Breathe Deep & Swim ~Book Review~

Breathe Deep & Swim By: Jenna Marcus Cleanliness (See “About” for scale): 4/5 (Moderate cursing, Topics to consider: death, COVID-19, & racism.) 4 Stars Breathe Deep & Swim is the bittersweet tale of loss, forgiveness, adventure, and brotherly love. At 150 pages, it is a fairly short book, yet it still manages to completely capture …

In Cold Blood ~Book Review~

In Cold Blood By: Truman Capote Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): 3/5 (Cursing, Topics to consider: murder, racism, pedophilia, suicide, and capital punishment.) 4 Stars "Of all the people in the world, the Clutters were the least likely to be murdered." In Cold Blood is a well-crafted, intriguing true story of the Clutter family murders …

Breakfast at Bronzefield ~Book Review~

Breakfast at Bronzefield By: Sophie Campbell Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): 3/5 (Content to consider: Cursing, mentions of rape, mentions of sexual assault, and violence) 4 Stars Breakfast at Bronzefield is a nonfiction, autobiographical recounting of Sophie Campbell's experience in the UK's female prison system. All told from her perspective, this book reads a bit …

Beyond the Mirror ~Book Review~

Beyond the Mirror: Seechers By: M.K. Williams and Natalie Kavanagh Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Yuck (10+ curse words) Stars: 4.5 This book is absolutely amazing! Although the storyline appears to be a fairly basic fantasy book, the scientific/mental aspect of the "magic" and the writing itself takes it to an entirely new level. There …

The Magicians ~Book Review~

The Magicians By: Lev Grossman 2.5 Stars Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Disgusting (20+ curse words, multiple sexual scenes, descriptions of body parts, violence, blood, and death.) Perhaps my expectations were too high for this book. When it was recommended to me, multiple people said it was an adult version of Narnia and Harry Potter …

Get Outside ~Journal Review~

Get Outside By: Ink & Willow 4 Stars Get Outside is a beautiful journal focused on religion and nature. It features "inspirational quotes, thoughtful journaling prompts, and valuable information to enhance every outdoor adventure." The first time I used this journal, I was sitting outside in the grass on a peaceful summer day. The prompts …

Feelu ~Book Review~

Feelu: Explore Your Feelings By: Niloufar Shafiei 5 Stars Topics to consider: bullying Feelu is a very in-depth book that teaches kids how to deal with emotions as well as bullying. It uses examples, pictures, and colors to explain how to express each emotion and where that emotion fits into life. The illustrations are absolutely …

Far Beyond the Sun ~Book Review~

Far Beyond the Sun By: Dolev Zaharony 2.5 stars This book is a fun story of a little kid who wants to be the highest kid in the world - specifically taller than the sun. It teaches kids that absolutely anything is possible if you are inventive and use your imagination! The illustrations are fairly …

I Am a Feminist ~Book Review~

I Am a Feminist: Claiming the F-Word in Turbulent Times By: Monique Polak Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: rape, sex, and abortion.) 5 Stars One out of every four North American women will be sexually assaulted at some point in their lives. 17 percent of girls under the age of …

A Secret to Die for ~Book Review~

A Secret to Die forBy: Lisa Harris Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Clean (Topics to consider: murder, cancer, divorce, religion, and death.) 4.5 Stars A Secret to Die for is a fast-paced, intriguing novel about murder, hacking, detectives, and healing after loss. I felt like I could barely put it down! The storyline is constantly changing …

A Dream Within a Dream ~Book Review~

A Dream Within a Dream By: Mike Nappa and Melissa Kosci Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly tainted (Topics to consider: murder, kidnapping, PTSD, torture, and death.) 4 stars A Dream Within a Dream is an intense suspense novel about a man with PTSD, the CIA, FBI, (and as the main character would say, "the …

Merciful Renewing ~Book Review~

Merciful RenewingBy: Karen Chalfant Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: death, religion, and war.) 3 Stars Merciful Renewing is the story of an independent woman in the early 1900s. Her life is full of heartbreak and pain, but she is on the road to forgiveness and love. This tale had very …

Career by Design ~Book Review~

Career by Design By: Ron Willbanks 4.5 Stars Career by Design is an excellent well-thought-out book packed full of advice for choosing a future career, lists of career options, ways to find more fulfillment in your job, and much more. It provides advice to younger individuals trying to figure out their future as well as those …

How to Tame Dragons and Hush Hyenas ~Book Review~

How to Tame Dragons and Hush Hyenas By: Kerry Orchard Ages 10 and under. Topics to consider: anger and destruction. 5 Stars The quote on the back page truly sums up this book when it states, "This hilarious tale filled with colourful illustrations is perfect for the young reader learning to deal with dragons of …

The Two Tails ~Book Review~

The Two Tails: Impeccable Petunia Part 2 By: Katie Christine Cleanliness (See “About” for scale): Slightly tainted (Topics to consider: violence and death.) 4 Stars If you haven't seen my review for part I of this series, take a look here: Part I. This book took Petunia's adventures in her little coop and expanded it …

Tiny Infinities ~Book Review~

Tiny Infinities By: J.H. Diehl Cleanliness (See “About” for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: divorce, family troubles, mental illness, drugs, and brain disorders.) 4 Stars Tiny Infinities is a heart-wrenching book that tells the story of a young girl trying to put a broken life together. At first, the book seemed fairly average to …

Claws, Paws, Feathers, and Jaws ~Book Review~

Claws, Paws, Feathers, and Jaws: Impeccable Petunia Part 1 By: Katie Christine Cleanliness (See “About” for scale): Slightly Tainted (Content to consider: Violence) 4.5 Stars What an interesting, interesting book this is! To be honest, the main reason I picked up this book is because it is based around a chicken. I absolutely adore chickens …

I Am Malala ~Book Review~

I Am Malala By: Malala Yousafzai Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly tainted (Topics to consider: terrorism, shootings, bombings, mention of stillbirth, blood, sexism, religion, surgery, and murder.) 5 Stars Wow. Just wow. I Am Malala is the autobiography of a young girl from Pakistan who stood up for women's rights and education and was …

It’s a Bright World to Feel Lost In ~Book Review~

It's a Bright World to Feel Lost In By: Mawson Bear 3 Stars "Are you feeling a little lost? Got that ‘left in the spare room’ emptiness about you? Mawson does too." This is a picture book for adults written by a teddy bear... Yes, you read that right. I had no idea what to …

The Raven ~Review~

I have finished my 6th classic on my classical to-be-read list!!! If you haven’t seen my list, check it out here: Classics TBR to see what’s coming! Also, feel free to take a look at my other reviews from the list: The Alchemist, Animal Farm, Candide, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and Things Fall Apart. The Raven By: Edgar Allan Poe …

Goodnight Mr. Darcy ~Book Review~

Goodnight Mr. DarcyBy: Kate Coombs 5 Stars As you can probably tell, Goodnight Mr. Darcy is a parody of Goodnight Moon by Margaret Brown that uses Pride and Prejudice as its basis. I was surprised that this short board book actually does go through the entire story (at least with the pictures). I loved this …

I Spy With My Little Fly ~Book Review~

I Spy With My Little Fly: Pups! By: M.C. Goldrick 3 stars This book is filled with tons of adorable dog pictures that a young kid will love looking at! It has bunches of pup facts and simple jokes on each page. Also on each photo is a small fly that your children can find. …

Things Fall Apart ~Book Review~

I have finished my 5th book on my classical to-be-read list!!! If you haven’t seen my list, check it out here: Classics TBR to see what’s coming! Also, feel free to take a look at my other reviews from the list: The Alchemist, Animal Farm, Candide, and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. Things Fall ApartBy: Chinua Achebe Cleanliness (See "About" …

The Lady Raven ~Book Review~

The Lady Raven By: Rebecca Henry Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Trash (4+ Curse Words. Other content: kissing, adultery, multiple graphic murders, graphic injuries, multiple scenes of implied sex, witchcraft, abuse, and death.) 3.5 stars The Lady Raven is a dark, twisted, bloody book filled with witchcraft, royals, and murder that follows the story of …

God’s Answers for the Graduate ~Book Review~

God's Answers for the Graduate: Class of 2019 Compiled by: Jack Countryman 4.5 stars What an awesome present for a Christian graduate! This cute little book is not exactly what I was expecting. There is absolutely no commentary except for the foreword and "Dear Graduate" pages. The rest of the book is simply a collection …

The Giving House ~Book Review~

The Giving House By: Madelyn March Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Disgusting (25+ curse words. Other content to consider: cancer, abuse, religion, stillbirth, implied sex, two descriptive rape scenes, adultery, and death.) 3.5 stars This is a very intriguing book. The whole story is a flashback told by a guilty narrator who is dying of …

Gust of Wind ~Book Review~

Gust of Wind By: R. G. Bisig Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Disgusting (20+ curse words. Other content: murder, mentions of sex, descriptions of body parts, nakedness, and death.) 4 stars [Side note: I skimmed the last half of this book due to the amount of cursing.] If you like Marvel or DC, you will …

Kingdom Single ~Book Review~

Kingdom Single By: Tony Evans 4 stars Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: religion, sex, divorce, and homosexuality.) First of all, what is a "Kingdom Single"? According to the author, it is "an unmarried Christian who is committed to fully and freely maximizing his or her completeness under the rule of …

Illuminated Bible ~Review~

ESV Illuminated Bible - Art Journaling Edition Published by: Crossway 4 stars This bible is so, so beautiful! It's perfect for people who love doodling in the margins of their bible. A lot of the pages have at least one golden illustration or fancy verse. There are some random pages with a full verse covering …

Loblolly, Loblolly, You’re So Tall ~Book Review~

Loblolly, Loblolly, You're So Tall By: Mommy Moo Moo Ages 4 and under 3 stars This is a very different story. It is full of fairly random descriptive words that tell you about Loblollies. What are Loblollies? I had to look them up because this book never technically tells you (although you will probably figure …

The Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible Review

The Tiny Truths Illustrated Bible By: Joanna Rivard & Tim Penner Ages 4 and up. (One image of beat-up character that some might find disturbing.) 4 stars This was such a fun, cute Bible for kids! I really enjoyed reading it. It was basically just a summary of the bible's main events put in a …

The Sky Above Us ~Book Review~

The Sky Above UsBy: Sarah Sundin Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Yuck (Content to consider: smoking, drinking, groping, sexual discussions, implied sex, kissing, war, and death.) 4 stars This historical romance will make you not want to set it down! The Sky Above Us is the story of pain, mistakes, estranged families, love, war, hate, …

God, I Know You’re There ~Book Review~

God, I Know You're There By: Bonnie Jensen Cleanliness: Angel (Ages 2-7) 5 Stars "Where is God? Why can't I see Him? Is He here with me? It can be difficult to explain God to curious children. Through lyrical rhymes and enchanting art, this book reveals that God is all around us... You'll close this …

Haibu: Lost in New York ~Book Review~

Haibu: Lost in New York By: Blake Freeman Topics to consider: disobeying parents, mention of blood, orphans, and animal abuse. 4.5 stars This book is so adorable and teaches very, very obvious lessons. Haibu is a little girl who disobeys her parents, gets lost, and changes New York for good. The story teaches that animals …

Freedom’s Light ~Book Review~

Freedom's Light By: Colleen Coble Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Yuck (Topics to consider: war, murder, religion, kissing, mention of abuse, drinking, multiple scenes of implied sex, and death.) 4.5 stars This story will totally suck you in. The Revolutionary War setting makes this book so much more than just a romance. It has mystery, …

A Girl’s Best Friend ~Book Review~

A Girl's Best Friend By: Katherine Lindsay Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (7+ Curse Words. Topics to consider: date rape, drinking, and kissing.) 3 stars To all the girls who dream of true love and find it in a dog. A Girl's Best Friend is a short, cute romance about a 24-year-old who …

24: What Can Happen in a Day ~Book Review~

24: What Can Happen in a Day By: Michael Ford Jr. Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Disgusting (10+ Curse Words. Topics to consider: suicides, nakedness, descriptions of body parts, mentions of sex, mention of rape, blood, descriptive injuries, and death.) 4 stars Ever wonder what it feels like to be a firefighter? Well, this book …

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ~Book Review~

I have finished my fourth book on my classical to-be-read list!!! I'm so proud of myself. Haha. If you haven't seen my list, check it out here: Classics TBR to see what's coming! Also, feel free to take a look at my other reviews from the list: The Alchemist, Animal Farm, and Candide. The Strange …

Story of Redemption Bible ~Review~

ESV Story of Redemption Bible Published by: Crossway 4 stars Crossway describes this study bible as, "The ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey through the Unfolding Promises of God leads readers on a journey through this storyline from start to finish, with conversational commentary written by pastor Greg Gilbert interspersed throughout the full ESV text. With the …

Second-Chance Dogs ~Book Review~

Second-Chance Dogs Edited By: Callie Smith Grant Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: abuse, still-birth, disease, religion, and death.) 4.5 stars This book really hurt. It really, really hurt, but that's mostly on me for bad timing. I guess hurting is not a bad thing because it can ultimately lead to …

Candide ~Book Review~

Welcome to the third review on my classical to-be-read list!! If you haven’t seen my list, check it out here: Classics TBR. And be sure to take a look at my first two reviews here: The Alchemist & Animal Farm. Candide By: Voltaire Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Trash (1 Curse Word. Other content: descriptive war, kissing, …

Maribel’s Rainy Day ~Book Review~

Maribel's Rainy Day By: Shauna Havlina,  Leanne Richter, and Ceth Ashen Ages 10 and under 5 Stars The authors of Jameon's Closet are back at it, again, with another inspirational, self-help children's book! Maribel's Closet is "a story about coping with worry. It is meant to help kids weather the storms of bad memories and daily …

A Brush With Death ~Book Review~

A Brush With Death By: Ali Carter Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Yuck (10+ curse words. Other content: smoking, drinking, mention of sex, descriptions of privates, religion, murder, and death.) 3.5 stars This book was simply odd. I think I expected too much of it. There was mystery, a tiny bit of romance, and humor; …

Animal Farm ~Book Review~

Welcome to the second review on my classical to-be-read list!! If you haven't seen my list, check it out here: Classics TBR. And check out my first review here: The Alchemist. Animal Farm By: George Orwell Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (No curse words. Topics to consider: drinking, blood, suicide, murder, and death.) …

ESV Archaeology Study Bible ~Review~

ESV Archaeology Study Bible Published by: Crossway 4.5 Stars First of all, I want to say: #1 I have only read the footnotes in this book through Exodus at the time of writing this review. #2 A study bible really shouldn't be read the way I read it. This study bible is really, really cool. …

This Is the Day ~Book Review~

This Is the Day By: Tim Tebow Release Date: September 25th 4 Stars Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: religion, semi-graphic injury, and death.) This book is what I would consider an inspirational self-help religious autobiography. It's a fairly quick read packed with tons of motivational quotes, encouragement, stories of success, …

The Crescent Stone ~Book Review~

The Crescent Stone By: Matt Mikalatos Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (No cursing. Topics to consider: terminal illness, blood, war, and death.) 4.5 stars With mystery, magic, humor, and even history, The Crescent Stone is a very fun book to read! In a land where everyone keeps their word (except when they don't...), …

I Go with God ~Book Review~

I Go With God By: Jill Ferrie Topics to consider: sickness and sadness. 4 stars First, can we talk about what the author, Jill Ferrie, calls her books? She calls them "FerrieTales!" You can't help but "aww" over that! The purpose of this short kid's book is to show that "prayer is a superpower." It …

The Alchemist ~Book Review~

Welcome to the first of my classical book reviews! I'm so proud that I have finished my first book! If you haven't seen the list of classics I will be reading and reviewing, check it out here: Classics TBR. The AlchemistBy: Paulo Coelho Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (1 curse word. Topics to …

What Blooms from Dust ~Book Review~

What Blooms from Dust By: James Markert Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (No curse words. Topics to consider: murder, smoking, drinking, still-birth, cutting, and death.) 4 Stars The thing that attracted me first to this book was the beautiful cover! The cover and the title are very meaningful once you've read the story. …

Crack Yourself Up ~Book Review~

Crack Yourself Up - Jokes for Kids By: Sandy Silverthorne Expected Publication: August 21, 2018 5 Stars Q: What steals your stuff while you're in the bathtub?  A: A robber ducky! What an adorable, little book! This book is filled with hilarious knock-knock jokes, funny stories, and tons of play-on words! Yes, of course there …

Blue Sky ~Book Review~

Blue SkyBy: Brian Kindall Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (8+ Euphemisms. Other content to consider: name-calling, nakedness, and multiple deaths.) 3 Stars You've heard all the tales of an abandoned child being raised by wolves, now get ready for the little girl raised by ibex! This middle-grade fiction is about as weird as …

Thief of Corinth ~Book Review~

Thief of CorinthBy: Tessa Afshar Release Date: August 7, 2018 Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (No cursing. Content to consider: drinking, slavery, blood, implied sex, mention of rape, divorce, sexism, abuse, stealing, religion, kissing, and death.) 4 stars Thief of Corinth is an interesting mixture of biblical fiction, historical fiction, real history, romance, …

Shattered Loyalties ~Book Review~

Shattered LoyaltiesBy: Karen Chalfant Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (No cursing. Topics to consider: smoking, drinking, slavery, abuse, religion, murder, brief kissing, and death.) 4.5 Stars Shattered Loyalties talked about two very tough subjects: sexism in the 1800s and slavery in the 1800s. The author did it rather well! This was a very …

A Defense of Honor ~Book Review~

A Defense of HonorBy: Kristi Ann Hunter Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (No curse words. Topics to consider: premarital pregnancy, blackmail, religion, and brief kissing.) 4.5 stars This story was so touching. A Defense of Honor is a tale about rejection, abandonment, 1800s etiquette, forgiveness, and beautiful love. I can't exactly place the …

Chicken Hero ~Book Review~

Chicken Hero By: Uyi Osifo Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Content to consider: mention of blood, mention of poop, drinking, bullying, and religion.) 2.5 Stars Uyi Osifo has a pretty amazing memory. Chicken Hero is a unorganized, random collection of the author's memories from when he lived in Nigeria. I enjoyed some of …

The House at Saltwater Point ~Book Review~

The House at Saltwater Point By: Colleen Coble Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly tainted (No cursing. Content to consider: drugs, blood, multiple murders, mention of suicide, brief kissing, ISIS, and death.) 5 stars This is a book of hate and love, betrayal and trust. I had so many emotions flying. The House of Saltwater …

Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation ~Book Review~

Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation By: Elyse Fitzpatrick Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: religion and sexism.) 3 Stars One thing I almost always skip over in a book is the dedication page, but this one caught my eye. "To every woman who has ever wondered whether …

Guest Blogger: Joey ~Book Review~

Here's something new to my blog. Today, I have a post not written by me! This is Peggy's (check her blog out here: A Quiet and Peaceable Life) review of Joey! Please give her a big welcome to guest blogging and make sure to check out my review of this book here! Thanks to Peggy for sharing …

Just Let Go ~Book Review~

Just Let Go By: Courtney Walsh Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (No cursing. Topics to consider: fighting, religion, family troubles, single parents, and drinking.) 4 stars Just Let Go is a dramatic story of fame, hurt, failure, forgiveness, and love. The base plot-line reminded me a lot of Pride and Prejudice -- prideful, arrogant …

First Impressions ~Book Review~

First Impressions By: Debra White Smith Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Yuck (No cursing. Topics to consider: sexism, drinking, drugs, religion, implied sex, out-of-wedlock pregnancy, mention of abortion, brief kissing, and death.) 4 Stars I've never seen a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling that was about the production of a Pride and Prejudice play! This …

Joey ~Book Review~

Joey By: Jennifer Marshall Bleakley Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (No cursing. Topics to consider: religion, animal abuse, abandonment, disease, mention of self-harm, extreme grief, and animal death.) 5 stars On the surface, Joey is a novel about a blind rescue horse that helps "emotionally wounded" children. Inside, it's so much more. This beautiful …

Quack-A-Nack ~Book Review~

Quack-A-Nack: The Duck That Couldn't Quack By: Finis T. Jones Topics to consider: loss of child and mention of drowning. 2 stars This book was truly odd. If you don't wish to hear about formatting, skip this paragraph. Imagine a 30-page, 9"x 9" children's picture book. How much of each page would you expect to …

Happier Thinking ~Book Review~

Happier Thinking By: Lana Grace Riva Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topic to consider: depression.) 4 stars "Happier thinking involves acting productively rather than thinking destructively." Happier Thinking is a really nice novella. It's super simplistic, yet something everyone needs to read. There is nothing revolutionary, but it is a wonderful reminder that …

Blood Ties ~Book Review~

Blood Ties By: A.L. Wright Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Yuck (2+ curse words. Other content to consider: multiple descriptive kissing scenes, implied sex, blood, dead animals, descriptive battle scene, magic, and death.) 3.5 Stars This book is definitely for hard-core fantasy lovers. It's a fairly stereotypical fantasy novella, but not in a bad way. …

Hansel and Gretel ~Book Review~

Hansel and Gretel By: Mike Klaassen Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (No cursing. Other content to consider: abandonment, abuse, witches, mention of cannibalism, descriptive vomiting, mention of flesh ripping, flesh cooking, and death.) 3 Stars This book was a little disappointing to me. First, I'd like to point out the title Hansel and …

Room ~Book Review~

Room By: Emma Donoghue Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Yuck (2+ curse words. Other content to consider: birth, stillbirth, abortion, breastfeeding, multiple mentions of private parts, mention of rape, implication of sex, kidnapping, and implied attempted suicide.) 4 Stars "To five-year-old Jack, Room is the world...." This is such a powerful story. It's pure fiction, …

Jameon’s Closet ~Book Review~

Jameon's Closet By: Shauna Havlina and Leanne Richter Ages 10 and under 5 Stars This is not any everyday children's book. The purpose of Jameon's Closet (according to the second page and back cover) is "... a story written to help children acknowledge and respect their feelings... even the hard ones. It is meant as a …

Star Trek: The Next Generation Cats ~Book Review~

Star Trek: The Next Generations Cats By: Jenny Parks Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean 4.5 stars Star Trek: The Next Generation Cats is an hilarious picture book for adults (or kids!) I think children would really love the pictures, but they definitely wouldn't understand the references. You really need to have watched Star Trek: …

A Most Noble Heir ~Book Review~

A Most Noble Heir By: Susan Anne Mason Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (No cursing. Content to consider: religion, kissing, servitude, mention of characters cursing [not specific], drinking, birth, multiple implications of sex, kidnapping, and death.) 4.5 Stars First of all, I absolutely love this cover! It is very nicely done, and gave …

New Boy ~Book Review~

New Boy By: Tracy Chevalier Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Disgusting (20+ curse words. Other content: racism, multiple mentions and descriptions of private parts, bullying, brief mention of cannibalism, and descriptive kissing.) 2 stars New Boy is an Othello retelling set in a 1970s elementary school. When I heard about the setting, I thought it would be …

Good Life, Good Death ~Book Review~

Good Life, Good Death By: Derek Humphry Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (1+ curse words. Other content to consider: assisted suicide, divorce, war, drugs, drinking, murder, cancer, non-descriptive sex, religion, and death.) 4 stars I went into Good Life, Good Death expecting a book about the right to die movement. It is not …

One Stone Left Unturned ~Book Review~

One Stone Left Unturned By: Marianna Heusler Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Slightly Tainted (4+ Curse Words and/or Euphemisms. Other content: bullying, car accident, dementia, hemophilia, family trouble, mention of dead body, magic, lying, murder, and death.) 4.5 stars One Stone Left Unturned was a story of mystery, history, sadness, and magic. The chapters alternated …

The Orphan Band of Springdale ~Book Review~

The Orphan Band of Springdale (ARC) By: Anne Nesbet Expected Publication: April 10, 2018 Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Middle-grade fiction. Topics to consider: orphans, fugitives, bullying, war, injury, and lying.) 5 stars Who knew a book about World War II could be so extremely sweet and beautiful?! I loved this book so …

The Push ~Book Review~

The Push By: Patrick Gray Ages 5+ Topic to consider: disability. 4.5 stars I didn't understand the name of this book until I looked at the cover. I might have "aww'd" a little! Haha. The pictures were very cute throughout, and I liked how some of the words overlapped the pictures while some had their …

When Grandpa Gets Going ~Book Review~

When Grandpa Gets Going By: David Radman Ages 3+ Content to consider: burping and mention of monsters. 4.5 stars When Grandpa Gets Going is an adorable book that teaches kids about rhyming. It's a story about all the things Grandpa does with his grandchildren when they are over. Grandpa has lots of fun including: reading …

Orope — The White Snake ~Book Review~

Orope -- The White Snake (ARC) By: Guenevere Lee Expected Publication: June 5, 2018 Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Trash (10+ curse words, multiple descriptions of body parts, multiple descriptive and non-descriptive sex, ritual cutting, descriptive human sacrifices, animal sacrifices, nudity, blood, drinking, gods, sexualizing women, kissing, and death.) 3 stars I have never read …

The Adventures of Lucy Snigglefritz ~Book Review~

The Adventures of Lucy Snigglefritz By: Patrick Milne Ages 2+ Topics to consider: abandonment and house fire. 5 stars The Adventures of Lucy Snigglefritz is the first book of two in Lucy's adventures. I love the name of the protagonist pup Lucy Snigglefritz. I think it's a fun name to sound out with kids. Lucy …

No Way Out ~Book Review~

No Way Out By: T.E. Mark Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Trash (40+ curse words. Other content: burglary, murder, talk of sex, and death.) 3 stars This book had a very interesting world where "reality is programmable." At first I was thinking how it seemed to be similar to The Matrix. Then, as I read …

Something About Ann ~Book Review~

Something About Ann By: J. Everett Prewitt Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Trash (40+ curse words. Other content: war, guns, descriptive deaths, blood, PTSD, adultery, abuse, descriptive sex, and drinking.) 2 stars This book had so, so much potential. It is a collection of short, interconnected stories revolving around soldiers that survived a war together. …

The Phantom Tree ~Book Review~

The Phantom Tree By: Nicola Cornick Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Disgusting (15+ curse words. 1 descriptive sexual scene, multiple semi-descriptive sexual scenes. Other content: murder, witchcraft, drinking, nakedness, lying, kissing, pregnancy, and death.) 4 stars This is the most well-done time travel book I've ever read. Actually, it is the best multiple-point-of-view books I've …

My Name is Venus Black ~Book Review~

My Name is Venus Black (ARC) By: Heather Lloyd Expected Publication: February 27, 2018 Cleanliness: Trash (50+ curse words. Other topics to consider: mental health, prison, hate, smoking, drugs, mention of sexual abuse, mention of suicide, and death.) 2 stars I have never rated a book as trash before. I was so terribly disappointed. Because of …

Open to the Spirit ~Book Review~

Open to the Spirit (ARC) By: Scot McKnight Expected Publication: April 3, 2018 Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: religion and spirits.) 3 stars Frankly, I went into this book expecting a boring, information-packed study guide. I was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, it was an information-packed sort-of study guide …

Aftan Whispers ~Book Review~

Aftan Whispers By: Phil Williams Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Disgusting (20+ curse words [Esp. F-Bombs]. Other questionable topics: slavery, semi-descriptive murder, drinking, kissing, and death.) 3 stars The beginning of this book was great. It was interesting, fast-paced, and sort of reminded me of Aladdin for some reason. The characters had pretty good depth. …

The Christmas Gate ~Book Review~

The Christmas Gate By: T.A. Cline Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: religion, spirits, drinking, and brief kissing.) 4.5 stars This book was so extremely sweet and heart-warming! I really loved it! It's a story of heartbreak and forgiveness and is very well-written. I'd consider it a fiction book presented in …

Graciousness ~Book Review~

Graciousness By: John Crotts Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Very Clean (Topics to consider: religion.) 4 stars "Gentleness doesn't mean compromising the truth. Rather, it means keeping the truth from being compromised by harshness and insensitivity." How many people need to take that quote to heart? This book discusses such an important topic for Christians …

The Beloveds ~Book Review~

The Beloveds (ARC) By: Maureen Lindley Expected Publication: April 3, 2018 Cleanliness (See "About" for scale): Disgusting (15+ curse words. Other topics to consider: extreme hate, rage, disrespect to family, jealousy, cancer, mental health, mention of sex, divorce, drugs, drinking, smoking, stealing, and murder.) 3 stars [Side note:] This book I received is an ARC (advanced …

Steal Away Home ~Book Review~

Steal Away Home By: Billy Coffey Cleanliness: Yuck (10+ curse words. Other questionable content: mention of middle finger, mention of characters cursing, drinking, smoking, lying, non-descriptive kissing, and death.) 2 Stars If you like baseball a lot, you might like this book. It seemed like such a good idea: baseball, childhood love, religion, forgiveness, etc. …

A Flash of Red ~Book Review~

A Flash of Red By: Judith Blevins and Carroll Multz 3 Stars This is a very cute, but odd book. One major problem is it has many words and references that children would not quite understand, but it's too boring for older children. Basically, I don't believe it fits an age range. I also completely despise the …