Where the Steps Were by Andrea Cheng

by Carol2 Comments
Where the Steps Were by Andrea Cheng (The suggested age range this is marketed to is grades 2-4, but I'm not sure if they would really get it or connect with the format. I read it by myself, so this review is from my point of view as an adult with a child in elementary school.) I found this book of free verse poems through the eyes of five third-graders touching, revealing, beautiful. Cheng truly captures the thoughts, dreams, fears and worries of a group of third graders spending their last year at Pleasant Hill Elementary. The five students, Dawn, Kayla, Jonathan, Anthony, and Carmen, are all in Miss D.'s class and they adore here. She teaches lessons about the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Harriet Tubman, and the kids relate, witnessing racism and oppression in their own lives. Each of the children are individuals dealing with issues common to all third graders, like friendships, family relationships and the...
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Scarlet Rubies

by Carol6 Comments
They were his signature, those pale, stark virgins with their scarlet rubies. It gave him a little shiver to think of them. They brought him millions he didn't need and the adoration he deserved. And no one but him knew their true worth. Soon there would be another. (pg. 135, Two Lethal Lies by Annie Solomon) I haven't gotten to this point yet, but I'm pretty sure there's a deadly secret connected to these paintings. Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. The rules are easy and I only cheated a little. Grab your current read, open to a random page, and give us two teaser sentences. Remember, no spoilers. I received my copy from the publisher for review and the above is my honest opinion. I am an Amazon associate....
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BBAW- First Treasure

by Carol7 Comments
Today is the first day of Book Blogger Appreciation week and we are being asked to highlight a book blog we've come to treasure over the last year. One of the blogs that I've recently discovered is vvB32 reads. I absolutely love the events that Velvet puts together. I think I first ran across her blog during her SteamPink week back in June and was in awe. Then there was the Mansfield Park Murder Mystery and Fairy Tales in Bruges, and now I'm a definite admirer. Her creativity and organization astound me. Right now she's in the middle of a horde of September Zombies , apparently an annual invasion that I find a little scary. What are some of the new-to-you blogs that you cherish? Join in the discussion at BBAW's site....
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“A Questionable Client” by Ilona Andrews

by Carol3 Comments
"A Questionable Client" by Ilona Andrews This story is the first in the Dark and Stormy Knights anthology and takes place before the first in Andrew's Kate Daniels series, but I think it does a great job describing the world she lives in, an Atlanta that endures waves of magic, where technology sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Kate Daniels, a mercenary with the Knights of Merciful Aid, is hired as a bodyguard for a mysterious client whose current bodyguards are ditching out of the assignment. When Kate gets to the address, she meets the shape-shifter Saiman. For those who have read the series, this first meeting is especially interesting, but for those who haven't Saiman is still a fascinating character, in kind of a creepy way. Kate spends the night protecting Saiman from all kinds of nasty things intent on killing him, all because he has something, actually swallowed something, very powerful. Even for those not familiar with Kate Daniels, this is...
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