I don't give away spoilers in my reviews. I am a fan of Ms. Wiseman's writing - specifically, all the research she does to write her books. I did not know much about the coal industry at all. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp of it after reading Coal River. I love historical books because I like to learn while I read. Emma is a young woman who once lived in Coal River. She's vowed to never return for very good reason. After becoming an orphan years later, she finds herself back in Coal River at her Uncle Otis' home. He is the local coal mine owner and a brutal, harsh man. Her Aunt Ida only wants Emma in the home to provide free maid duties. Emma has a past history with her cousin Percy and is not happy to live in their home. Emma has maid duties as well as store clerk duties in the coal mine's general store. She begins to learn about the coal mine and how its employees are treated. Most upsetting to her is how young the breaker boys are and how dangerous their jobs are. I don't give away spoilers so I'll just say this was a spectacular, emotional read that is so well written. I was often sad while reading it, but also found a lot of hope in Emma. (from my Goodreads review)

Fast paced, as is to be expected for a YA book. Would be a great intro to the genre.

funny anecdotes by a karate instructor

Typical Bourne adventure. Constant action across the globe

Powerful. There isn't really another word for this book. There were no women In Vietnam was repeated so many times in this book and each time it got me angrier and angrier. The things these nurses and Doctors saw were just as horrific as what I can only imagine the soldiers saw. The story was beautifully written and hauntingly sad. RYE.. u dirty dirty turd... No. unacceptable. The friendships between the three woman was beautiful. The family Dynamic was tough to read. How her dad just couldn't accept that she was a hero and she was a veteran. Who SERVED PROUDLY . Just was crazy. How women were and to this day are treated as less than. Boggles the mind.

I don't give away spoilers in my reviews. I am admittedly not usually the reader who loves fantasy but I knew from reviews that I wanted to read When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley. The cover is eye-catching with the graphic of Benny and the merman. I loved the oceanic colors used for it. Benny is on his own in life after losing his aunt. He has come to America and is working as a blacksmith. Benny has difficulties with his breathing and being in an environment such as a metal shop really affects his health. Benny is a talented blacksmith and his art is noticed by the owner of one of the local amusement parks - Luna Park in Coney Island. Benny is hired to build a large tank for a new exhibit and isn't told of all the details. Benny finds himself becoming attached to the new exhibit - a real merman from the ocean. I loved Benny's compassion and moral struggles within himself and with the merman. The other characters in the book that make up the menagerie were also such a great group of characters to read about. My two favorite parts in this book were the illustrations and the storyline. The illustrations added to the story and worked together with the cover. I usually don't read much fantasy but this was such a good story. (from my Goodreads review)

It was a very good book.

I was seeing The Inheritance Games all over social media and heard it was going to be a tv series so I decided to pick it up. I’m so glad I did! This mystery/thriller/puzzle book was engaging and entertaining. The clues, while I wasn’t able to figure them out on my own, were logical and made sense in the context of the story. I loved all the characters in the story and there was more to them than you initially think, as you learn more along the way. Although this is geared toward young adults, I was drawn to this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the series!

While I miss Stuart Woods, this author keeps his characters and story line.

Stone and Dino live charmed lives with an adventure thrown in. We should all be so lucky