I Feel So Unnecessary

Breaker's Reef Cape Refuge # 4 By: Teri Blackstock Genre: Christian Suspense 336 pages Publisher: Zondervan Buy it: Zondervan Amazon A Cape Refuge teenager is dead . . . Then another body is found . . . Will Sadie Caruso be the next to die? When a famous mystery writer moves to Cape Refuge, ex-con Sheila Caruso-mother to Sadie and Caleb-is thrilled to get a job working for him. But when a teenage girl is found murdered, Sheila discovers that a scene in one of the eccentric writer's novels matches the crime scene. Exactly. Then a second dead girl is discovered by Police Chief Cade and Blair Owens. And when this murder mirrors a scene in another of the writer's books, Cade is drawn into a web of trickery and deceit. Shockingly, evidence turns up in Cade's truck-evidence that points to Cade himself as the number one suspect! Cade tries to clear his name, but when eighteen-year-old Sadie Caruso disappears, tensions mount to a fever ...

"[Women served by Thistle Farms] would be dead by now if it weren't for a remarkable initiative by the Rev. Becca Stevens to help women escape trafficking and prostitution." —Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times New Book by Famed Women’s Advocate Exposes “Fair Trade” as a Myth, and Offers Justice to Women Survivors Becca Stevens is a White House Champion of Change, and founder of Magdalene and Thistle Farms, two of the nation’s leading social enterprises for women. Now she shares how their latest initiative—a café that employs women recovering from prostitution and addiction—is fueling a worldwide movement to bring fair wages to women in her new book, The Way of Tea and Justice: Rescuing the World’s Favorite Beverage from Its Violent History (Jericho Books/Hachette Book Group, $22.00 hardcover, November 4, 2014). Stevens opened the Thistle Stop Café in Nashville, Tennessee in 2013 to empower women survivors. But when she discovered a connection b...

Gone in a Heartbeat: A Physician's Search for True Healing by Neil Spector My rating: 4 of 5 stars Dr. Neil Spector, one of the nation's top oncologists, led a charmed life. He was educated at prestigious universities, trained at top medical centers, and had married the woman of his dreams. It seemed too perfect. And it was. In 1994, it all came crashing down. He and his wife lost two unborn children. And a mysterious illness brought him to the brink of death. In his compelling memoir, "Gone in a Heartbeat," Dr. Spector describes in great detail how he was misdiagnosed and, despite being a medical insider, was often discounted by his fellow physicians. As he recounts his own unorthodox approach to medicine and physician/patient relationships, Dr. Spector encourages readers to never surrender their power to a third party. He tells of courageous patients who served as role models, he conceded that doctors do a disservice to patients when "we tre...

Dumped: Women Unfriending Women by Nina Gaby My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. A series of essays on women being dumped by their female friends. Many of the stories had me going " I know how she feels!" All of them were good even though I felt a couple didn't really belong but I still enjoyed those as well. This is a must read for women. View all my reviews Genre: Essays Publisher: She Writes Press, March 2015 212 pages

A Killer Collection A Collectible Mystery # 1 189 pages Genre: Cozy Mystery Publisher: Beyond the Page, January 2015 Book Source: Publisher via netgalley In the world of antiques and collectibles, it helps to have a sharp eye for quality, a good ear for gossip, and a nose for murder. Molly Appleby is a young writer for Collector’s Weekly , and when the attractive reporter isn’t covering auctions and antique shows all over the South, she’s trying to get her new relationship with a coworker off the ground. When her latest assignment takes her to North Carolina pottery country to cover an exclusive kiln opening, she’s certain the show promises surprising offerings and rare finds. What she doesn’t expect to find is a dead body. George-Bradley Staunton is known throughout the antiques world as a very wealthy and very ruthless collector, and when he drops dead just after the opening, there are all too few mourners and a seemingly endless list of suspects. When the local ...

Traceless by Joanne Clancy My rating: 3 of 5 stars I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.  Genre: Mystery/ Thriller 235 pages Published: September 2014   Adam Stoltz vanishes in the middle of the night. His girlfriend, Darcey Ackerman, is the last person to see him alive. An international manhunt and police investigation ensue, but Adam remains traceless. Darcey is obsessed with finding out what really happened to Adam, but someone is watching her, and she is about to discover that there is a fine line between love and hate... Traceless - some people should never be found. Even though there were some flaws such as confusing time jumps- overall it was a good mystery. I also enjoyed the ending. I wasn't expecting it. View all my reviews

Stranger Child by Rachel Abbott My rating: 3 of 5 stars Kindle edition 326 pages Publication Date: Feb. 24, 2015 Genre: Suspense     When Emma Joseph met her husband David, he was a man shattered by grief. His first wife had been killed outright when her car veered off the road. Just as tragically, their six-year-old daughter mysteriously vanished from the scene of the accident.  Now, six years later, Emma believes the painful years are behind them. She and David have built a new life together and have a beautiful baby son, Ollie. Then a stranger walks into their lives, and their world tilts on its axis. Emma’s life no longer feels secure. Does she know what really happened all those years ago? And why does she feel so frightened for herself and for her baby?     When a desperate Emma reaches out to her old friend DCI Tom Douglas for help, she puts all their lives in jeopardy. Before long, a web of deceit is revealed that shocks...

Dyslexic Dick II: The Marine Corps Truly Uncommon Experience By: Richard " Dick" Kraemer Genre: Memoir 522 pages Published: March 2014 This book is an autobiography of Kraemer's life in the Marine Corps and as someone with dyslexia. It is a story of how both things led him to accomplish things in his life. It is a unique story that is at times humorous and always interesting. I enjoyed reading it. So, I'm giving it... Also check out Dyslexic Dick: True Adventures of My World Author website Twitter Facebook Buy the book here Lisa

Box of Rain by Debra R. Borys My rating: 3 of 5 stars   Cousins Shorty Davis and Booker T Brooks grew up in pretty much the same circumstances: single mother, too many siblings crowded into a small ghetto apartment. So what makes one kid choose violence as his method to survive living on the streets and the other choose education? Chicago reporter Jo Sullivan doesn’t know or have time to worry about it. She’s dealing with her own issues when her estranged father comes to Chicago to participate in a cancer clinical trial. When a severed head turns up in an alley dumpster, however, she’s thankful for an excuse to shift priorities and find out why all the evidence seems to point to the one kid least likely to have committed the crime. * I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. It was an absorbing read with realistic characters and plenty of twists and turns. It also tackled homelessness in a caring, sensitive manner. I recommend it. Lisa ...

Gooseberry Island by Steven Manchester My rating: 4 of 5 stars Published Jan. 2015 300 pages They met at the worst possible moment...or maybe it was just in time. David McClain was about to go to war and Lindsey Wood was there at his going-away party, capturing his heart when falling for a woman was the last thing on his mind. While David was serving his country, he stayed in close contact with Lindsey. But war changes a person, and when he came home very little had the same meaning that it had before – including the romance that had sustained him. Was love truly unconquerable, or would it prove to be just another battlefield casualty? * I was given a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. It made me smile and it made me cry- A LOT. It was a book with a timely message- about veterans with PTSD and the war in Afghanistan. The message was a serious one but was written in a very sensitive and effective way. I felt as if I was with the characters both on Goo...

Witchcraft Couture By: Katarina West 312 pages Genre: Fantasy Publisher: eBook Partnership, November 2014 * I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. Oscar Pellegrini is a very talented fashion designer. He only has one problem- his mind. He's plagued by self-doubt so he ends up being self destructive. Because of that his once promising career has been troubled by one firing after another. When he's given another chance by his ex-girlfriend he ends up running away to Russia where he ends up drunk and on a bizarre journey. There he ends up with a mysterious machine that might save his career... or will it? At first I was a little annoyed with Oscar because he kept sabotaging himself. But after a while he grew on me. He is a fully realized, realistic character. The book kept me interested and had an interesting twist. It's a an original work and well worth the read. The cover is also really beautiful. So, it's getting... Buy th...

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold ( Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series # 1) By: Iain Reading Genre: Adventure/Mystery/YA 326 pages Published: 2012  About the book:   Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold  is the thrilling first installment in a new young adult series of adventure mystery stories by Iain Reading . This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations.  After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales, Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, g...

Genre: Non-fiction/Caregiving 41 pages Published on amazon January 8, 2015 Synopsis: A short book on my caregiving experiences with my sassy grandmother. It contains funny things she said, rants, and my thoughts on caregiving. I've also included some caregiving resources at the end. You can buy it for $2.99 here If you do purchase it, please leave a review. I appreciate it. Lisa

Playing Saint By: Zachary Bartels Genre: Christian Mystery/ Thriller 352 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson, October 2014 I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via BookLook Bloggers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any other way. Yesterday, Parker Saint’s only concern was his swiftly rising star power. Today, he’s just trying to stay alive. Parker Saint is living the dream. A cushy job at a thriving megachurch has him on the verge of becoming a bestselling author and broadcast celebrity—until life takes an abrupt turn that lands him on the wrong side of the law. To avoid a public scandal, he agrees to consult with the police on a series of brutal murders linked by strange religious symbols scrawled on each victim. Parker tries to play the expert, but he is clearly in over his head. Drawn ever deeper into a web of intrigue involving a demanding detective, a trio of secretive Vatican opera...

A Soul's Kiss By: Debra Chapoton YA Paranormal Romance Published by: Creative Prose Publishing, March 2015 252 pages I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. When a tragic car accident sends Jessica’s comatose body to the hospital her spirit escapes. Navigating a supernatural realm is tough, but being half-dead has its advantages. Like getting into people’s thoughts. Like taking over someone’s body. Like experiencing romance on a whole new plane – literally   Jessica learns an amazing truth as she struggles to return to her body before the doctors pull the plug, only she can’t do it alone. Now the only people willing to help Jessica’s splintered soul – the two she has hurt the most – must guide her soul back to her body before it’s too late.   An entertaining ya novel that's suitable for adults too. It was a paranormal romance that also tackled the topic of bullying in an effective way. I enjoyed reading it.So I'm giving it... ...

The Innkeeper of Bethlehem: The Story of Santa Claus By: Scott Roloff Genre: Christian/Children/Fantasy 115 pages Publication Date: September 2013 * Book Source- Complimentary copy from author in exchange for an honest review. This book will permit families to enjoy Santa Claus and the other secular customs of Christmas within the Christian celebration of Jesus’s birth.  For little children, Santa Claus becomes a real person delivering presents to them from Jesus.  The tale begins with Shai and Adi, the childless owners of an inn in Bethlehem.  When Shai rents out their bedroom, they must sleep in the stable.  During the night, Joseph and Mary arrive and Adi helps Mary through a difficult labor.  They bond, and when an angel appears telling Joseph to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, Shai and Adi go with them and become Jesus’s uncle and aunt.  The book then tells of Jesus growing up with his friends Mary Magdalene and John, his ministry...

Country Club Murders # 1 Genre: Mystery Publisher: Henery Press, February 2015 255 pages The Deep End by Julie Mulhern My rating: 4 of 5 stars Swimming into the lifeless body of her husband’s mistress tends to ruin a woman’s day, but becoming a murder suspect can ruin her whole life. It’s 1974 and Ellison Russell’s life revolves around her daughter and her art. She’s long since stopped caring about her cheating husband, Henry, and the women with whom he entertains himself. That is, until she becomes a suspect in Madeline Harper’s death. The murder forces Ellison to confront her husband’s proclivities and his crimes—kinky sex, petty cruelties and blackmail. As the body count approaches par on the seventh hole, Ellison knows she has to catch a killer. But with an interfering mother, an adoring father, a teenage daughter, and a cadre of well-meaning friends demanding her attention, can Ellison find the killer before he finds her? * Book Source: Complimentary c...

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day A.K.A How to Build Literacy, Support Community, & Make Magic Happen All in One Day In 2010 I had two young children whom I was bringing to story hour at our local bookstore almost every week. After all, what better activity to do with kids? It was enriching, fun, even relaxing. I didn’t have to feel guilty when I drank that 700 calorie butterscotch latte from the coffee bar. I was running back and forth between adult fiction and the flower-flocked children’s section—working off the calories for sure. My kids probably didn’t realize it was as much of a treat for me as for them. Which started me thinking—were other parents in on this secret? How many children knew the pleasure of spending time in a bookstore? I frequent the mystery listserv, DorothyL, and a more avid group of readers you couldn’t hope to find. When I floated the idea for Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, bloggers on the listserv spread the word. My husband...