Tag: TLC Book Tours

Book Review, Books

The Love You Save by Goldie Taylor

Openly Bookish

Life in East Saint Louis in the 70’s and early 80’s was rough for Goldie. One day at just 11 years old she is violated by an older neighborhood boy. Instead of her mom wanting to help Goldie get through such a traumatic event, she pawns her off on her Aunt Gerald after getting Goldie cleaned up herself. Life at her aunt’s isn’t much of an improvement from living with her mom. Along with a host of cousins, Goldie tries as best she can to adjust to living with her relatives. She always hopes in the back of her mind that her mother will one day swoop back into her life and bring her back home.

In school it is discovered that Goldie is gifted. When she gets placed in the gifted class she excels in memorizing poetry and works on writing her own pieces. Her talent is all thanks to her teaching herself to read at age 3. Books were and are her solace.

This book had me throughout reminding myself that I was reading a memoir and not historical fiction. Goldie’s life story is one of tough love, forgiveness, resilience, hope and love. If you are looking for a book on what inner city life is like then I recommend this upcoming memoir.

I didn’t expect to care about all the real life characters in this book. They weren’t all likable, but by the end I felt like I had been to one of Goldie’s family BBQ’s. Even though there was chaos at times there was in fact unspoken love given in the moments you weren’t always expecting it.

I received a complimentary advanced copy of The Love You Save by Goldie Taylor from Hanover Square Press, care of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest feedback. Views expressed are strictly my own.

Book Review, Books

The Essence Of Nathan Biddle

Openly Bookish

Kit is a deep soul who adores his girlfriend, Anna, until the day he gets his own personal Dear John letter. Why can’t she love him like he adores her? She’s gorgeous, smart and did I mention gorgeous again? Kit feels stuck in a rut. How can his life go on like normal?

Kit is so distraught over the breakup he doesn’t want to acknowledge that he goes on a little joyride with his ex job’s vehicle, crashing it. Kit swears he experiences an NDE and died at the scene, but was revived by Anna’s stepfather, the Ghoul. Now with a busted leg he’s stuck healing at the hospital.

Waiting in the wings to be noticed is his friend’s sister, Sarah. She’s even smart, or smarter than Anna and she’s equally as gorgeous. Will Kit give her the time of day that she deserves? It’s like Kit is for Sarah, what Anna means to Kit.

While mending in the hospital Kit has to see a shrink. Oh, the horror. What can he say? He wasn’t trying to die. Going over his life with the shrink he has to come to terms with his uncle’s dark past, to piece together a mystery so bizarre he can’t believe he’d even consider something so wild as a possibility. What’s the true connection between himself, his uncle and his cousin, Nathan who sadly passed? Is his uncle truly cuckoo?

I received my complimentary copy of The Essence Of Nathan Biddle by J. William Lewis from Greenleaf Book Group Press, care of TLC Book Tours. The views are mine and provided of my own will. This novel is a chunk, but keep reading because you’ll want to find out what happens. This book does a great job of showing just how deep a first love can be and how catastrophic a breakup is. It gives a great example of how one can wrestle with what you are taught about life and how that affects your reaction to what life throws at you.

Book Review, Books

The Halo Conspiracy

Openly Bookish

Homicide detective Lucas Nash has a fairly basic existence solving crimes, until he’s asked to cover the murder of a big high tech muckity muck. At first Lucas thinks it’s a simple death of natural causes, until the doctor examining the victim gets sick herself. There are a number of individuals who were around the headhauncho before he died and Lucas has to figure out who the culprit is fast.

The only challenge is that Lucas has to help protect one of the potential suspects and she’s far from ugly. In the process of keeping her safe he witnesses that this particular lady has some very unusual characteristics. Can Lucas keep this suspect safe or will he let her beauty distract him from his job?

This novel’s theme of futuristic technology is sobering. Things we thought not too long ago were mere fantasy are now a part of our every day reality. If you like futuristic themed novels then you may enjoy this fast paced, fun read. The characters are quirky, unique and you can’t help, but keep rooting for Lucas.

I received my complimentary copy of The Halo Conspiracy by Michael Murphy, care of the author for my honest, at will review. Thoughts presented are mine. If you need a fun, light, yet thought provoking read I highly recommend this novel. It’s short, but a fast paced storyline that will keep you guessing.

Book Review, Books

A Winter Night

Openly Bookish

Angie is a social worker in a retirement community in her small town. She’s had a few boyfriends in the past, but is hopeful about her new one, Matt. Her life is pretty basic between work, time with Matt and fielding parental drama.

If you enjoy slower paced stories then A Winter Night might be a good match for you.

I received my complimentary copy of A Winter Night by Anne Leigh Parish from Unsolicited Press, care of TLC Book Tours. The views are mine and of my own will.

Book Review, Books

Stormland

Openly Bookish

It seems like it’s the end of the world in this dystopian, futuristic novel where a rag tag bunch find themselves stuck in Stormland, where the weather never lets up. South Carolina has become a wasteland of decrepit buildings, people stranded and hooked on drugs. Things appear bleak. It’s a world where friend and foe can flip like a switch. Who can you trust? Will the storms ever stop?

An ex US Marshall and an ex serial killer arrive in Stormland to band together to explore the underbelly, to find out whose behind these mysterious deaths happening. The strange thing is there’s a place in the skull of the victims where something had been inserted. Are there any other clues these deaths have in common? What was inserted and why?

Received my complimentary copy of Stormland by John Shirley from Blackstone Publishing, care of TLC Book Tours. The views are my own and my own choice. This novel has a bit for everyone: adventure, futuristic concepts, romance, family drama, and more. If you love mystery, intrigue and adventure then you may enjoy this novel.

Book Review, Books

Why I Never Finished My Dissertation

Openly Bookish

Poetry is a language I speak fluently. Even though I love to express myself in this medium, I rarely read other’s poems. I’m glad I chose to. Why I Never Finished My Dissertation, is a slim volume of poetry that grabs you by the collar to make sure you are fully immersing yourself in the author’s words. Her poems are vivid, joyful, sad, and if nothing else, deep. Just from this collection I can gather that Laura has had a rough life, but that through it all she had crafted a sweet life for herself.

If you love poetry, love memoirs in free verse then you will want a copy of this book of poetry. After finishing this book I want to go hunt down Laura’s other books of poetry. She is talented and inspiring.

I received my complimentary copy of Why I Never Finished My Dissertation by Laura Foley from TLC Book Tours and the author. The views are mine and my own choice. This book was intriguing.

Book Review, Books

Sisters Of War

Openly Bookish

Natasha has a fairly cush life with her sister, Lisa and their younger brother, Nikolai and their parents in Russia. When World War II hits things turn nerve racking. One day while Natasha is walking with her grandmother, a drunk German starts to intimidate them and gets aggressive. Natasha is petrified. Her grandmother isn’t afraid of the Nazi and winds up injured, but before the soldier can zero in on Natasha, a handsome stranger appears and the drunk officer is dead on the ground. This mystery man helps Natasha carry her badly injured Grandmother back to their house. Who is this knight in shining armor?

Natasha searches for this handsome stranger, to offer her thanks for his heroic deed. When she finds him she’s shocked to realize he’s a Hungarian soldier working for the enemy. He says that he has no choice. Natasha returns home still smitten. Her sister, Lisa is a tad suspicious, but she’s distracted by her fiancé.

When the Nazi’s want to know who killed their comrade Natasha says she doesn’t know who killed the drunk soldier. It was too dark that night. She wants to keep her Hungarian safe. The only problem is someone has to take the fall.

I received my complimentary copy of Sisters Of War by Lana Kortchik from HQ, care of TLC Book Tours. The views expressed are mine and my choice. This wartime novel is a wild ride filled with sisterly drama, romance, adventure and the love of a devoted family. If you enjoy historical fiction then you’ll gobble up this must read.

Book Review, Books

Questions Of Perspective

Openly Bookish

Dave is an attorney who works at befriending his colleague John. The two become great friends. One day John doesn’t come to work for a few days without any warning or preamble. Dave is concerned so he offers to go check on John. When he arrives at John’s place his landlord acts drunkenly surprised that his tenant is MIA. He allows Dave to go into John’s appointment to see if he’s home, but there is no one there. The only inhabitant is his cat, Peaches. Since Dave feels bad for the cat he asks the landlord if he can watch over Peaches till John is found. The landlord seems fine with that.

Dave tries to locate John, but can’t. He’s utterly disappeared. After a year goes by Dave is out briefly during his work lunch break and bumps into John. Understandably he’s furious that John just abandoned his job and cat. What John shares briefly with Dave is what it’s like to be God and know/see everything. Dave in confounded. John explains that he, himself have become God. Dave is skeptical, but the glimpse John allowed Dave to have changed Dave. Living a mundane existence didn’t cut it any longer, so Dave decides to change his life. Journey with Dave as he processes what it’s like to have his friend become divine and how he works to answer the questions John/God pose to Dave.

This novel was outside the box. We have enough challenges with the Western view of God, but what if one of your closest friends became God and then life started not going as you planned? What if God wouldn’t answer your prayer? The characters are memorable. I like how Peaches goes on hikes with Dave, leash free.

I received my complimentary digital copy of Questions Of Perspective by Daniel Maunz from Black Rose Writing, care of TLC Book Tours and the author. The views are mine and my choice.

Book Review, Books

All About Us

Openly Bookish

What would you do if you could go back in time to choose a different path than the one you are currently on? Ben gets his chance in: All About Us. It’s Christmas Eve and he’s in a rut. His wife, Daphne is off at her work Christmas party. He declines to go so, he can stay home and decorate their tree. Instead he’s off to the pub to see his best friend Harv. At the pub he meets a watch salesman who gifts him a watch. This stranger asks Ben if there was anything in his life he’d like to do over. Welcome to Ben’s adventure to find out just what that entails.

This novel is fast paced, gripping, emotional, thought provoking, and sobering. I couldn’t put it down. This book is fiction, but the essence of the story brings home so much on a personal level. You can’t read this novel and not think about your own life and all you’ve gone through to be at where you are at currently. If you love a Christmas Carol then you may enjoy this story. I have never read this classic Christmas tale, but I just might after reading this novel.

I received my complimentary copy of All About Us by Tom Ellen from HarperCollins, care of TLC Book Tours. The views are mine and of my own choice. Thank you for the opportunity to get to read such a powerful book.

Book Review, Books

The Grown Woman’s Guide To Online Dating

Openly Bookish

Dating in this day and age is plain weird. If you are a Christian woman wading through the different dating apps out there, trying to figure out how do they work, are there any good men left, then this short book may be just right for you. If you aren’t straight, then this book isn’t written for you in mind, but the different nuggets within this book’s pages just may help you as well (just substitute gender, etc.).

The author goes through the joys, pitfalls and lessons she’s learned through online dating. Each section tackles a different topic. If you aren’t sure how to compose a profile, then Miss Starbuck will give you examples and also, provide examples of things not to put in your profile. She does interject some faith points throughout her book and quotes by different people. The author also, tackles ways to detect fake profiles and how to be savvy with friend zoning dates that don’t make the potential forever cut.

I was expecting this book to be more heavy on the faith aspect, but honestly it was more faith light. One of the quotes given at the start of a chapter was by Marianne Williamson, which surprised me since she promotes A Course In Miracles. But I know a lot of believers are more progressive than traditional. I can relate to that.

I received my complimentary copy of The Grown Woman’s Guide To Online Dating by Margot Starbuck from Thomas Nelson, care of TLC Book Tours. The views are mine and my own choice.