The Inventor's Secret by Chad Morris

Title: The Inventor's Secret (Cragbridge Hall #1)
Author: Chad Morris
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Mid-Grade Fiction/Sci Fi/Fantasy
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings: None
Premise: "When twins Abby and Derick start junior high at the prestigious academy their grandfather founded, Cragbridge Hall, they discover firsthand the dangers of time travel and must find a way to save their parents, who have been sent to the Titanic the night it sank" (King County Library System).
Opinions: This was an absolutely fun book to read. I loved Abby and her journey to believe in herself.  Her roommate Carol was a hoot and interesting to read. There were times I felt like smacking Derick, but I'm pretty sure that was intentional. The inventions used through out this story are creative and come with believable consequences.  Overall it was an intriguing way to make history come alive for kids. I look forward to reading the sequel that just came out in March, The Avatar Battle.

Baked Alaska by Josi Kilpack

To read my reviews of the other books in this series, click here: Lemon Tart, English Trifle, Devil's Food Cake, Key Lime Pie, Blackberry Crumble, Pumpkin Roll, Banana Split and Tres Leches Cupcakes.











Title: Baked Alaska (Culinary Mystery #9)
Author: Josi S. Kilpack
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Adult Mystery
Rating: Love
Alerts/Warnings: Murder
Premise: "Sadie Hoffmiller has gathered her family together to enjoy an Alaskan cruise and to help plan her daughter's wedding. But when her son's birthmother shows up on the ship, relationships become complicated. And once the dead bodies start appearing, Sadie realizes more than one person on the cruise is keeping secrets" (King County Library System).
Opinions: I love this book. Sadie is thrust into several emotional experiences surrounding her family that would tear at any mother's heart if they went through it. I was pulled into her internal struggles, her guilt, fears, and uncertainties. I enjoyed getting to see her with her kids again and the relationship that they were building with Pete. I loved the mystery surrounding their cruise. And oh my gosh there are so many recipes that I want to try from this book, including the Baked Alaska Cupcakes and the Salmon Potato Chowder. My mouth is already watering. I also can't wait to read the next installment of this series, Rocky Road.

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

To read my review of the first book in this series, click here: The Girl in the Steel Corset.





Title:  The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (The Steampunk Chronicles #2)
Author:  Kady Cross
Reviewer:  Karen
Genre: YA Steam-punk
Rating: Like
Alerts/Warnings:  Mild swearing and violence
Premise: "Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade ; the dangerous device Jasper stole from him for the life of the girl Jasper loves. One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens. From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper's elusive trail. And they're about to discover how far they'll go for friendship" (King County Library System).

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade ; the dangerous device Jasper stole from him for the life of the girl Jasper loves. One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens. From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper's elusive trail. And they're about to discover how far they'll go for friendship. - See more at: http://kcls.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1206418082_the_girl_in_the_clockwork_collar#sthash.KZB0Osir.dpuf

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade ; the dangerous device Jasper stole from him for the life of the girl Jasper loves. One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens. From the rough streets of lower Manhattan to elegant Fifth Avenue, the motley crew of teens with supernatural abilities is on Jasper's elusive trail. And they're about to discover how far they'll go for friendship. - See more at: http://kcls.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1206418082_the_girl_in_the_clockwork_collar#sthash.KZB0Osir.dpuf

Opinions: I have found that people either love steam-punk or they hate it. And if you love steam punk, you're usually pretty particular about how to should go. I noticed this a lot when reading the mixed reviews of this book on GoodReads.  So keep in mind that I can't really compare what I read against other books of this genre because I haven't read much, yet.

For me, I found it a fun read and loathed to put it down. There are certain aspects of the story that I questioned, but I couldn't determine if the author meant for the reader to question them or not. I enjoyed seeing this genre taken out of England and carried a crossed the pond to New York. I loved the new setting, and was intrigued by the unfolding of Jasper's story. I adore Emily and love Sam a lot more in this book, but I still am holding full judgment on Griffin and Finley. I did keep forgetting that they were only teenagers. To me, they act more like they're in their early twenties, but considering what the characters have been through I can kind of understand that. I'm waiting to see where they're "relationship" takes them next.

The next book in this series, The Girl With the Iron Touch, is already out and I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Dark Memories by Jeffrey S. Savage

 


Title: Dark Memories
Author: Jeffrey S. Savage
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Adult Horror
Rating: Love/Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings: Several murders as seen from the victims point of view.
Premise: "Police Chief Cal Hunt's investigation into a recent string of bizarre murders in Twin Falls takes a chilling turn when he learns that each of the victims was a survivor of the Seven Stars Mine incident" (Pleasant Grove Library).
Opinions: I do not read horror, usually. As I've said before, I have too active an imagination and always end up staying awake, jerking at every sound, every movement after reading a horror book totally unable to sleep. But I love everything that Jeffrey S. Savage (a.k.a. J. Scott Savage) rights. And he just won the Whitney Award for this very book. So I read it. And. . . .I was scared, I was tense, I was intrigued, I was grossed out, I got the ebbie jeebies, and in the end I cried. So yep. It was good. There was no swearing, and for being a horror it was a LOT cleaner than I expected. I was fascinated by seeing the story from the different characters affected by what was going on, but I loved Chief Cal Hunt. His depth and emotion were real to me. The only reason I didn't give it a full out FABULOUS rating is because I was grossed out and got the ebbie jeebies, but since that's the point of a horror maybe it should be higher. I'll let you decide.

Good Pictures Bad Pictures by Kristen Jenson, Gail Poyner, and Illustrated by Debbie Fox

Title: Good Pictures Bad Pictures
Author: Kristen a Jenson M a, Debbie Fox (Illustrations), Gail a Poyner Ph D (With)
Reviewer: Karen
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: Fabulous
Alerts/Warnings: Talks about Pornography
Premise: "It only takes a few taps on a mobile device for a curious young child to find an endless supply of deviant, hard-core, and addicting pornography-all for free. Unfortunately, many young kids are being exposed to pornography without the slightest clue that it can damage their developing minds.

"Good Pictures Bad Pictures" is a comfortable, read-aloud story about a mom and dad who teach their child what pornography is, why it's dangerous, and how to reject it. Using easy-to-understand science and simple analogies, this ground-breaking book engages young kids to porn-proof their own brains.

The 5-point CAN DO Plan teaches kids how to avoid the brain-warping images of pornography and minimize the troubling memories of accidental exposure that often tempt kids to look for more and lead them into a dark and destructive addiction. To stay safe in the digital age, kids must install an internal filter in their own brain. "Good Pictures Bad Pictures" shows them how.

Parents will appreciate this resource to porn-proof their kids because it makes a difficult discussion easy and empowering. How? By teaching kids simple concepts about the brain and the process of addiction, and by giving them a specific strategy for keeping safe from the poison of pornography" (GoodReads.com).


Opinions: This book is BRILLIANT. It takes a very difficult topic to talk to your kids about and puts it in an honest, upfront, unabashed explanation that your kids can understand. Its the perfect book to span the chasm of talking about addictions and pornography. In fact, as soon as it came in from Amazon I ripped open the package and started reading. I wanted to get a good look at it before I approached my kids. My 6 year old came over and sat down on the couch next to me and asked, "What is good pictures/bad pictures?" I gave her a high-level explanation (which I had just read) and said I'd love to talk to her more about it, and to read the story to her, as soon as Daddy got the chance to read it too.  She was actually excited. I couldn't believe how simple and easy it was to talk with her about it. I also love how the book empowers the kids to come up with a plan of what to do if they ever face pornography head on.  I am so grateful for these ladies creating this book. I love it.