Summer's Opus

Title: The Realm Below: The Rise of Tanipestis Author: Susan Rooke Genre: YA Christian Fantasy Fiction Rating: Five Stars! When I love a book, I’m always leery about picking up its sequel. I know, that may sound crazy, but I’ve read a few series where the subsequent books have turned me off to the entire universe. Hopefully, you don’t know what I mean (because you’ve always struck literary gold every time you’ve picked up a book series!). If, however, you’re all too familiar with my plight, then you’ve undoubtedly shared some of my reticence as you’ve reached for the second book of a series. Will it be as good? Will the storyline progress in a way that keeps me engaged? Will I be able to continue to love and hate the same characters with an equal amount of passion? As an avid reader, we tend to build intimate, passionate relationships with our books, so committing to a series is serious business! This month, I happily volunteered to read the second book of Susan ...

Title: Flip Author: Martyn Bedford Genre: YA Existential Fantasy Rating: Five Stars! I’m a sucker for book covers, so when I stumble upon a good one, I immediately have to investigate. Who wrote it? What can those images possibly mean? I’m a fan of bright and flashy things, but what I really love is subtle mystery—you know, those book covers that catch your eye because they seem dark and intriguing. Those always make me wonder, “Now what’s this all about?” So I’ll pick it up off the shelf, or here lately, I’ll click on the link, and I’ll read the synopsis. Almost always, when the book cover is that good, I instantly fall in love, and that’s exactly how it worked out with “Flip” by Martyn Bedford. The cover is definitely eye catching, and the synopsis hooked me from the start, but, before I dive into my take on it, here’s the publisher’s note… “Flip” Book Synopsis What does it mean to have a soul whose will to live knows no limits? One morning fourteen-year-...

Title: Beartown Author: Fredrik Backman Genre: Adult Contemporary Mystery Rating: Five Stars! I’m a fan of shifting POVs (point of views, that is), and I love it when authors experiment and test boundaries. It could really work in their favor, or, conversely, it could be disastrous. Fortunately, for Fredrik Backman, his writing style in Beartown was highly successful. Granted, I’ve met some people who disagree with me on that point—justifiably upset that there were times when you couldn’t necessarily identify the characters, and while there are several occasions where the reader may feel a little lost, ultimately, reading through it pays off in a big way because Beartown is an amazing book. But, before I dive into my praise, let me share the synopsis… “Bear Town” Book Synopsis People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever-encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an...

Title:  Lafayette in the Somewhat United States Author:  Sarah Vowell Genre:  Historical Non-Fiction Rating:  Four Stars! The older I get, the more I look toward the past. I’m told this is normal, so while I’ve always embraced an “in the moment” type of philosophy, I’ve also always understood the importance of looking back often. “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it” has been an old adage for a long time for a reason—because it’s true. So while history wasn’t always my favorite subject, I’ve grown to love it—and nowadays, there seems to be an endless stream of fun, inventive ways to learn all about the past! Take Sarah Vowell’s book  Lafayette in the Somewhat United States.  This book was recommended to me by a dear friend who instantly won me over by pitching it as “a sequel to Hamilton.” I couldn’t very well turn that down (because, in my world, there are gods who walk among us—and Lin Manuel-Miranda is one such m...

Title: The Space Between Author: Susan Rooke Genre: Adult Fantasy | Supernatural | Christian Fiction Rating: Five Stars! The definition of the term “plot twist” typically goes along the lines of “a literary technique that introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction.” In my experience, plot twists can go in one of two ways. In some instances, foreshadowing can make a plot twist so obvious that it almost isn’t worth mentioning when it finally comes up,  or  the plot twist can be so cliché and overdone that it turns you off—as a reader, that is. In other cases, though—and when done correctly—a plot twist can be an awesome, amazing device! It keeps the reader engaged, on the edge of his or her prospective seats, if you will, because no one can guess what’s coming next. In the case of  The Space Between,  the plot twists definitely fall in the latter category, with lots of surprising, twisty moments an...