Tag Archive | fathers

N is Natalie, fighting addiction in Other Broken Things, by CJ Desir (book review)

Apr16

book cover of Other Broken Things by CJ Desir published by Simon Pulse | BooksYALove.com “Powerless over alcohol”… well, maybe
“Fearless moral inventory”… don’t want to go there
“A Power greater than ourselves”… ummm

Nat attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings only because her probation after the car wreck requires it, not because she needs to.

Finding connections there with her mentor and with a cool older guy is a bonus, especially after her party-friends at school snub her.

But there’s something more, and maybe she does need help to get through all this.

Check with your local library (National Library Week is every week, right?) or independent bookstore for this January 2016 title with strong characters who are weak at their cores.

Fearless moral inventory…
**kmm

Book info: Other Broken Things / C. Desir. Simon Pulse, 2016.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: After Natalie’s drunken car wreck and rehab, the Chicago teen must attend AA meetings, where she meets a mentor who cares more than her suburbanite parents do and a much older guy who might just get her past the reasons she stopped boxing and nearly partied herself gone.

M is Madly & magic & oh my! by Amy Alward (book review)

Apr15

book cover of Madly by Amy Alward published by Simon & Schuster BFYR | BooksYALove.comA love-poisoned princess is dying,
rarest ingredients needed for the cure,
the Wilde Hunt is on!

Princess Evelyn is utterly, totally, Madly in love – with herself! Now Nova’s best spell-creators must discover the unwritten, illegal love potion recipe so the antidote can be found.

Samantha races against other potion-makers like royal boyfriend and family rival Zain to save the Princess, while trying to save herself from falling in love with Zain. Hmmm… maybe that’s mere magic, too.

Would you ever use a love potion?
**kmm

Book info: Madly (Potion Diaries #1) / Amy Alward. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Born potion-maker Samantha must outwit competitors to create the antidote for Princess Evelyn’s love potion turned deadly and outsmart her own heart as she tries not to fall in love with the princess’s almost-fiance Zain – who is also her greatest rival on the Wilde Hunt for rare ingredients.

This first book in The Potion Diaries series sees Sam discover secrets from the time before Zain’s family cornered the potions market with synthetics, worry over her younger sister’s magic Talent, taste adventure and danger beyond Nova’s borders, and turn away from love… if she can. Princess Evelyn gets her chapters, too, as the love potion draws her deeper into its power. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

K for Kenny & the Sword of Kuromori, by Jason Rohan (book review) – summoned to Japan against evil

Apr13

book cover of Sword of Kuromori by Jason Rohan published by Kane Miller Books | BooksYALove.comMysterious messages and mythic messengers,
motorcycle ninjas and undead attackers,
dream visions and the end of the world?

Kenny never dreamed that his granddad’s diplomatic work in post-war Japan would bring him face-to-face today with villains (human and otherwise) who try to keep the teen from stopping worldwide destruction.

Check out the book’s Facebook page for a tour of sites and monsters found in book 1.  I’m traveling in Japan this summer, so I will see torii gates and temples, but hope that I don’t encounter any nukekubi!

Any multi-tailed foxes in your dreams?
**kmm

Book info: The Sword of Kuromori / Jason Rohan. Kane Miller, 2016.  [series Facebook page]  [publisher site]  [author interview] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Kenny thinks he’ll finally meet up with his grieving father in Japan, but the British teen finds himself detained by government officials, rescued by his grandfather’s old allies, and expected to prevent the world’s destruction using a missing sword… in just nine days!

Maybe it starts with the raccoon-thing on the plane that only he can see, or maybe when the police stop him at the Tokyo airport, or when he’s snatched from them by a ninja on a motorcycle…

His grandfather’s connections with Japan from decades past help Kenny locate the fabled sword that shares his last name so he can learn its secrets and tap into its powers, for he is the only one who can stop a slumbering dragon from being awoken to destroy the world – it is prophesied.

Messages from spirit world allies arrive in his dreams, the daughter of grandfather’s old friend teaches him martial arts moves and essential Japanese phrases, and mythic beings try to kill them in broad daylight!

Who exactly is threatening the USA west coast with a tsunami?
How can an old sword stop an unearthly weapon?
Will Kenny ever see his dad again?

First in a series filled with Japanese culture and mythological creatures, questions about loyalty and family, plus lots of adventure and humor. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

J is Just Myrto, by Laurie Gray (book review) – first Socrates’ wife, then his student

Apr12

book cover of Just Myrto by Laurie Gray published by Luminis Books | BooksYALove.comOrphaned with no dowry,
Given away as a second wife,
Learning to love and to learn.

This intriguing piece of historical fiction brings to life Myrto, the second wife of noted philosopher Socrates in ancient Greece, who learns much from her husband, yet despairs of ever being recognized for being herself, instead of always in relation to men.

How do you introduce yourself to the world?
**kmm

Book info: Just Myrto / Laurie Gray. Luminis Books, 2014. [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: With no dowry, Myrto is relieved to become a second wife instead of a slave in Athens, little dreaming that her philosopher-husband would open her mind and soothe her soul.

As he teaches her, Socrates teaches invites the young woman to think and reason, just as he does with his male students, but no woman is her own person in ancient Greece.

During this turbulent time in Athens, men in power are threatened by Socrates’ teachings and challenges to ‘the way it’s always been’ so the great man is soon torn away from his young bride.

Can she persuade Socrates to escape, to leave Athens for safety?
How can she discover what she should do to better the world?
Will she ever be “just Myrto” instead of someone’s daughter or sister or wife?

Walk the dusty streets of Athens with thinkers, wonderers, and worriers in this novel of questions and interesting answers. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

I is investigating football concussions & Second Impact dangers, by David & Perri Klass (book review)

Apr11

book cover of Second Impact by David Klass and Perri Klass published by Square Fish | BooksYALove.comFootball, hard hits,
blanked-out moments,
keep on playing?

With a possible football championship the only bright spot in their small town, folks don’t take kindly to a young investigative reporter asking why the high school coach isn’t benching players with confirmed concussions longer.

With recent reports on NFL concussions and continuing concerns about head injuries in teen athletes, stories like the situation described in Second Impact  have long-lasting consequences.

Read an excerpt here courtesy of the publisher, then head to your local library or independent bookstore to find this hard-hitting book told in two voices by a brother and sister writing team with much experience in sports and medicine, respectively.

Is it okay to play through pain?
**kmm

Book info:  Second Impact / David Klass and Perri Klass. Frances Foster Books, 2013; paperback Square Fish, 2014. [David’s bio]  [Perri’s site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: A young sports reporter’s investigation of concussions sparks angry reactions as their New Jersey high school football team prepares for the championship, but her persistence may save someone’s life.

Carla covers sports for the Kendall High newspaper, and Jerry makes headlines as the winning quarterback (after the drunk car wreck fiasco blew over). She’s convinced him to join her in blogging about football and life, while she writes about recovering from soccer-ending ACL injury.

Things get dicey when her sports injuries series in the school paper starts talking about concussions, just as their star receiver misses a game after getting his bell rung.

Will Carla rehab from her knee injury and play soccer again?
Can Jerry push the team hard enough to win, no matter who is hurting?
When the Tigers’ possible championship is the only positive topic in their blue-collar town, can criticizing the coach be a good thing?

Told in alternating voices by a brother-sister writing team, this novel of blogs, emails, and conversations brings up tough questions for the kids at Kendall High and the adults who live in their reflected glory.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

E for Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon (book review) – allergic to everything but love

Apr6

book cover of Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon published by Delacorte | BooksYALove.comCan’t ever leave her house,
Any particle could kill her,
but love can stop your heart, too…

Such a rare medical condition, yet Maddy has survived her severe autoimmune diseases to reach age 18, just as new neighbors move in next door to her airlock-sealed house, and she can see Olly there.

Surprising turns (this book reached bestseller status before I got to write about it – oops), longing for change, and a chance to love.

If you suddenly became allergic to something wonderful, how would you cope?
**kmm

Book info: Everything, Everything / Nicola Yoon. Delacorte Press, 2015.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [author video interview] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Medically fragile Maddy is no longer content to stay airlocked into safety when Olly moves next door, and the teens strike up an enticing online friendship.

Her severe autoimmune disorders were diagnosed in childhood shortly after Dad and her brother were killed, so Maddy has lived in a sealed house for years, tutored online, cared for by her doctor mother and longtime nurse.

At 18, she knows she will never go away to college or learn to drive, but is content with the arrangements that allow her to stay relatively healthy… until Olly and his family move next door.

What would it be like to touch someone besides Mom and Carla?
How can Olly share the world with her without killing her?
What if the truth is only partly true?

A friendship story, a love story, with health report charts and emails and doodles – about everything Maddy thinks she knows and wants to know. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

D is Death’s mysteries, sought out by Boy in the Black Suit, by Jason Reynolds (book review)

Apr5

book cover of Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers | BooksYALove.comMom has passed on,
Dad is laid up,
sadness just muffles Matt.

Sometimes his job at Ray’s Funeral Home is just being another mourner, hoping that shared grief will ease the pain of losing his mother, but this one time, a girl challenges what Matt thinks about death, about memory…

Ask for this strong book at your local library or independent bookstore.

Can grief be tucked away from the everydayness of living?
**kmm

Book info: The Boy in the Black Suit / Jason Reynolds [author site]  [publisher site]  [audio author video] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: After Mom’s death, Matt’s job at his Brooklyn neighborhood funeral parlor gives him insight into grief and a startling revelation into the past.

Better to wear a black suit as fill-in pallbearer and chair arranger than working in fast-food, Matt thinks as he wrestles with reminders of Mom’s recent passing and the reality of Dad’s slide back into the booze bottle.

Sitting in on dozens of funerals lets the teen examine the intricacies of mourning. He always leaves before the post-funeral meal and questions about how he knew the deceased… except that one time when Lovey stirred up a memory.

How do you say goodbye for forever?
Is a memory picture as real as a photograph?
Moving on – can it ever be done?

As Matt and Lovey spend time together on unusual dates, a few things about death, life, and living begin to make just a little more sense. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

A for Along the Way, by Jacqueline Kolosov (book review) – 3 friends on a pilgrimage

Apr1

book cover of Along the Way by Jacqueline Kolosov published by Luminis | BooksYALove.comShould have broken in those boots before walking 500 miles…
Should have trusted her instincts about that young man…
Should have been ready for miracles on the pilgrimage…

Three far-flung friends walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage from the French Pyrenees to the Spanish coast, each for her own reasons, encountering heartache, love, physical woes, and personal victories in their month together during the summer after graduation.

Ask for this travelogue in three voices at your local library or independent bookstore – they may have to invoke interlibrary loan or special order, but it’s worth the wait!

Can you ever be fully prepared for a journey that’s guaranteed to change your life?
**kmm

p.s. Happy first day of the Blogging from AtoZ Challenge! I’ll recommend 26 books in 26 days of April, A to Z.

Book info: Along the Way: Three Friends, 33 Days, and One Unforgettable Journey on the Camino de Santiago / Jacqueline Kolosov. Luminis Books, 2015.  [author blog]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Walking the Camino de Santiago brings three young women closer together as the childhood friends meet other pilgrims from around the world, push their own physical and emotional limits, and find what they didn’t even know they were seeking.

Dani, Piper, and Tessa met as kids in Chicago, but live far apart now, so this 500 mile pilgrimage from France through Spain is their chance to reconnect before college and journey beyond their own comfort zones.

How can they balance family expectations with their own dreams?
Are the girls walking away from problems or toward understanding?
Cute guys in France and Spain – distractions or companions?

Three voices, three hearts, one long path taken step by step. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Who’s Ju? by Dania Ramos (book review) – family secrets & middle school drama

Jan27

book cover of Who's Ju? by Dania Ramos published by Northampton HouseVandalism in the theater props?
Call in the 7th Grade Sleuths!
Time to update your image?
Let a fashionista help!
Unlock a family mystery?
Hmmm….

Justina (pronounced HoosTEEnah) is intrigued by the school drama queen’s request that the Sleuths find out who carved her name on the backstage scenery (although fellow Sleuth and best friend Ig isn’t so charmed).

The 7th grade genetics research project requires family interviews to “discover” your personal DNA… maybe the mystery of Ju’s frizzy blond hair and hazel eyes among the dark browns of her Puerto Rican family can be solved! So who is Ju??

Enjoy this first book in the 7th Grade Sleuths series for Multicultural Children’s Book Day or any day – there’s much more to this Blueprint of Life Project than Ju expects.
**kmm

Book info: Who’s Ju? (7th Grade Sleuths, book 1) / Dania Ramos. Northampton House Publishing, 2015. [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy from the author for Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2016; cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When blond middle schooler Ju finds a mysterious letter while researching her personal DNA project for school, she hopes to fit into her Puerto Rican family better, but the amateur investigator discovers questions far bigger than the 7th Grade Sleuths’ current drama club vandalism case.

Sara’s name is carved into drama club scenery, so the young actress asks Justina, Ig, and Gunther to find out who did it – before the theater teacher does.

As the Sleuths check on suspects and alibis during school hours, Ju tries to interview her parents for the Blueprint of Life Project (major science grade), but they evade her questions. Searching family keepsakes in the attic, Ju locates a photo of herself that she’s never seen and some strange correspondence.

Ju tries dyeing her hair brown to match her parents and sister, then allows stylish Sara to update her wardrobe (goodbye, funky handmade sweaters from Mami and Auntie’s craft shop) and hair (hello, flatiron) to fit in at school.

Will Mami and Papi finally answer her questions about the letter and photo?
Will little sister Delilah ever stop pestering her?
Will best friend Ig finally start talking to the new Ju?

Family mystery and school drama keep Ju most busy in this first book of the 7th Grade Sleuths series. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

How to Be Brave, by E. Katherine Kottaras (book review) – live large is mom’s last request

Nov21

book cover of How to Be Brave by E Katherine Kottaras published by St Martin Griffin Teen | recommended on BooksYALove.comA challenge from her late mom,
a best friend willing to do anything,
a chance for an epic senior year… and maybe love.

Meet Georgia (and snarky best pal Liss) in this excerpt, courtesy of the publisher – check out her Do Everything Be Brave List, then get the whole story of how she tackles the list, copes with heartbreak, and struggles with body image.

This isn’t one of those “my mom died and I will mope through life until someone else makes it worthwhile” stories. Georgia creates her own ups (and downs), although Liss and Evelyn are with her for many things.

I loved the way that Georgia would reframe negatives into possibilities (although not always with ease) and the winding routes that her thoughts took as time passed, too.

Don’t miss the interactive book trailer so you can help Georgia ‘be brave’ – http://howtobebravebook.com/

What’s on your Do Awesome Stuff list?
**kmm

Book info: How to Be Brave / E. Katherine Kottaras.  St. Martins Press/ Griffin Teen, 2015. [author site]  [publisher site]  [interactive book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Inspired by her late mother’s letter, Georgia makes a list of daring things to do during her senior year, little realizing how much she and her friendships and her dreams will change along the way.

Her Greek-American father tries to keep their Chicago restaurant going despite his grief, and Georgia tries to break out of her shell by following Mom’s advice to “go do anything you like – in fact, do everything” with an I Want to Live Life list – including jump out of a plane, cut class (no, she never has), learn how to draw like Mom, ask him out…

So she and best friend Liss and new pal Evelyn start in the middle of the list and work their way around to tribal dancing (and maybe Georgia will ask Daniel out, some time).

But one ill-timed party fractures their friendship, and senior year’s zip turns to blah.

Is it worth doing the adventures on her list alone?
Can she ever get Liss back on her side?
Will she be brave enough to leave behind her mom’s artistic style?

Change is scary, but staying the same on-the-sidelines-of-life chubby girl is not an option for Georgia after Mom’s last request entreating her to learn How to Be Brave.
(One of 8,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)