Category Archives: Contemporary

Review: 8 Notes to a Nobody by Cynthia Toney

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8 Notes to a Nobody (Bird Face #1)
Cynthia T. Toney
Write Integrity Press
Published September 1, 2015

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A cruel comment from a classmate sends thirteen year-old Wendy into a spiral of self-doubt. What can she expect when even her own father barely takes an interest in her life? Mysterious notes from “AFREND” help Wendy see there’s still hope. Who could the notes be from? A cute boy perhaps? When the nasty comments continue to wear her down, Wendy is forced to take drastic measures. She tries changing who she is, hoping it will be enough put the taunting behind her.

This story delves … Continue reading →

Favorite Reads of 2014 (Part 1)

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BestBooks2014_Jan-June

With summer in full swing, hopefully you’ve found yourself with some extra reading time. Out of over 70 books I’ve read since January 1, 2014, these are the top ten best. If you’re looking for a hot summer read, check these out.

We Are the GoldensWe Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt The emotional intensity. The slow, dramatic build-up. These are things I love about this story.From my review: “Reading this novel is like taking that first ride on a roller coaster and feeling the adrenaline and rush building over each tick-tick-tick as the coaster inches up to the top of its track until its … Continue reading →

Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

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The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. SmithThe Geography of You and Me
Jennifer E Smith
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published April 15, 2014

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On a hot summer night, the lights go out on the east coast, dropping Manhattan into an unfamiliar blackness. Sixteen year-old Lucy and seventeen year-old Owen, strangers who live in the same building, share a few moments trapped in an elevator which blossoms into hours spent talking under the night sky.

Just as the two begin to connect, their lives propel them apart: Owen to the west coast and his father’s unending job hunt and Lucy to the Europe … Continue reading →

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Eagerly Anticipated Books from My Summer Reading List

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This is a weekly theme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and my first time participating. Though my reading list seems to only grow longer the more I read, here are the ten books I most look forward to reading next.

top_ten_summer_reads

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley This has been on my list for awhile. A blogger I enjoy and an author I admire both recommended it. I can’t wait to see for myself.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare I can’t tell if I’ll be embarrassed for my infatuation with this series in ten years. At present I am hooked on the romance and snappy dialog Clare consistently delivers.

Shadows by Robin … Continue reading →

Review: Pie by Sarah Weeks

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Pie by Sarah WeeksPIE
Sarah Weeks
Scholastic
Published October 1, 2011

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Beloved Aunt Polly’s death leaves Alice miserable and the small town of Ipswitch floundering. Her world-famous restaurant serving free pies must close, but as the will is settled, everyone wonders who will get Polly’s award-winning pie crust recipe? No one is more surprised than Alice when Aunt Polly’s attorney presents her with Lardo, her aunt’s grumpy cat and sole inheritor of the coveted recipe. News ricochets through town. In its wake a mysterious villain vandalizes Polly’s shop and catnaps Lardo (in case the rumors that the recipe is tattooed on the feline’s enormous … Continue reading →

Many Thanks for Your Support

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An Anniversary Celebration and a Chance to Support a Valuable Mission

In March, to celebrate the anniversary of The Story Sanctuary, I held an auction to raise money for Christian World Mission in Chile to provide funds for school children. Four book boxes went up for auction on ebay. Through a combination of that ebay auction and word-of-mouth, all four boxes were sold, raising a total of $150 for Christian World Mission. Yay!

The Giving Continues…

Two of the boxes were donated back to The Story Sanctuary for use as giveaway prizes.

Drama_with_flare Romance_w_flare

These boxes are packed with tasty snacks and other fun goodies as well as at least three clean YA novels. Sign up quick because this giveaway ends Sunday!

a Rafflecopter … Continue reading →