Monthly Wrap-Up for August 2016

aug2016_wrapThe month of August screamed past, packed with the final days of summer, a last-minute vacation, and the start of a new school year. My family spent a long weekend in Hendersonville, NC, which was lovely! And I was able to attend Read Up Greenville and meet some awesome authors. You can read about my experience and see my book haul here.

Here at The Story Sanctuary, things were bustling, too, with lots of reviews and book news. Here’s a quick look at what you may have missed:

Dreadlands by Jaimie Engle

Dreadlands: Wolf Moon by Jaimie Engle

Review | Amazon | Continue reading

Ten Things I Learned at Read Up Greenville 2016

I haven’t been to a lot of book events, and I’m starting to regret it. As a pretty deep introvert, I much prefer the part of book blogging where I’m sitting quietly in bed or in a comfy chair with a book and possibly a snack, or, even better, a cat in my lap. But as I start to read multiple books by authors or hear about new authors with great new books, I’ve started wanting to get out there and meet authors and listen to what inspired them or how they write such amazing characters and stories. So… my first foray into the wild was a last-minute trip to Read Up! in Greenville, SC on August 6, 2016. I got some great books and had an awesome time listening to authors speak about writing and what inspired the stories they’ve written. Here are some of the things I learned.

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Review: Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin

tell-me-something-realTell Me Something Real
Calla Devlin
Simon & Schuster / Atheneum

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Her mother’s cancer dominates Vanessa’s life. Alternative treatments in Mexico are the only hope for her mom, whose cancer is terminal. While Vanessa tries to anticipate her mother’s every need and keep her sisters (foul-mouthed Adrienne and saint-obsessed Marie) together, she also dreams of a day when she can pursue her own dreams. She pours out her grief in her music and counts the days until she’ll hear back from music schools about applications she’s secretly sent out.

Then two new members join Vanessa’s family group—a boy whose cancer is in remission and his overprotective mother. As Vanessa and Caleb begin to fall in … Continue reading

Review: One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank

oneparissummerOne Paris Summer
Denise Grover Swank
Blink / Zondervan

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Anyone would be thrilled to spend the summer in Paris, but Sophie dreads it. Meeting her dad’s new wife and stepdaughter? Leaving her friends behind in the States? Not fun at all. When Sophie arrives, things only get worse. Her dad promised her a piano but never follows through. Her stepsister Camille torments her constantly, and even recruits her friends to help make Sophie miserable. Then one of Camille’s friends reaches out to Sophie. His charm and sweetness are the lifeline Sophie needs to get her through the difficult summer. The two grow closer, but if Camille finds out, she’ll do everything within her power to … Continue reading

Review: First & Then by Emma Mills

First & Then by Emma MillsFirst & Then
Emma Mills
Henry Holt & Co.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

With college application deadlines fast-approaching, Devon is under pressure to be her most extraordinary self. The problem? How would Jane Austen say this? She’s remarkably uninteresting. Devon has never minded the sidelines. Especially when her best friend Cas and secret love takes the football field. When her socially awkward cousin Foster moves in with Devon’s family, his presence changes everything, bringing the local unapproachable football star, Ezra, into Devon’s path. Like, almost constantly. Ezra’s new closeness seems to stir some jealous feelings in Cas, and at first Devon thinks this might be the moment in which he discovers his deep love for … Continue reading

Spotlight: Fish Wielder by J. R. R. R. Hardison

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Fish Wielder CoverFish Wielder
J. R. R. R. Hardison
Fiery Seas Publishing
Available: August 23, 2016

Amazon | Barnes & Noble  | Goodreads

Fish Wielder is kind of like Lord of the Rings, set in Narnia, if it was written by the guys who made Monty Python and the Holy Grail while they were listening to the music of They Might Be Giants.

In ancient times, the Dark Lord Mauron cooked the most powerful magic chocolate dessert ever made, the Pudding of Power. One thousand and two … Continue reading