eARC Review ~ The Sower's Secret by Brock Eastman, Shaun Stevenson

 I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher for a fair and honest review.

A hilarious action-adventure series for Christian kids set in a town where the parables of Jesus literally come to life.

When Anthony and his mom move to the seaside town of Parable Port, they’re just hoping for a fresh start. Anthony soon finds out that there’s something unusual about this little town: it’s a place where Jesus’ parables come to life in surprising ways.

The adventure begins when a flock of orange birds stalks Anthony and flowering vines grow everywhere, knocking people out cold with their pollen. In the good old days, the living parables would help the town to flourish. But now? Something or someone is messing with the Parable of the Sower and causing chaos.

With the help of his new friends Duck, J.R., Grace, and Brooklyn, Anthony must uncover clues, decipher riddles, and stay one step ahead of the birds and vines to save the town—before it’s too late.

This Christian book series for middle schoolers features:

• A map of Parable Port—Follow along as the kids run around town to solve the mystery
• Chapter opener illustrations—Comedic and engaging artwork brings the story to life
• Spiritual lessons—At the back of the book, expand your Bible knowledge with a kid-friendly devotional that explains the Parable of the Sower
• Penguincast podcast—Get the inside scoop from the characters themselves with a QR code for J.R.’s boots-on-the-ground interviews and analysis
• A fast-paced story line that makes it perfect for reluctant readers
• Hilarious antics including an electric blue Cadillac escape car, a secret passage, and a silkie chicken chase will make you laugh out loud

Join this fun-loving friend crew for their very first faith-filled adventure in Parable Port! Perfect for boys and girls ages 8-12.

The Sower's Secret is the first book in the Parable Port series, it's a Christian middle grade story where the parables from the bible come to life. 

Anthony and his mom are new to Parable Port, they haven't even had much time to get use to anything when strange things start happening. Anthony meets a kid called Duck who takes him around town where they see some weird vines growing but don't think much of it till later. Then Anthony spots a strange bird that seems to be staring at him. 

During Sunday school the teacher is telling them about the Parable of the Sower and she is using props and one of those props is a bird that looks exactly like the one Anthony seen. Not to much later a lot of things start to happen, and the teacher has just enough time to warn the kids they will have to save the town as the thorny vines have a nasty flower that is putting people to sleep. 

Anthony and the Sunday School group along with a not church kid, J.R. who fancies herself a podcaster must work together to figure out what is going on, what it has to do with the parable of the sower and how they can stop things before the town is overgrown with vines. Lurking around now and then is a sinister character, but it's mostly all about the group of kids, using their faith and what they have learned from the church story to save the day. 

One of my favorite characters what the grumpy older Mrs. Grumperoust who helped the kids for a bit, she was spunky and weird but fun. This book is also full of fun illustrations, and it looks like there might be a podcast to go with hit from J.R. (coming soon). 

This was a very fun and interesting way to get kids to learn about a parable from the bible in a way that isn't really preachy but very adventurous. Teaching kids about hope, faith and friendship. I am very much looking forward to the next book!

5 stars

Two Bloggers, One Book ~ Shadow of the Mothman by Hunter Shea

Buddy Reading a Hunter Shea is something Barb and I have done often, but it's been a while. He finally came out with a new Cryptid book and so we jumped on it. Not quite what I am use too so after seeing what I thought, go check out Barb's thoughts at Booker T's Farm.

First There Was Dread and Death

In 1967, the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, was terrorized by a winged creature stalking the night skies, along with a host of other bizarre and frightening paranormal phenomena. It all came to an end with the tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge on a cold December evening.

Then It Returned

Ken Orsulak survived the Silver Bridge disaster, only to awaken from his coma sixteen years later. A man out of time and confined to a wheelchair now, he’s taken back to his childhood home of Remington, Massachusetts. By day, the bucolic farming town is just as it was when he left in 1967. By night, shrieks, strange shadows and unexplainable lights send ripples of fear throughout its residents. Something sinister has descended on the town. Has the terror of Point Pleasant come for Ken?

Now All Hell Has Broken Loose

The creature has a name – Mothman. The high strangeness surrounding the monster defies explanation. Ken and the town fight for answers, then find themselves fighting for their lives. Enter John Keel, the stalwart reporter who made the mysterious cryptid infamous. Has he arrived just in time, or is he too late to save Remington from the unknowable intentions of the Mothman? Remington is coming apart at the seams. Will anyone be left standing when…and if…the Mothman’s reign of terror ends?

A cryptid tale of existential dread unlike any other. Shadow of the Mothman will pull you into a world of mythical beasts, UFO folklore, men in black, and ghostly visions. The nostalgia of the 80s is plunged into the mystifying world of In Search Of in this love letter to the beasts and enigmas that plague our nightmares.

First let's just gaze at that awesome cover!

This starts out with the popular incident that happened in the 60's that turned into what we all know as the Mothman Prophecies, and the main male character was 16 and survives but was in a comma for 16 years and now it's 1983 and Ken has missed a whole decade. He suddenly wakes up and all is very different, but he can't remember much of what happened from that day on the bridge. 

Everything he remembers is through the eyes of a 16-year-old boy not a 30 something man. His girlfriend at 16 is now all grown up and a nurse that has been taking care of him, putting her life on hold for the young man she had loved. His mother has been by his side the whole time hoping for him to wake up and now that he is, they are going back home to Remington, the small town he grew up in. Oh, and he has been paralyzed from the accident on the bridge, so he has that to deal with.

Ken spends a lot of his days trying to figure out what this new world is like, he watches new shows, trying to get down the lingo and is amazed at everything around him, but also feels very awkward as he is an adult, but his mind is still 16.

Once back in Remington, it seems like some very strange things start to happen. Strange things being seen in the night sky, a winglike creature swooping down on people, animals being killed. Ken starts to remember thing from the bridge, he remembers at thing with red eyes and he is sure it's come back for him and is terrorizing the town. Is it there to harm or to warn?

I will start with the fact that I really didn't know a lot about the Mothman and so I guess my expectations where a little off as I thought this was going to be like other cryptid creatures and it would go through chomping on people, etc. and that is not at all what I got, so I guess I was a bit disappointed as that is what I come to expect from a Shea creature feature. Not to say that it wasn't an interesting story once I decided I wasn't getting what I wanted. 

I thought some things were very strange, the fact that Cindy's love at 16 was so big that she became a nurse just to take care of Ken and still loved him. That is a powerful first love and kind of weird. There was a strange moment when Ken was crushing on a girl in her late teens, but you had to remember his mind was still feeling very much like a 16-year-old, but at least it didn't get to weird. The ending once it started came very fast and had a lot of action but was just different from what I had in my head. Oh, and also, there were animal deaths and I can handle most but not a dog. So you have been warned.

It also had a lot of fun and interesting side characters.

I think if you are a fan of Mothman and no more about this cryptid you might enjoy this one. 

3.25 stars

Week in Review #138

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

Hope those up north in the cold are doing okay. I don't understand how you all do it. I am such a cold wimp, so I am extremely happy we are having warmer weather here.

We were not sure if we were going to be able to afford more wood or where to get it as the cold snap had everyone scrambling for wood, but we managed to get more, thanks to good people and an old school mate who use to cut wood for us as he was able to do so again and it was cheaper!

This week is going to be warm to, and I think I will be doing some outside work and taking advantage of the above average temps. At least I can listen to audiobooks. :)

What I read

• Christmas in Snowflake Canyon - The sixth book in the Hope's Crossing series and it was a lot of fun.
• Sea Monster Conundrum - The third book in the Misfits and it was fun but a lot different than the first two.
• Going Rogue in Red Rye County - This is the first book in the Secure One series and very fast paced and enjoyable.
• Realm of Shadows - The 4th book in the Alliance Vampire series and though the author follows a formula it was still entertaining.
• Miss Truelove Beckons - One of my retro romances and it was cute.

What I am Reading

• Time of the Temptress - Just started this retro romance and only on page 10.
• Hand of Evil - Third book in the Ali Reynolds and just started it today so on page 41.

Let me know how your week has been.

Two Bloggers One Series ~ Christmas in Snowflake Canyon

RaeAnne Thayne is quickly becoming a favorite contemporary romance author. If you love cozy small-town settings, then you would enjoy her books. Go on over and check out what Barb's thought after you read my thoughts. 

Holiday gifts don't always come in expected packages... especially in the town of Hope's Crossing.

No one has ever felt sorry for Genevieve Beaumont. After all, she has everything money can buy. That is, until two years ago, she discovered her fiancé had been two-timing her and she fled to Paris. Now, after receiving an ultimatum from her father, she's back in Hope's Crossing and finds herself in a bit of a pickle...

Genevieve's salvation appears in the most unlikely of prospects: Dylan Caine, a sexy, wounded war vet whose life is as messy as hers. Dylan's struggling to adjust after his time in Afghanistan, and the last thing he needs is a spoiled socialite learning about the real world for the first time. True, she may have unexpected depths and beauty to match. But he knows he could never be the man she needs…and she knows he could never be the man she thinks she wants. So why are they each hoping that a Christmas miracle will prove them both wrong?

This is why I always say you should read a series in order. We meet Genevieve in book three and she was a bridezilla at the time, but something happened and you need to read that book to find out.  So, she has a bit of a reputation around town as her dad is the town mayor and she can be a bit uppity. I mean she went to Paris to get over some things, the poor girl. 

So she is back from Paris and not having a good time and she is in a bar. This is where Dylan happens to be, we met him in the previous book I believe and he is a wounded warrior, he is missing an eye and part of an arm and is very broody and moody. They both just wanted to relax have a drink in peace but of course it's Christmas and others are listening to Christmas music and it seems the jukebox has one song with different versions and Genevieve got a little hot headed when someone went to play the jukebox and started a fight which of course Dylan for some reason felt he should try and defend her. They both land in trouble and get community service. 

They have to do their community service together at the warrior house (shoot can't remember if that is the name) but anyway it's a place for veterans, and a place Dylan doesn't want anything to do with, but it's ran by his sister and her boyfriend.

Anyway, it's about Gen and Dylan and you get to see Gen in a different light, and she is a really nice person even if others don't see her that way at first. I really liked Dylan too and thought they were a cute couple.

4.75 stars

Week in Review #137

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

What I read:

• Dragon Island - One of my fun retro romances! 
• Murder at Kings Crossing - I love this series and this one was just as good.
• The Claiming - The second book in this series and really good. It's interesting as it's being written by different authors.
• Peace Talks - Getting closer to catching up on this reread so I can read the new one!

• Christmas in Snowflake Canyon - The sixth book in the Hopes Crossing series! I really like this series.
• Miss Truelove Beckons - February is my Retro Romance Readathon (hosted on YouTube at StormReads) so this is my first pick for it. So far I am enjoying it and I am 72 pages in. 

How was your last week in books?

Two Bloggers One Series ~ Peace Talks by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files #16)

 I am loving my reread of this series and taking Barb along with me! Though they get harder and harder to chat about because of spoilers. Check out my thoughts and then head over to Booker T's Farm for Barbs.

When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, joins the White Council's security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago—and all he holds dear?

Harry's life is always complicated and so it's not surprising all the things he gets himself into in this one. There is a supernatural gathering happening called the Peace Talks and some from the White Council want Harry's help with the Talks, while others are more and more weary of him because of his association with Mabs now. Though Harry has a hard time controlling his other side he really is just Harry Dresden at his core. He wants to help everyone, and it gets him in a lot of trouble. Thomas has gotten himself in a bit of trouble and Harry will do anything to help get him out of it even if it's teaming up with Lara.

Things get a bit heated and troubling towards the end as some bigger entities are giving them an ultimatum which will be a lot of what the next book is about. I love all the characters in this series even the ones that I hate as you just really like to hate them. 

I am excited to but also not to get to my reread of the next book but mostly because I can't wait to read the new book that just came out this month as I have been waiting for years for it to come out. 

5 stars

The Seaside Murder by Helena Dixon

 

I originally got this as an e-ARC, I am trying to get work on getting to older e-ARCs that I have on Netgalley.

A pretty seaside town, a body on the beach, and a boatload of clues. Can super-sleuth Miss Jane Treen solve the mystery?

England, 1941. When Jane Treen is summoned to her boss’s office at the end of a long day, she smooths down her tweed skirt and makes them both another strong pot of coffee. Brigadier Remmington-Blythe slides a folded copy of the evening newspaper towards her, with one small article circled in red ink. A body has been found on an English beach in the little seaside town where she grew up, and he wants her to investigate.

Jane is used to managing secret agents and spies, but she is now part of The Secret Detective Agency, England’s answer to solving the most mysterious murders. Making her way to the coast and brimming with curiosity, she’s heartened that shy and handsome codebreaking genius Arthur Cilento will be joining her to help her wade through the fishy goings-on. Although Jane doubts he will appreciate her bringing her beloved one-eyed cat, Marmaduke…

Together, Jane and Arthur drop anchor in her crumbling childhood home overlooking the sandy beach where the body was found. Surrounded by potential suspects, their eyes are on a devious doctor, an eccentric artist and a secret sweetheart. But as Jane and Arthur are searching for the truth, those giving evidence start to clam up. One thing seems they need to reel in the killer before they’re out of their depth…

Can The Secret Detective Agency triumph again, or will they meet their watery end at high tide?

This is the second book in the Secret Detective Agency and I really enjoyed it. I liked book one and this one was just as good.

In this one they are dealing with the murder of an Italian man who is considered the enemy at this time, and he was part of a work camp. Him and another was allowed to work at a nearby farm. He was found on the beach by some children, and the Brigadier is worried that it could be something besides an accident and needs Jane, Author and Benson to look into things discreetly, as there is also some black-market crimes going on and they can look in on it as well. 

Jane has a home in the town where things are happening though she hasn't been there in a while as it was her fathers and he has recently passed and she just wasn't ready but had to get ready. All three will be staying at the house making it their home base, they soon start investigating and finding out that the Inspector wasn't even going to have an autopsy done on the dead guy, which they fix, and they do find out it was murder. They also find out that several shops have been robbed during the air raids that have been happening, taking a lot of hard-to-get items that can sell good since they have to ration things. 

I really enjoy the characters in this series. Though Jane at times aggravates me be she knows that Arthur has asthma, but she will light up a cigarette right in front of him and make him cough. Benson is a lot of fun as he is Arthur's manservant who has taken care of him since he was young and he made me chuckle a couple times and is very loyal to Arthur. 

I thought the mystery was really good too because I didn't figure things out!

4.5 stars