Summer's Opus

  Title: Dawn of the Reaper Author: Paul F. McGowan Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Rating: Four Stars! Following centuries of exile, a dragon named Firestorm has set the final wheels in motion to exact his revenge against the kingdom that vanquished his kind. The only problem he faces is one meddling human, who’s discovered his secret plot and plans to expose the dragon to the king. Naturally, Firestorm will not allow that to happen, so he murders the man and incorrectly assumes that he also rids himself of the meddling man’s wife and son. Unbeknownst to the dragon, of course, Rowan survives the attack and before she passes away, his mother begs an accidental passerby to protect her son and his secrets. Archibald Scott, a local shopkeeper and notorious sorcerer, vows to safeguard Rowan’s identity and then raises him as a sorcerer’s apprentice. As Rowan enters adolescence, he excels at wizardry and can often be found causing mischief around town with his friend Sydne...

  Title: The Cat Who Ate Christmas Author: Lil Chase and Thomas Docherty Genre: Illustrated Children’s Illustrated Rating: Five Stars! Jingles is a feisty kitten! Some of his favorite pastimes include climbing the Christmas tree and unwrapping his families’ Christmas gifts. Luckily for him, Jingles has a very loving and understanding family. Mom, Dad, Alex, Lily, and Rose all love him and are always quick to forgive his transgressions; that is until the day of Christmas dinner, when the family leaves the turkey to cool on the counter while they go to pick up grandma. Jingles cannot resist the delicious smell so he sniffs, leaps, and pounces onto the counter and eats, and eats, and eats some more — until the turkey is completely gone! When the family returns and discovers that Jingles ate Christmas, the kitten quickly finds a hiding spot, fearing the worst — but his family doesn’t get mad, not really — and when they can’t find him, they realize just how much they...

  Title: The Cuckoo Wood Author: M. Sean Coleman Genre: Adult Supernatural Mystery/Thriller Rating: Five Stars! Dr. Alex Ripley doesn’t mind that she’s been dubbed “The Miracle Detective.” She has, after all, dedicated her career to debunking alleged miracles or divine interventions with the logical perspective of science and reason. It’s no wonder then that, during a particularly disturbing and bizarre case in a small, isolated, and overly religious community, an old friend calls to ask for Alex’s help. There’s talk of angels and she’s hoping that Alex can get to the bottom of it. Kirkdale is a rural community in England’s Lake District. It’s picturesque and one of those small towns where everyone knows everyone, so when a teenage girl commits suicide, it raises concerns; not only because it's a tragedy, but also because the community seems to want the news to just fade away. Their odd reaction is undoubtedly due to the fact that, decades before, the town had s...