The Emissary

Title: The Emissary (The One Great Year Series #1)

Author: Tamara Veitch & Rene DeFazio

Publisher: Waterside Press, 2018

Genre: fantasy

Pages: 201

Obtained: advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review




Synopsis: Marcus and Theron have been chosen to be eternal Emissaries.  They make the commitment to protect the secrets of their civilization and attempt to lead humankind to enlightenment through numerous reincarnations.  They are separated soon after they are bound to this obligation. Will they be reunited?

Thoughts: This is a hard book to review because when I was finished with it, I felt like I had just finished the introduction to a story, not a whole book.  There were some engrossing parts, and some where I found my mind wandering.  The characters were interesting.  The reader did not get to know them as much as I would have liked, but they were developed.  The authors did a great job describing the settings and beings of the worlds they created. 

I would say don't read this unless you plan to read the whole One Great Year Series because it was kind of disappointing where this book left off.  It felt like the main story was just about to begin.  My feeling was not that I couldn't wait to read the next piece of the story.  It was like I was ready to start the actual story.  It reminded me of when Stephen King's The Green Mile was released in six parts, except that I was prepared for that so I knew what to expect, which made it was okay.  This was not.


                                                                     

Company: Davids Tea

Tea: Budda's Blend

Obtained: purchased



The leaves of Budda's Blend from Davids Tea have the scent of peaches.  The blend is made up of long black leaves with some jasmine pearls and lighter leaves mixed in.  The ingredients listed are white tea, green tea, jasmine pearls, white hibiscus blossoms, and natural and artificial flavouring. 

I put about two and a half teaspoons of leaves into my tea maker and poured sixteen ounces of water that had been boiled, and then cooled slightly, over the leaves.  I let this steep for one minute.  The liquid was yellow and had a light scent of jasmine and fruit.  The taste was a floral and fruit blend.  This is a light, delicate tea- something I would drink to relax.  The tea does have a medium caffeine content, so I don't recommend drinking it before bed.  This is a great one to try if you like jasmine and peaches.

The Last Mile

Title: The Last Mile (Memory Man #2)

Author: David Baldacci

Narrator: Kyf Brewer & Orlagh Cassidy

Publisher: Hachette Audio, 2016

Format: 10 compact discs, approximately 12 hours

Genre: mystery, thriller

Obtained: borrowed from friend




Synopsis: Melvin Mars was convicted of killing his parents and his execution is hours away.  At the last minute, Mars' execution is put on hold because someone else has confessed to the murder.  Can Amos Decker find out the truth?  Did Mars kill his parents, or was it someone else?

Thoughts: I hate it when a series of books has a change in the narrator.  It really makes it hard to reconnect with the main character.  It just doesn't seem like it is the same person as in the previous book because of the change in voice, but also in the way the narrator portrays the character.  This happens with the other characters as well.  I think this is the first book I listened to that I was glad of the change.  I had no problems with the narrator of the first book in The Memory Man series, but in this second audio book, Kyf Brewer presented the main character, Amos Decker, as lighter (not as serious), which really made me like Decker more.  It did take awhile to get used to the new voice and slight personality change, but I did fairly quickly.

I enjoyed this story more than the first Amos Decker book, Memory Man.  It had many of the same characters, but added Melvin Mars who was likeable and was an interesting "friend" for Decker. The writing was good, although some parts were just not believable, and the story moved along at a good pace.  It was entertaining, drew me in, and held me there until the end because there was so much going on. 

I would recommend reading these books in order.  The first book has Amos Decker's history in it which is very important to this second story.  The reader would not be lost, but would understand the "whys" better.


                                                                     

Company: Plum Deluxe

Tea: Apple Cinnamon Warmth Black Tea

Obtained: sample with tea of the month club order


Today I tried Apple Cinnamon Warmth Black Tea from Plum Deluxe.  This is a black tea, so it does contain caffeine.  The ingredients are black tea, cinnamon chips, apple pieces, orange blossoms, and apple / cinnamon essences.  The tea looked like a combination of black tea leaves of all shapes and sizes and some chunks of apple.  It had a deep, warm scent of cinnamon and apples.  I poured 8 ounces of water over about a teaspoon of the tea and let this steep for 3 minutes.  The orange- brown liquid had the same scent as the leaves.  The taste was of a rich apple cake with cinnamon.  This would make a wonderful replacement for dessert, or a treat when in need of something warm and comforting.  It would also go great with scones, muffins, or coffee cake.

Our Frail Disordered Lives

Title: Our Frail Disordered Lives

Author: Mary M. Schmidt

Publisher: self published, 2018

Genre: humor, horror

Pages: 195

Obtained: from the author in exchange for an honest review






Synopsis: What happens when a disgruntled demon wants to show his boss (the devil) what he's made of?

Thoughts: First of all, I thought this was going to be a horror book, but I would classify it as humor.  There were demons and an exorcism, but the story was presented in a comical way.  The story was told from the point of view of the demon that needed to be exorcised, which, to me, is really what made this story unique.  The writing was good, the story original and fresh, and the characters interesting.  I was entertained, especially at the beginning, and I am not a big fan of the humor genre. 

The only thing that bothered me was that there was just something about the book that was lacking.  It is hard to pinpoint,  but I believe it was the cohesion.  The story flowed, made sense, and wasn't confusing, but the way all the characters came together didn't work 100%.  It wasn't believable because it was just too easy- not complicated enough.

If you are looking for something entertaining, quick, and different to read, this is one to try.  If you are looking for a creepy horror story, look someplace else.


                                                                       

Company: Davids Tea

Tea: Organic Cinnamon Rooibos Chai

Obtained: purchased

Organic Cinnamon Rooibos Chai is a caffeine free chai.  The ingredients are rooibos, apple, cinnamon, and cinnamon flavouring.  This tea is made up of tiny orange and brown leaves with a few brown chunks of, I am assuming, dried apple.  The scent of the leaves is cinnamon.  I put one heaping teaspoon of leaves in my tea ball and poured 12 ounces of water over it.  I let this steep for 4 minutes.  The liquid was an orange brown with a cinnamon scent.  The taste was mostly of cinnamon, but the apple and rooibos gave the tea a slight sweetness.  If I wanted a cup of chai, I wouldn't pick this, but if I were looking for some cinnamon tea, I'd want this one.  This tea did not have the spiciness I look for in chai, but it is a delicious cinnamon tea- loved it!

Massachusetts Children's Book Award Program

My eleven year old son, Logan, is participating in the Massachusetts Children's Book Award Program.  The goal of this program, founded in 1975, and sponsored by Salem State University, is to encourage children to read.  The students were given a list of 25 books.  If they read at least five of the books on the list, they can vote for their favorite one in March.  They can read the book themselves, have someone read it to them, or listen to the audio book.  They do not have to do anything else, but are encouraged to share book reviews with one another.

My son's school kicked off this project with a "Book Tasting".  They purchased several new copies of each title on the list and laid them out on the cafeteria tables, which were covered with red and white checkered tablecloths- just like a picnic.  The students were supposed to read the book description on the back cover and look at the front cover, and then decide if it was something they might like to read.  What a great activity, right?  Not to my son who HATES anything to do with reading.  It was the most miserable day ever for him!

I looked at his list and my fifth grader had one book, just one, marked that he might like to read.  He LOVES to run, and the book, Ghost by Jason Reynolds,  had a picture of a boy running on the front cover.  The description on the back starts out with one word- Running.  I could see why this appealed to him.  He probably didn't read any further.  Logan struggles with reading and has just reached a fifth grade reading level (an R in Fountas and Pinnell).  Ghost is a Level Z.  I got the audio book at the library to try.  I was told by Logan's teachers that his comprehension level is way above his reading level and he likes being read to, just not reading books himself.

We decided we would start to listen to it in the car, and if he didn't like it, we'd try a different one.  Well, he loved it!  So did I!  AND my husband and 16 year old son listened to some of it and they were laughing and enjoying it too.  I have to say it is one of the BEST books I've ever read.  And the narrator- maybe THE best I've ever heard.  It is a great story with wonderful characters.  It has meaningful underlying themes with life lessons that are pertinent to older kids.  It is about serious stuff, but it's told in a light, humorous way.  Logan did not like the ending, and I can't say why because it would spoil the whole book for those who have not read it, but I thought it was perfect.  Logan understood the story, but not all the underlying themes, and I know that's why he didn't like the ending.  We talked about them, but he still wanted more information at the end.  Since Logan's reading level is not exactly where it is supposed to be, I think most fifth grade students and up would grasp more.  I didn't tell Logan yet, but Ghost is the first book in a "Track" series.  There are three more books, each about a different character from Ghost.  I want him to finish his five from the list before we go astray, but I am hoping he'll find out what he wanted to know from reading the other books in the series.

                                                               

The next book on the list that Logan picked to read was The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey.  He read this one on his own.  It had lots of pictures and not a lot of writing.  It was a Level P, so below his reading level.  He read it in two sittings, which is amazing for Logan!  He said it was 
"okay".  After seeing him read it so quickly, I, of course, had to read it too.  I could see it being entertaining and funny to 4th graders and up (especially boys), and great for kids like Logan who get overwhelmed by a page full of words.  This is also a series.



                                                              

We are now listening to All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook by Leslie Connor, another advanced book, which we are both really enjoying.  I'll do a review on this when we've finished it.  If you have a child in grades 4 to 6, I would definitely check out this reading list, no matter where you live.  These are some really good books and I believe this program is accomplishing its mission.


                                                               

Death and Taxes

Title: Death and Taxes (first book in a series)

Author: Mark Zaslove

Publisher: Aperient Press, 2018

Pages: 219

Genre: mystery / crime, humor

Obtained: from author's publicity manager in exchange for an honest review






Synopsis: When Mark Douglas' friend and supervisor, Lila, is brutally murdered, he is determined to find out why and catch the bad guys.

Thoughts: This book begins with an action packed, humorous raid to collect back taxes, and quickly introduces the good guys.  The main character, Mark, was a Marine and is now an IRS agent.  There are some quirky, colorful characters in this book.  In a way, in the beginning, this book reminded me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, but with a male protagonist.  The story line itself was simple and easy to follow. The focus of the writer seemed to be the humor, but even more so than in Evanvich's writing.

I have never liked comedy shows and there are many comedy movies that I just can't get into.  I find about the first five minutes funny, and then, I just lose interest with line after line of jokes that are supposed to make me laugh.  They're just not funny to me after those first few.  The same happens when I read comical books.  I enjoy a book more when there is a really good story and all throughout the book, every once in awhile, there is something funny unexpectedly thrown in.  When there is just line after line of humor, I lose interest.  Unfortunately that is what happened with this book and it was hard for me to get through.  Now I know MANY people just love this type of humor, and you'll probably love this book, especaiily if you like unconventional characters.  So, if you're looking for a good old fashioned mystery or crime novel, this is not what you are looking for, but, if you are looking for a comical book that doesn't let up on the funny lines, this is for you.  This book is definitely for adults.


                                                                    

Company: Davids Tea

Tea: Toasted Walnut

Obtained: free sample with order


Today I tried Toasted Walnut tea from Davids Tea, which is a green tea that has a low caffeine content.  The ingredients were sencha green tea, nut brittle (sugar, hazelnut), pineapple (pineapple, sugar), coconut (coconut, coconut fat, sugar), walnuts, almonds, and natural and artficial flavouring.  Some of the leaves were long and thin, while others were small, short pieces.  There was quite a large piece of walnut in my sample, along with chunks that looked like dried, sugar coated pineapple.  The scent of the leaves was of toasted coconut, sweet nuts, and a hint of fruit.  I put my sample packet in my tea steeper and poured 16 ounces of water that had been boiled over the leaves.  I let this sit for 3 minutes.  The liquid was a cloudy yellow with a scent of toasted coconut and nuts.  The taste was a nice combination of coconut, nuts, and fruit and had a slight sweetness to it.  This was a warming tea that gave me a cozy feeling.  This would be a great tea for a relaxing, snowy day.  I think it would go great with any book. 

Memory Man

Title: Memory Man

Author: David Baldacci

Narrator: Ron McLarity with Orlash Cassidy

Publisher: Hachette Audio, 2015

Format: 11 compact discs, 13.5 hours

Genre: mystery, crime fiction

Obtained: borrowed from friend




Synopsis: Amos Decker, a police detective, arrives home to find his family brutally murdered.  Over a year later a man turns himself in to the police, confessing that he was the one who murdered Decker's family. Decker feels the need to meet this man and ends up getting himself involved in helping the police with another high profile investigation.  Can Decker use his gifts to solve both of these crimes?

Thoughts: I listened to this book while doing mundane chores and driving.  It kept me entertained and I enjoyed it.  The story itself was not believable, and there was too much repetition at times, but it did hold my interest.  There was a lot going on throughout the book which is a big plus to me.  The author also gave details throughout the book which helped me to picture the story in my mind, along with the characters.

Although the main character was not exciting or charismatic, I liked that he was different- overweight, homeless, and couldn't forget anything due to a brain injury that occurred playing football.  To be honest, it was hard to connect to him at first, but by the end I sort of liked him.  The narrator did help to bring him to life.  The other characters were interesting and I was pleased that the author gave the reader some of their stories, but I wanted to know more.  This is the first in a series though, so maybe the author will share more about these characters in future books.  I have actually started the second book, which I am, so far, enjoying even more than the first one.

I would definitely recommend this book to mystery / crime fiction lovers looking for a new series.  I do have to say that some of the crimes are quite gruesome, so if this really bothers you, skip this one.


                                                                    

Company: Davids Tea

Tea: Organic Super Ginger

Obtained: purchased


Today I tried a caffeine free rooibos tisane- Organic Super Ginger from Davida Tea.  The ingredients were ginger, green rooibos, black pepper, white pepper, pink peppercorn, and natural flavouring.  The small, brown, thin leaves were combined with chunks of ginger and pink peppercorns.  The scent of the dry tea was of ginger.  I poured about a cup of water that had been boiled over approximately a teaspoon of tea and let this steep for five minutes.  The liquid was yellowish brown and had a ginger scent to it.  The taste was of ginger and spice, which balanced each other out resulting in a delicious tea.  I could not taste the rooibos at all.  This tea left a soothing tingly feeling in my throat and cleared my sinuses.  This is a warming , comforting tea, that would definitely be good when fighting off a cold or the flu.

Dracul

Title: Dracul

Authors: Dacre Stoker and J. D. Barker

Publisher: Penguin Random House, 2018

Pages: 493

Genre: horror, gothic fiction

Obtained: from publisher in exchange for an honest review




Summary: Ellen Crone, the nanny of Bram Stoker when he was a child, was a strange woman.  At times she would disappear and then return, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary.  After some murders in a nearby town, Ellen disappeared for good.  Years later Ellen has been spotted by Bram's sister Matilda.  This sighting has coincided with Matilda seeing an obituary with a picture of one of the murdered victims who has not aged since his first death.  How can the same man die twice?

Thoughts: Dracul was written as the prequel to Dracula by Bram Stoker.  Dacre Stoker, the great grand nephew of Bram, teamed up with author, J.D. Barker to create this novel.  The authors used a combination of notes from the journals of Bram Stoker (which included such things as story ideas and information about vampires), and the actual history of the Stoker family, weaving both fiction and nonfiction together to construct this novel.  The result is a book written with a similar writing style to Bram Stoker, which again brings the world of Dracula to life, giving the reader more information and insight into this character.  In addition, it also brings Bram Stoker and his family to life since they are characters in the novel.  The atmosphere and pacing are much like that of Dracula (although I actually found the beginning of this book to be even more creepy), but the story is new. Although the book was 493 pages and looked long, the book did not seem too lengthy while reading it.

Dracula has always been one of my favorite books and I was very skeptical of a prequel to it, but this did not disappoint me at all.  I loved it, and I don't think it could have been done any better.  I was sucked right into the story and stayed there until the end.  This is a must read for anyone that likes the old school horror stories.  Well done!

 I now want to reread Dracula.


                                                                          


Company: Davids Tea

Tea: Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait

Obtained: purchased


Today I tried Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait tea from Davids Tea.  Did you know that, in Romania, hot teas are thought of as something to drink when you have a cold or other physical ailment, and that in a restaurant you would probably only be able to get a fruity, sweet herbal tea?  Well, this is what I read on kingofromania.com .  And isn't this the perfect color tea for a vampire novel?

Anyway, the leaves of this tea were not really leaves, but looked mostly like chunks of dried fruit, which had a strong, fruity scent.  The ingredients of this herbal tea were apple, hibiscus, raisins, carrot, yogurt bits (milk powder, sugar, maltodextrin, modified starch, citric acid), beetroot, strawberry, rhubarb, and natural and artificial flavouring.  I put about two teaspoons of tea into my teapot and poured sixteen ounces of water that had been boiled over this.  I let this brew for about five minutes.  The liquid was a stunning red and the light scent was of sweet strawberries.  The taste was a mix of sweet and tart fruits with the strawberry in the forefront.  It reminded me of strawberry rhubarb pie, maybe with whipped cream on top because it had a creamy aftertaste. If you like sweet strawberry herbal tea, I'm sure you'd like this!