Book Reviews by Ehlen Administration

Saving Grapes by J.T. Lundy My rating: 4 of 5 stars From the author of Happy Utopia Day, Joe McCarthy ( which I loved - read the review here ) comes an altogether different genre of novel - the romantic comedy Saving Grapes. Because I loved the dystopian sarcasm of Happy Utopia Day, I was a little skeptical of the translation to a romantic comedy. Fortunately, I kept an open mind and was not disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, it was a much fluffier story than the other, but it was still a good, fast read, and managed to connect the Midwest and French wine country, which made me happy. Saving Grapes starts with Jason’s legal problems complicated by the death of his champion, Aunt Clara. However, she left him a solution - hard work on the family’s vineyard, which he will inherit with proper adherence to the terms in her will. Of course he had to surrender his passport to the court and promise to pay damages, but selling the vineyard will solve all his problems with none of the har...

Chrissie's Run by S.A. Mahan My rating: 4 of 5 stars The New Republic is the epitome of civilization, and as such does not tolerate deformity. When knocked-up teen Chrissie is told her unborn son will be born without his right hand or foot, she is scheduled for an abortion and sterilization, like it or not. If she wants to save her child, she must escape the only world she has ever known. Daniel is worth all the trials and tribulations she will endure, but will she survive being hunted by those who try to keep the rest of her society clueless to the real world? Or has she doomed both her son’s life and her own? Chrissie’s Run is a fast paced, post-modern thriller that takes certain modern cultural norms to their logical conclusion. It is very well written and keeps the reader engaged and wondering what exactly is the world that Chrissie has left and what world she gains by her run, and above all showcases a mother’s love for her child. I loved the glaringly obvious pro-life ...

For those of you interested in Paleo cooking, I found another ebook event tomorrow only, a bunch of Paleo ebooks for .99-1.99 each. This site lists various flash sales of ebooks, quite a few decent ones so far. http://buckbooks.net/504.html Please note, while there may be affiliate links or payment for reviews, all opinions are my own. You can't buy a good review from me, people. I am way too mouthy for that.

Remember the Ultimate Healthy Living Ebook Bundle a couple of months ago? Well the same group has put together the Ultimate Christian Living Ebook Bundle! Take a look at what you can get and as always I appreciate you buying through my link - I get a small commission. Every little bit helps, right? Please note, while there may be affiliate links or payment for reviews, all opinions are my own. You can't buy a good review from me, people. I am way too mouthy for that.

The Quest of Narrigh by S.K. Holder My rating: 4 of 5 stars Connor wakes up in an frighteningly familiar place, a world he thought only existed in the computer game he was playing, Quest of Narrigh. How did he get there, and can he figure out how to get home to London before game over? Every boy who plays video games has dreamed of really being the hero of the game, but that reality is far more frightening than assumed. The Quest of Narrigh is the first book in The Other Worlds series, and does a good job of setting the stage while leaving the reader wanting more. Author S.K. Holder artfully sets up characters and plot points, and I really appreciated the map of the world in the game, as well as the explanation of races and factions. I am one of those gamers who loves to take the time to actually read the back story rather than just scroll through it, and I think anyone reading this book will appreciate how critical that step is. If you are a fan of fantasy and/or role playing g...

Found, Near Water by Katherine Hayton My rating: 4 of 5 stars Christine leads a support group for women, like her, who have lost their children. Some are known deceased, others are unknown. Over time the support group dwindled to a few women who became fast friends as they bonded over their shared grief. But what will happen when Christine, a victim support advocate, has to be there for a new mother who has also lost her child, and a curious psychic tells her that the child is dead, and the body will be found, near water? Will Christine be able to support her and deal with her own past and present, and will the women she calls friends still be able to rely on their own stories to get them through the ensuing scandal? As a mother, one of the worst fears is that of your child being abducted, dieing of some horrible disease, or being killed in an accident. No parent should have to outlive their child, regardless of how old the parents or the child. I think that’s what made this boo...

Death and Disappearances by Richard Smiraldi My rating: 3 of 5 stars Montgomery Clark, a struggling author who is lucky enough to come from a family who can afford to support a starving artist, is frantically looking for his missing wife, Petula Beaujolais. She stormed out after a spat and hasn’t been seen since. On his way to find her we meet many characters, some from the present and some not so present. Will he find her and reunite or will the worst be discovered? Death and Disappearances reads like 1950’s film noire, with a bit of more modern sparkly vampire supernatural thrown in for good measure. The main characters, particularly the upper class socialite snobs, seem a little over the top to be believable, although terribly amusing. I have to admit the ending was a bit predictable, but I would have actually liked more monologuing by the eventual villain, particularly more about how/why Petula’s fate came to be. She reconciled the explanation a bit too quickly and cleanly w...