Review: The Other Lola by Ripley Jones

The Other Lola by Ripley Jones

The Other Lola (Missing Clarissa #2)
Ripley Jones
Wednesday Books
Published March 12, 2024

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About The Other Lola

The sequel to Ripley Jones’s unforgettable YA thriller MISSING CLARISSA, THE OTHER LOLA is about what happens when the people you love the most are the people you can trust the least.

In the months after Cam and Blair broke their small hometown’s legendary missing-girl story and catapulted to accidental fame, they vowed never to do it again. No more mysteries, no more podcasts, and no more sticking their heads where they don’t belong.

Until Mattie Brosillard, a freshman … Continue reading

Review: Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani

Lion of the Sky by Ritu Hemnani

Lion of the Sky
Ritu Hemnani
Balzer + Bray
Published May 7, 2024

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About Lion of the Sky

A historical novel in verse about a boy and his family who are forced to flee their home and become refugees after the British Partition of India.

Twelve-year-old Raj is happiest flying kites with his best friend, Iqbal. As their kites soar, Raj feels free, like his beloved India soon will be, and he can’t wait to celebrate their independence.

But when a British lawyer draws a line across a map, splitting India in two, Raj is thrust into a fractured … Continue reading

Review: The Urgency of Slowing Down by Laura L. Smith

The Urgency of Slowing Down by Laura L. Smith

The Urgency of Slowing Down
Laura L. Smith
Our Daily Bread Publishing
Published December 3, 2024

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About The Urgency of Slowing Down

If Jesus took time away from the demands of life for stillness, rest, and prayer, shouldn’t His followers do the same?

Yet living in a whirlwind of constant motion is all too familiar. Our many responsibilities and relationships are important: we want to go to our child’s game and say yes to that assignment at work and help lead that group at church. But when we go, go, go at the world’s pace, the anxiety … Continue reading

Review: Fortune’s Kiss by Amber Clement

Fortune's Kiss

Fortune’s Kiss
Amber Clement
Union Square & Co.
Published November 12, 2024

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About Fortune’s Kiss

The legendary Fortune’s Kiss has returned to Ciudad Milagro for the first time in ten years. The magical gambling house shows up twice a year in a new city during the solstices to lure those worthy enough to wager their souls for wealth, the realization of their greatest desires, and, even, immortality.

Known by many names throughout the years, it returns to Milagro as El Beso de la Fortuna . . . and the game is Lotería. And best friends Mayté Robles and Lorena (Lo) de León are determined … Continue reading

Review: Star-Spangled Jesus by April Ajoy

Star-Spangled Jesus by April Ajoy

Star-Spangled Jesus: Leaving Christian Nationalism and Finding a True Faith
April Ajoy
Worthy Books
Published October 1, 2024

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About Star-Spangled Jesus

A hilarious and eye-opening account of leaving Christian Nationalism behind to follow Jesus better.  

April Ajoy wouldn’t have called herself a Christian Nationalist when she performed her original song “America Say Jesus” on the Jim Bakker show, or when she participated in Jesus Marches across America, or when she posted cringe-worthy videos on YouTube to campaign for Mitt Romney. April just considered herself a good faithful, Republican, and determined to make America a Christian nation once again.

But as … Continue reading

Review: The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich

The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich

The Game of Silence (Birchbark House #2)
Louise Erdrich
HarperCollins
Published June 13, 2006

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About The Game of Silence

Winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, The Game of Silence is the second novel in the critically acclaimed Birchbark House series by New York Times bestselling author Louise Erdrich.

Her name is Omakayas, or Little Frog, because her first step was a hop, and she lives on an island in Lake Superior. One day in 1850, Omakayas’s island is visited by a group of mysterious people. From them, she learns that the chimookomanag, or white people, want Omakayas and her people … Continue reading