Book Review: The Time Sphere (Volume 1) by A.E. Albert
The Time Sphere (Volume 1) by A.E. Albert
A YA Fantasy/Sci Fi/Adventure Novel published by A.E. Albert (09/17/2014)
Summary:
Billy never went out of his way to be noticed and not because he was shy or humble. Billy grew up an orphan, in and out of group homes. He was not accepted by other kids and so thought himself less. Then everything changed. Jeanie, a fiery red-haired girl took notice of him and together they stumbled into a man who would take them far away from the lives they knew and the time they were familiar with.
Keywords:
Fantasy, Adventure, Underdogs, History, Time Travel, Save the World, 13-year olds, Doing What is Right
My Review:
The Time Sphere introduces time travel as a means to tell more than just the main characters’ stories. It tells the story of Archimedes, Descarte, and several other historical figures. The Time Sphere is like a teen version of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, where Billy and Jeanie must figure out the secret of the Time Sphere through ancient philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians. They must travel through time and place to find out what controls the Time Sphere so they can get back to their own time and place.
The plot twist near the end was wonderfully surprising and I thoroughly appreciated it for its cleverness. Everything just made sense in an instant and all the questions I had were answered. Time made sense. Plot made sense. Characters made sense. It was one of the best ‘aha’ moments a reader can get.
Through Billy’s journey, he must learn to accept those who are different, and in doing so, accept himself. This book is full of take home messages and facts about historical places and figures. Billy learns that appearances are deceiving, to have faith that what is right will overcome all wrongs, love is not defined by duration, but by the person’s choice to endure, to defend the weak, etc. Most of all though, Billy learns that “A true knight is just a state of mind,” (Location 3011).
This novel was published by A.E. Albert 09/17/2014 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 3.50
Links for more information:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23280006-the-time-sphere
Website: www.aealbert.com
Book Review: The Cleansing by Danielle Tara Evans
The Cleansing by Danielle Tara Evans
A Dystopian Drama Novel published by Amazon Digital Services (09/04/2013)
Summary:
“But this is no longer America. The old laws no longer apply. And what are the new laws?” (The Cleansing, Kindle Locations 1336-1337).
What if America were no longer a place where freedoms prevailed and hard-working citizens fought for the second amendment’s right to bear arms? What if, in America, Americans were no longer the majority and were in fact the population bearing the brunt of prejudice and animosity? What if the president was no longer a US born citizen?
Keywords:
Cleansing, America, Immigration, Natural Disasters, Environment Protection, Genocide, Dystopian, Fighting Back, Bleak
My Review:
What if America were no longer a place where freedoms prevailed and hard-working citizens fought for the second amendment’s right to bear arms? What if, in America, Americans were no longer the majority and were in fact the population bearing the brunt of prejudice and animosity? What if the president was no longer a US born citizen?
The Cleansing is aptly named because it follows the cleansing of America by the overwhelming majority of immigrants. The Great Natural Disasters claimed many lives, leaving the world in chaos and allowing for an influx of people from other places that were hit harder than America. The new president Julian, a Lithuanian, blames Americans and their environmentally unfriendly ways, for those disasters. He forces them to attend a program he calls the “Earth Education Program,” but it is much more sinister than it sounds. When John and Annie Weber attend this program, they find out the real reason behind this re-education tool and their lives (as well as the lives of their fellow Americans) will never be the same again.
Because we meet our main characters in the throes of utter panic and chaos, we don’t have time to sympathize or understand them. John and Annie are only made real through their emotions and their own struggles to have a child. They are reactive characters to the dire situation they continuously find themselves in. Much of this dystopian novel is reserved for Annie’s desire to have children. Much of the other part of the novel I found to be quite unbelievable. Perhaps it is because I am American and I would never want an American genocide to occur. Perhaps it is because it’s such a new background for an end-of-world novel that it is difficult to wrap my head around. Perhaps it’s because it is an unbelievable concept taken far beyond the norm that makes it unbelievable. I just didn’t buy it, but maybe you will.
This novel was published by Amazon Digital Servies 09/04/2013 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 3.25
Links for more information:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18463371-the-cleansing
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/DanielleTaraEvans
Website: danielletaraevans.com
Foodie Fridays: Next Food Challenge
Dear readers,
You may or may not have figured out by now that I am competitive by nature and enjoy challenges. My pride keeps me afloat sometimes and my self-determination is one of my greatest motivators. Two years ago I started a new self-determined project that I deemed “the Vegan Project.” I wanted to know what it was truly like to live like a vegan, to make choices as a vegan, to understand the mindset, and to thrive in an omnivore environment. You can see the results and some of my hard learned lessons at the temporary blog I posted on rachelbarnardvegan.blogspost.com. Last year I decided to make my project to Eliminate Sugar (you can see what happened at rachelbarnardwithoutsugar.blogspot.com . Typically I run the ‘diet’ from the first of January until my birthday on the 22nd. This year I’m not sure what I want to try, but I have some ideas. Help me pick out the best one, the one you want to see in action, the one you think I can learn the most while following, the one that will make the most unusual blog posts, etc:
Nano is Close!
National Novel Writing Month is just about a week away now… Are you ready? I’m in the process of clearing my schedule, researching for my book, working on an outline, and drafting up my goals. Go back, you say, what is NaNoWriMo??? Well, dear readers it is the month of November where you attempt to write a 50k word novel in just a month! Check out nanowrimo.org for more info or to sign up! Pictured above is my -ahem- initial research for my novel. You can’t quite tell from the covers, but both these movies involve geocaching. That’s right, something else you may be unfamiliar with… Geocaching is a worldwide treasure hunt in real life! Check out geocaching.com for less cryptic descriptions and to sign up!
My goals for Nano are to write my novel the Geocache Killer and lose 5 lbs because I plan to write and exercise more! I’m going to follow one of my favorite author’s advice on how to write your first draft in 20 days (check out that scintillating blog post by Ksenia Anske here).
To accomplish this feat of inhuman strength and motivation I have created my nano calendar… Where I have placed my write-ins! I’ve also begun shifting my internal clock so that I can wake up earlier, get to work 30-60 minutes earlier and use that time to write!
After thinking and thinking about how I can possibly write a suspense/thriller when I’ve never attempted, I thought up a better spin to the story, one with more depth, one with more geocaching, one that will be funny, and fun to read. Perhaps it will be best classified as a drama… Whatever the case I’m getting nitty gritty on my outline now and will be finalizing my organization on my nano novel at my Factoria and Newcastle write-ins and writing dates on the 29th and 30th.
All my ducks are lining up, do you have yours?
See you at Hallonanoween, sooner or later Wrimos!
Book Review: Haylee Awakened Seed: an illustrated, paranormal, adventure (Haylee and the Traveler’s Stone Book 1) by Lisa Redfern
Haylee Awakened Seed: an illustrated, paranormal, adventure (Haylee and the Traveler’s Stone Book 1) by Lisa Redfern
An Illustrated/Paranormal/Adventure published by Little Mountain Publishing (07/21/2014)
Summary:
On the eve of Haylee’s 18th birthday, something inside of her changes. She is plagued with an insatiable hunger, a sudden blossoming of womanly beauty, profuse bleeding and a migraine so powerfully painful that it causes her to pass out. She awakens in the hospital with worried nurse and father looking on. After convincing them she is alright, the beginnings of another migraine spur her to steal some clothes and run for isolation, where hunger overcomes her once again and she eventually passes out. The next day, she is home again, convincing her father yet again that she is alright. She begins her new life as a ugly duckling turned swan 18-year old beauty at her high school with a hidden secret.
Keywords:
Paranormal, Animal Kindred, High School, Teen Drama, Awakening
My Review:
Haylee is special, but we don’t know what she is turning into, what her secret is. We know that she is changing, but we don’t know much about her before the event, except for several short memories of brief moments in her life that were significant. The author does a very good job of setting up Haylee’s backstory in these briefest of moments even while keeping most of Haylee’s secrets to reveal later on. I don’t know what Haylee’s favorite color or tv show is, but I want to.
Haylee’s ability from early childhood and her newfound secret from the awakening are not described in much detail. Haylee herself seems mostly unaware that her abilities are not normal, only that she is different from the other children because they treat her that way. Even during the change Haylee doesn’t find it at all disturbing, either her voracious hunger or her unusual newfound strength. She has almost no reaction to her predicament or from passing out or bleeding profusely. Does Haylee know something the reader does not?
This was a short quick read that flowed easily up through the abrupt ending that acts as a subtle cliffhanger. There are many questions to answer in Haylee’s continued awakening and adventure.
This novel was published by Little Mountain Publishing 07/21/2014 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 3.50
Links for more information:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23155386-haylee-awakened-seed
Website: https://lisaredfern.wordpress.com/
Book Review: Return to Mt. Snagra (A Mattie & Pete Adventure) (Volume 1) by Tyan Wyss
Return to Mt. Snagra (A Mattie & Pete Adventure) (Volume 1) by Tyan Wyssi
A YA Fantasy Novel published through CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (08/18/2013)
Summary:
Mattie and Pete, two imaginative children living in Southern California, hold the key to this fantasy. Literally: they have keys. And a very important book. They are swept into an adventure where they must use their wits, creativity, and strength to save the fantastical land of Gisper from the evil Vulture King. Along the way they become friends with an impatient and rude princess, a half-human half-creature of the land, and the mysterious man in the orange grove next door. Who wrote the book and why Mattie and Pete are sucked into its outlandish adventure will only be revealed if they can save the day.
“The soothsayer predicted a young girl with a powerful book would come to rescue the twin Gisperians when the moon was half-waned. Her hair would have many tiny braids, and her feet would be enclosed in boots with dancing spurs. She was to be accompanied by a powerful, one-handed boy with a golden voice and quick mind who negotiates first instead of grabbing his sword.” (Page 146-147).
Keywords:
Fantasy, Adventure, Books, Heros and Heroines, Underdogs, Save the Kingdom
My Review:
This is exactly the type of novel I would have read in my voracious reading days in late elementary through the beginning of high school. It is a sophisticated read for any maturing teen who wants a little adventure, a little romance, and a little creativity. The plot becomes more and more complex as the book progresses, with the perfect touch of character development and self-discovery for the main character. This is a well-balanced fantasy where the world-building makes sense and all the elements are there for the reading.
Mattie and Pete are the main characters, but the story is mainly told from mattie’s perspective. Mattie is a likeable character. She is given the underdog story and readers will root for her, because she is a bit of all of us. At times she is plain, clumsy, impatient, belittled, bullied, and she can’t make up her mind what she wants to be. Then she falls into this magical story where she blossoms and grows. Again literally. She goes from an 11-year old girl to a robust teenager. She needed to know what the future held for her and if it would work out alright. Like “13 Going on 30” she is sixteen, flirty, and thriving. Mattie finds her self-purpose in helping the Gispers win their kingdom back and her conviction is solid. She becomes wise and verbose, giving the reader a taste of maturity and intelligence.
The author layers her plot and her motives like an expert, giving the book a higher degree of elegance than most that follow a more linear plotline. Wyss plays with the “Return to Mt. Snagra” novel, revealing the future so that the children have guidance during their quest while at times the pages are blank, waiting for their decisions and actions to fill in the words. The author has integrated the past and the future into this book that the children carry with them at all times.
The author also plays with time and space with more than just the way the words are revealed on the pages of the book within the book “Return to Mt. Snagra.” There is an element of time travel hidden within the layers of the novel. This gives the reader something to ponder over after finishing the book. There are quite a few ‘somethings’ that the reader puts together by the end of the book that are simply too cool.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoyed the Neverending Story by Michael Ende or the smooth and charming personable style of Roald Dahl
This novel was published through CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 08/18/2013 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 4.75
Links for more information:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18388212-return-to-mt-snagra
Website: http://www.authortyanwyss.com/
Book Review: Mind Space Volume 1: Conspiracy / Book 3: Mind Space by David S. Moore
Mind Space Volume 1: Conspiracy / Book 3: Mind Space by David S. Moore
A Science Fiction Novel published on amazon.com (01/10/2014)
Summary:
Book three of the Mind Space Series follows the last years in the race to ready the planet for Mind Space on the target date of 2084. Jaimeson-Cale is doing everything in their power to reach their target percentage of Mind Shield hosts planet-wide. The Mind-Freedom Alliance is still in the game to take down Mind Space, the Mind Shield, and Jaimeson-Cale with their increasingly threatening tactics. “…No, the problem wasn’t the Mind Shield itself. The problem was with the people who were behind it– the people who were determined to use it to assert control over all of humanity.” (Page 400).
Keywords:
Science Fiction, Mind Control, America 2070’s and 2080’s, Technology, Resistance Movement, Rival Product, Monopoly, Free Market, Restoration
My Review:
The Mind Space Series has a powerful message: Is it ok to enslave the mind for the good of the masses? “‘War will cease,’ Daniel added. ‘Hatred and prejudice will be gone. Drug abuse, obesity, domestic violence– the self-destructive behaviors that ruin lives in every country– they will all quickly become things of the past.'” (Page 303). The Mind-Freedom Alliance and almost all who had a Mind Shield removed, believe that it isn’t alright to enslave the mind no matter the results. Adam True and the Defenders of the True believe the opposite, but they are also deluded enough to think that the Mind Shield doesn’t enslave the mind, only frees it from the tyranny of its own doubt and confusions (Page 79). Those who are in control of their own thoughts and not under the influence of the sales pitch of the Mind Shield propose individual freedoms over any alternative. Many people, though, cannot discount the life saving and wonderful characteristics the Mind Shield has to offer. That’s where the Limbic Freedom comes in. It offers all that the Mind Shield offers, plus a thought sharing network to boot. Yet, the masses are still being converted by the millions to Mind Shield, but not through completely moral sales tactics.
As this is the third book in the series, it brings the finale. Throughout the third book I began to change my allegiance from rooting for the underdogs and those trying to free the mind to Jaimeson-Cale, but for a unique reason. I wanted the Mind Space to happen because I kind of wanted to see how a society without drug addiction, eating disorders, racism, hate or violence would look like. The world building for this type of world is silent, as we are only given one side of it: the planning, development, marketing, scheming world but what would a Mind Space world be like? What kind of world would David Moore build for his readers?
The vision of Jaimeson-Cale for humanity with the Mind Shield and Mind Space is warped, though, and I really would never want them to win the fight. Moore brings up an interesting point when he says, “The Mind Shield exerted a moderating influence on all behavior, even otherwise harmless behavior. It made one wonder what the masters of the Mind Shield thought ideal human behavior should be.” (Page 84).
I almost didn’t notice the fact that Moore had seamlessly given women and men equal roles in his novel. Women (just like the men) were in positions of power, they were victims and saboteurs, security guards and leaders.
I very much enjoyed the Mind Space series and look forward to more science fiction from David Moore. He brings up thought-provoking questions in his novels, can describe a world stirringly, and flows through his story seamlessly from beginning to end.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a well written novel and easy-to-read science fiction novel. This book reminds me of Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke in it’s sweeping narration through long periods of time with a focus on a single aspect of society.
This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 01/10/2014 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 4.75
Links for more information:
Nano: Where to Begin?
Wildlife Wednesdays: A Wild Cat Appears!
At my chiropractor’s there are three wild cats that hang out behind the building and are shy of humans so keep running off, but I got a picture of one of them!
Rachel Author Barnard 