Category Archives: News and Fun

To the Girls

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Don’t worry about who might be stronger than you are. You are strong enough.

Don’t see the world as us vs. them. If you always keep your eyes open for allies, you will find them in the unlikeliest of places.

First impressions aren’t always reliable. Best friends are often people we didn’t expect to get along with so well.

Don’t trust labels. The best parts of who you are can’t be summed up as prep, jock, nerd. You supersede them.

Don’t trust “friends” who want to change you. Trust the ones who laugh at the things you find funny, the ones who see the real you and rejoice.

Do the things you love. Share them with the people you love.

Talk to your mom. Whatever happens, we’re in it together.

Dream big. Explore your dreams. Learn about things. Try new things.

Your heart is big enough for all those you … Continue reading →

Review: Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee

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zeroboxerZeroboxer
Fonda Lee
Flux

Seventeen year-old Carr Luka is rocketing his way to the top of a hot new sport. Zeroboxing takes place in an enclosed arena, the Cube. Opponents face off in hand-to-hand combat in zero gravity. Winning fights is the only thing that will save Carr from being sent back to earth to work clubs as a low-rent fighter, scraping through the muck of poverty. When an opportunity to become an elite Zeroboxer, a poster child for the sport complete with endorsements and his own marketing team, Carr seizes the opportunity with both fists. His exotic Martian marketing manager steals his breath and then his heart. Just as his dreams of stardom and a glorious future seem to be within his grasp, a stranger corners Carr … Continue reading →

Review: When You Leave by Monica Ropal

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when-you-leaveWhen You Leave
Monica Ropal
Running Press Kids

For Cass, the girl who survived her father’s desertion and best friend’s battle with cancer, love doesn’t come with the possibility of loss but the certainty of it. When the hot boy at her new school seems interested in her, Cass keeps their relationship a secret. At first it’s just flirtation and fun, but Cooper isn’t satisfied with the cool exterior Cass shows everyone else. He wants the real her.

And just when she’s ready to let him into her heart, he’s gone. Dead. Murdered. Worse still, her friend Gavin gets blamed for it. All Cass can do now is try to piece together who Cooper really was and why the real killer wanted him dead. Her search unearths truths she is barely able to face and forces her … Continue reading →

Review: Between Shadows by Kathleen Cook Waldron

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Between ShadowsBetween Shadows
Kathleen Cook Waldron
Coteau Books

When his grandfather dies unexpectedly, Ari and his remaining family gather at the cabin deep in the woods. At the reading of the will, another surprise greets Ari, his dad and his aunt: Grandpa left the cabin and all his land to Ari. Uninterested in the remote property that conjures painful memories, Ari’s dad and aunt make plans to sell everything. Ari is determined to change their minds.

Author Kathleen Cook Waldron brings to the story her own experience living in the bush. The details of the cabin and surrounding land and community are told in vivid detail so that even the most urban readers can perfectly picture the serene woods, playful stream and peaceful lake.

Through Waldron’s clean storytelling, we follow … Continue reading →

Upcoming Reviews on the Story Sanctuary (April 2015)

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Over the next few weeks, The Story Sanctuary will be home to reviews for some great new releases as well as some catch-up reviews on recent or past releases. Here are a few you can expect to see…

when-you-leaveWhen You Leave by Monica Ropal

This was one of those stories that left me pining for another chapter. Really great characters and tension. Very angsty story, which is so often what I crave in YA.

between-shadowsBetween Shadows by Kathleen Cook Waldron

I had the pleasure of meeting this author and talking about the book with her late last year. Her description of the story and its characters were so intriguing that I’ve been thinking about … Continue reading →

Cats In Literature

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cats-in-litThis week our family had to make a difficult decision. Our Siamese-Russian Blue cat battled serious health issues for some time. Because of her age, it wasn’t wholly unexpected. But she was in great pain, and we couldn’t let her continue to suffer. We said goodbye and brought her to our vet’s office to be humanely put to sleep.

She’d been a member of our family for nearly thirteen years, and we love and miss her. Probably none more so than her feline companion, who is now alone during the days for the first time since she was a kitten.

So… in honor of our loss, I’ve made a list of memorable cats in literature. Hope you enjoy.

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