without it you miss out on so much about the world. There is something to be said for understanding things outside of yourself and I believe this book shines the light on that.

Her schooling does change as she gets older and she does end up in college and beyond, which is quite an incredible feat based on her family history. The human spirit really can take someone further than you could ever imagine.

This book was so frustrating to me and I feel like it is all because of me and that others might truly enjoy this book. The person who recommended the book and lent it to me really liked it but actually was not surprised that I had issues with it. 

I just felt so horrible for this whole family but they lived the lives they wanted and knew and who am I to say anything about it. I just know I would not read this book again but I would not stop anyone else from reading it just because of my issues with the book. It is an overall good book and very interesting. 

2 paws 

Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens

Dangrdafne book review:

Not at all what I expected!

What a gorgeous book about some not so gorgeous times.

A simple story about a female from childhood to adulthood in the deep south.

It tells the tale of her life and all that she goes through on her own, truly all.on.her.own.

It is disturbing at times, glorious at times and wholly real throughout.

You want to protect her, fight for her, yell at her, yell with her and be her at all different times in the story.

Her tale is long, sad and victorious but maybe not in the ways you think.

This story was not at all what I thought it would be but it was everything I needed it to be.

I feel stronger for having read it and more knowledgeable too on topics I would not have thought about otherwise.

This book took me two days to read and it's been two weeks and I am still not past it.

I loved that I cried both tears of sadness and of joy throughout this book.

It touched me on so many levels.

I know I don't say too much about the actual stories when I write my book reviews but that is because I want each person to be able to experience the story in the book on their own. You don't need me to give you the play by play, that is what you read the book for. I just offer my thoughts on how the book affected me. This one was pretty amazing and I really hope that if you haven't ever read it, you will seek it out.

4 paws

Summer Island - Kristin Hannah

Dangrdafne book review: 

The perfect end of summer read. 

The book's location is set in the Pacific Northwest, one of my favorite areas in the world. I could see the places that were described in the book and it is a character unto itself.

A story of a family specifically a mother and daughter plus a second daughter and lesser so the father and how they are dealing with turmoil and unresolved feelings and a definite lack of communication. This is a female centric story and it is glorious. I definitely see my mother, myself and my sister in this book - thankfully not as separated as these three are but we are definitely the characters in many ways. It was nice to have my Mom and Sister near me as I read this book.

The ups and downs, the laughter, the tears, it is all worth every second of it. The writing is superb and I could see, hear, smell and feel everything. I truly want to go to Summer Island and see these places and feel it all for myself.

If you have ever had issues with your mother, this is a wonderful book to use to work through them. I do not have any issues with my mother but I could understand and empathize with what was happening. You always need to hear the other side and the other side has to be willing to tell. Keeping quiet, keeping secrets, keeping up appearances will get you nowhere. If people would just be honest and talk, the amount of trouble in the world would reduce so much. And the mother/daughter bond is an incredible power, one that should never be taken for granted.

There is even a love story hidden amongst all the turmoil and it is deep and lovely. A long unrequited love that needs nurturing and release. To find out if there is happy ending you will have to read Summer Island by Kristin Hannah.

4 paws

Switchback - Danika Stone - book review

Dangrdafne book review - NO spoilers


The main reason for no spoilers is because you have to read this book for yourself. You need to take the roller coaster ride that this book offers. It is NOT what I expected but it was everything I wanted it to be in the end.

Switchback as defined by Merriman-Webster: a zigzag road, trail, or section of railroad tracks for climbing a steep hill.

Quite the understatement for this book. The switchbacks in this book were amazing. A Physical Education class trip gone wrong in so many ways and the crazy journey Vale and Ash go on, as does the reader, to get back home. 

It’s also a story about friendship, the most incredible friendship, and its survival at all costs. Vale and Ash are high school students, friends since elementary school, the outcasts, and the absolute best of friends. I loved them, I want to know them, I would definitely have been friends with them.

This will sound like a bad thing but hear me out. I kept getting annoyed reading some parts of the book and while that sounds bad it’s actually a sign of amazing storytelling. I wanted, needed to know what was happening so I just wanted to skip the small talk and get to it but I couldn’t because I would miss something that would be important to the story later. It was frustrating but frustratingly wonderful. I can’t tell you the last time I read a book with so much suspense. To use a common theme, it was a real page-turner. 

And while I loved the thrill and the suspense I have to say reading about a friendship between a boy and a girl was my true joy in the book. The things they learn about themselves and each other and how they have to support one another is perfectly lovely. It warmed my heart to watch two souls find themselves and each other and learn and grow together, and in high school students no less. This is not a love story, this is a friendship story and how often do you get to say that for a story about a boy and a girl. I appreciate it so much.

I was left with questions, good questions, not literally unanswered questions as odd as that sounds. Just more that I want to know. Pieces I want to fit in. Behind the scenes per say. Basically I just want more.

I keep identifying with Danika's teenagers and I think that is great, especially for a 50 year old. It means Danika writes well-rounded characters with whom the reader can imagine as a part of them or that they are people they know or have known or I guess in this case, want to know.

4 paws

I also very much enjoy Danika's writing. It is descriptive and crisp and easy to read. I look forward to the next books I have from her, a trilogy, the third book of which comes out in November. I have to decide if I am going to start reading the first two I have because I am sure it will be torture to wait until November to finish the story if I start the books now :)

Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos

Book review by Dangrdafne:

Evan Roskos is the brother to one of my good friends. As soon as she told me about the book I pre-ordered it. That was awhile ago. I just never got around to actually reading the book. Now just last week, she sent me the trailer for the movie version of the book! I was hooked. It looks amazing! So I pulled out the book and read it all in one day.

WOW!

“She perches on the power lines of my thoughts.”

This books is incredible. It shows mental health issues in the best light. I know that might sound odd but it really does. As I read it I knew exactly how James was feeling and I have been in his spot many times as hard as it is to admit or want to admit.

James is trying to figure out his place in the world and why his sister, Jorie, was kicked out of their house and school. It has all the makings of a high school young adult novel but hidden inside is the mystery of what really happened with Jorie. James never feels like he gets a true response to his questions but then maybe he doesn't really want the answers he will find.

James has a best friend Derek and a "love interest" Beth. I love that these two people are his strength and his sounding boards, I am grateful that they are there for James and that they stick with him through all the ups and downs of teenage life...and so much more.

The book also houses a real and true talk on mental health. We have all felt that we were broken, that we were wired differently, that we were invisible... in James's case he is correct in these feelings. We go through all his motions and emotions as he winds his way through his life and his story.

Dr. Bird is just that, a pigeon that James talks to and gets advice from... and yes, it really is just James talking to himself but it is so poignant and makes you wish for your own Dr. Bird.

4 paws

I find it interesting that I read two very different books in the past week: one being female centered and the other male centered BUT they both had a mystery about them, they both had mental health issues as a main point and they both made me laugh, cry, yell and feel sooo good about myself at the end of them. Good authors are very special indeed. It is not something I could do but it is definitely something I can appreciate. And I hope that by posting these reviews, I will send them some more readership and recognition.

Internet Famous by Danika Stone

Book review by Dangrdafne:

If you have ever belonged to a Fandom then this book might be for you. And even if not.

Madi runs a blog called MadLibs and basically this books tells her life story. 

It is a young adult themed book but I had no trouble identifying with the characters as it is about a family and growing up in these challenging times.

My favorite aspect of the book is Madi's sister. She is on the spectrum and I really appreciated the realistic coverage of her. I know some people just like her and it was nice to see them in this book and see them have real stories told about them. She is not just a side note or a passing fancy in the book she is an integral part of the story, one that lends so much heart and truth to the story.

I loved that the book brought out all my emotions. I was so angry at times with what was happening to Madi that I wanted to throw the book down. Then I would be so happy that I would just smile from ear to ear. But my favorite parts were the kisses. Oh the kisses. Danika has some special magical power to writing kissing scenes. My heart just melted every single time. 

I learned a lot of online lingo too which was unexpected. From the definition section in the front of the book to just the use of the lingo throughout, it was kind of hard to miss but I liked it. It made it more realistic and definitely of the times (man I sound old). It is a high school setting but I am serious when I tell you that I had no trouble identifying and understanding what was happening. I am also really happy that I do not have children. What these kids have to go through these days, it is at times so much worse than anything I had to live through. I have bullies but they were only in person. These days you get them both in person and online. It is never ending and all encompassing.

The hidden joy of the book is that it is also a mystery. There is a who dun it and it is quite the twisty turny situation that may have you guessing the whole time. I did not expect this mystery and that just added to my joy reading this book. Maybe it was just so different from any other books I have read that I just went in head first and ended up taking in my heart too.

I highly recommend this book. 

4 paws