End Game (Will Robie #5)

End Game by David Baldacci is the fifth book in his Will Robie series. Robie is a CIA assassin and sniper who often teams up with his counterpart, Jessica Reel, one of the best snipers in the world.

After each Will and Jessica complete difficult missions separately, they are called to DC to investigate the disappearance of their boss. Each year he goes back to his hometown in Western Colorado. This year, he has vanished without a trace.

Robie and Reel will work with the local sheriff to sort through the unsavory characters who make their lives in super rural America. They will have many to choose from – cults, skinheads, and more.

Baldacci has written a great thriller, mystery. Though Robie and Reel are not investigators, they are the write team for the job – and their sniper skills will come in handy before they find their boss.

Baldacci, David. (2017). End Game. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Dreadnought (Nemesis #1)

Dreadnought by April Daniels is a superhero with a twist.

Danny Tozer, age fifteen is trapped in the wrong body. She can only show who she really is in private. She is behind the mall about to pain her toenails when a superhero – villain fight breaks own down the street. Everyone knows that it is dangerous to be in the area when there is a fight.

The most powerful superhero in New Port City, Dreadnought, comes crashing through the alley and lands near Danny. Dreadnought has been killed. With his dying breath he passes his superhero mantle to Danny. Which transforms Danny into her best self – a girl.

While Danny is thrilled to finally match on the inside and out, she is not sure how her friends and family are going to react. She will lose some friends but gain others, including a free running, gun toting Calamity. Danny will have to decide what kind of superhero she wants to become.

Daniels has written a sweet, young adult book about a transgirl finding her way in a strange world.

Daniels, April. (2017). Dreadnought. New York: Diversionbooks.  

The Midnight Line (Jack Reacher 22)

The Midnight Line by Lee Child is his twenty-second book in the Jack Reacher series. Reacher is an ex-Army MP who spent so much time in other counties that he is spending his retirement wandering the United States. And finding mysteries to solve or wrongs to right.

During one of the rest stops of the bus Reacher is riding toward the west, he is stretching his legs and passes a pawn shop. In the window is West Point class ring. He has to go in because no one who earned one would ever willingly part with it.

After buying the ring and pressuring the pawn shop owner to find out where it came from, Reacher is off to track down the owner - a woman based on ring size. The only things he knows are her graduation year and the S.R.S.

Child keeps creating great stories for Jack Reacher. His sense of honor and time as an MP compel him to do what he think of as the right thing. Each of theses books is a great read.

Child, Lee. (2017). The Midnight Line. NY: Delacourte Press.

Mission of Honor (Honor Harrington 12)

Mission of Honor by David Weber is the twelfth book in his science fiction series featuring Honor Harrington - a kick ass space navy officer for the empire of Manticore.

After years of war with the Republic of Haven, Manticore is sending Honor Harrington to the capital city of Haven to negotiate peace and an end to the war. Honor is not a politician, but a admiral in the space Navy - one of its most decorated, best strategist and most feared by Haven.

When President Eloise Prichard hears there is a squadron of Manitcore ships near the outer limit of her planet, she is surprised to hear is it to begin a talk. She has never met Honor, like her second in charge Tomas Theisman. The woman she meets is not quite what she expected.

While talks progress, the Solarian League is trying to throw their weight around to intimidate Manticore from another angle. Sol has always been the best, biggest, strongest navy. They have never been challenged by a neobarb on the edge of the galaxy. They will show Manticore what the punishment for encroaching on their territory is.

Weber's series is one of my favorites. I highly recommend this to fans of science fiction, political thrillers and just good stories. Honor Harrington is my hero.

Weber, David. (2010). Mission of Honor. New York: Baen.

The Spanish Pearl

The Spanish Pearl by Catherine Friend is a historical fiction novel in which the main character is somehow transported from modern day Spain to 1085 in the same location.

Kate Vincent and her girlfriend Anna are in Spain to adopt a son. Due to him having a fever they cannot take him from the orphanage yet. So on their free day they have to decided what sites to see.

Anna, a history scholar, wants to see the Palace that is now a museum. But after a quick walk around, Kate wants to see the cave Mirabueno that their soon-to-be son thinks is great. A man at the museum warns Kate that the cave is not safe, but she goes anyway.

During the group tour of the cave, an ankle injury causes Kate to fall behind. She decided to cross the rope barrier to sit on an obvious shelf until the tour returns.

What feels like hours later, she wakes up in a totally dark cave. The lights and guide ropes are gone. When she goes outside, the city of Zaragoza is also missing. Only the Palace remains on the horizon.

Kate is back in the time that her girlfriend studies. The time to El Picador , El Cid and the wars between Moors and Christians for control of Spain. Friend has thrown in a twist that makes this a great read in what could become a terrible situation for any woman, but a lesbian maybe even more. At a painter, Kate has a still that just might keep her from being married off to the first man who asks.

Friend, Catherine. (2007). The Spanish Pearl. NY: Bold Strokes Books.

Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass 6)

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas is the sixth book in her Throne of Glass fantasy series. If you are a fan of fantasy, or want to become one, read this series!

Chaol and Nesryn are headed to the southern continent of Antica to both find a healer who can help Chaol and to try to become allies with the Khagan for the war against the Valg.

Nesyrn, whose family is from the city of Hafiza, the capital. She has an aunt and uncle she hopes to visit if time allows.

The Torre Cesme, the school of the famed healers of Hafiza, has sent their best healer to work with Chaol. Yrene is from the northern continent and is, at first, put off by Chaol's accent. She has nightmares about what happened to her family under the Glass Throne.

This installment of the series introduces a new factor in the Khagan's court and army. This book takes place at the same time as the fifth book.

READ THIS SERIES! It has become one of my favorites.

Maas, Sarah J. (2017). Tower of Dawn. New York: Bloomsbury.

The Paris Spy (Maggie Hope 7)

The Paris Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal is the seventh book in her Maggie Hope series of mystery / espionage historical fiction.

Maggie has gotten herself to Paris - in the midst of the Nazi occupation. It is not only a dangerous place to be anyone at the time, but she must avoid an SS officer who would recognize her as a British spy. But she felt she had to go to look for her half-sister.

Sarah and Hugh are also in Paris, their cover a ballerina and her husband who plays in the orchestra. Their task is to find the report and samples of another spy - the information that will determine on which beach the Allied invasion will take place.

MacNeal is a master of making tension in her readers. Each page is both wonderfully written and crafted, and on the edge of discovery by the Nazis.

If you are a fan of historical fiction, this is a must-read series.

MacNeal, Susan Elia. (2017). The Paris Spy. New York: Bantam Books.

A Court of Wings and Ruin (Court of Thorns and Roses #3)

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas is the third book in her Court of Thorns and Roses fantasy series.

Feyre is back in the Spring Court - as a spy. Everyone knows a war is coming with Hybern. It is important to know who is on whose side before the battles begin. It is time to form alliances.

Feyre has changed a lot and one slip will ruin her cover. But she must find out if Tamlin is working with Hybern.

I cannot say much else without risking spoilers. This is a well-written, exciting fantasy series with a kick-ass female protagonist. Read it! At this point, I would go far as to say read everything Sarah J Maas publishes!

Maas, Sarah J. (2017). A Court of Wings and Ruin. New York: Bloomsbury.

A Court of Mist and Fury (Court ofThorns and Roses #2)

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas is the second book in her Court ofThorns and Roses fantasy series. Feyre, a human, has been in the fae realm for a few months – at a time when an evil woman has enslaved most of the fae. To survive she had to make a bargain.

Feyre is tied to the Spring Court and the lord there. She got there because of the ancient treaty. She has returned because of her skills and a bargain she made with the lord of the Night Court – the court thought to be filled with vile creatures and danger to all who enter. The bargain was the only thing that saved her life, but now her debt is about to be collected.

Feyre is taken from the Spring Court in the middle of a ceremony. The debt to be collected is that she must spend one week per month with the lord of the Night Court – Rhysand. Tamlin, the lord of the Spring Court tries to stop it, but bargains are an old kind of magic with harsh consequences if you break them.

Feyre was expecting the Night Court to always be dark, as the Spring Court is always in full bloom. But that is not the case. She is taken to a beautiful palace on a hill overlooking the mountains. While she resent being there, the place gives her a chance to rest and not fell closed in – a feeling that brings back the terror of fighting for her life. The open space is calm and inviting. She is not forced to do anything but be there for the week. For one week each month of her life – if she does not find some way around it.

 Maas is a great story teller. Her books read like she knows exactly where the overall story is going. Her creation of the different Courts is well-thought out and creative. Her characters are either people you want to have your own life or would never want to meet in the dark. I love this series. As a librarian and a great promoter of the public library, I could not wait my turn. I went immediately to the local bookstore and bought the next book!

Maas, Sarah J (2016). A Court of Mist and Fury. New York: Bloomsbury.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas is the first book is a fantasy series of the same name. Set in a world where there was a war between human and fae, a wall of magic separates the two sides. There is a treaty in place to keep humans and fae from interacting with each other.

Feyre lives with her two sisters and her father near the wall. Her father, a merchant, lost his fortune when a ship carrying his investment sank. They lost their manor and are now living in a small, rough house in the woods. Feyre has taught herself to hunt – it is the only thing keeping her family from starvation.

On a day when she must catch something for them to eat, Feyre sees a wolf about to kill the animal she has in her sights. If the wolf gets it, her family may not live past the week. While she thinks the wolf might be fae, she must risk it. She kills the wolf and her family’s meal for the week.

A couple of days later, there is a beast at the door. He says that the treaty proscribes a life for a life. Her choice is death or to come to the fae realm to take the wolf’s place. She is put on a horse and under a sleep spell. When she awakes, the beast is walking her up to an estate. And once the beast turns back to his more human for, he is a beautiful and powerful fae lord named Tamlin.

But don’t think that this is a love story with a twist. This is the first book in a great fantasy series. Maas has created a complex fae world with many kinds of dangers to a human. If you are a fan of fantasy and you have not read Maas, start now! Her other series, Throne of Glass, is equally complex and wonderful. She creates characters who will stay with you.

Maas, Sarah J. (2015). A Court of Thorns and Roses. New York: Bloomsbury.

House of Spies (Gabriel Allon #17)

House of Spies by Daniel Silva is the seventeenth book featuring Gabriel Allon, a Mossad agent who was first recruited after the terror at the Berlin Olympics. Since then he has been a top agent who wants nothing more than to be a paint restorer and spend quiet time with his family. If only the world would allow it.

Gabriel is now the head of the office. Most chiefs stay in Jerusalem and run things from a desk. But Gabriel has a personal reason to need to catch the ISIS terrorist calling himself Saladin. One of his bomb killed a friend in Paris. Gabriel will join his team in Europe to track any trace of the terror mastermind.

Christopher Keller, ex-SAS, will give the team a criminal element needed to catch a criminal. Keller has been living in Corsica working for a mafia don and has connections to the underside of Europe.

Silva is an amazing writer who grabs readers with the first paragraph. His characters are compelling, his plots sometimes a bit too close to our current reality, and his twists and turns are the work of a master planner. Anyone who likes to read needs to read a Daniel Silva book. Start at the beginning with The Kill Artist or read his stand along spy masterpiece TheUnlikely Spy.

Silva, Daniel. (2017). House of Spies. New York: Harper.

Uprooted

Uprooted by Naomi Novik is a well-crafted, brilliantly delivered fantasy story set in the times of fairy tales.

Every ten years in the valley next to the corrupted wood, a girl is picked to serve the magician who lives in the tower. Agnieszka is sure that her friend Kasia will be picked. He always chooses the pretties girl. Even the girls from the other villages couldn’t compete with Kasia. She has been training to serve the magician, known as the Dragon.

No one knows how the girl will serve the dragon. But at the end of each ten years, those girls come home and almost immediately move away. Kasia and Agnieszka have promised that they will still be best friends after they are separated for a decade.

When all the girls of the village are lined up, the dragon appears. But he does not pick Kasia. He chooses Agnieszka. And they are off to the tower before the shock can wear off. He always has to pick a girl with magic if one presents herself. Of course, Agnieszka has no idea she has magic… Nor does she know how to cook or do any other domestic things that Kasia has been trained for.

Novik has created a great story. It has all of the elements of a great fairy tale. This is a must read!

Novik, Naomi. (2015). Uprooted. New York: Del Rey.

The Sea Hawk

The Sea Hawk by Brenda Adcock is a time-traveling pirate adventure.

Dr. Julia Blanchard is a marine archeologist working on the Georgia coast. She and her team are slowing exploring and excavating the ship they are calling the Georgia Peach. She knows it is not the safest plan, but she has to get one more look at the ship. She takes her boat out and anchors to the buoy. But the shadow of another boat looms above as she is diving.

Once her friends realize she is missing, Julia is floating near the marker buoy hoping for a rescue. Unfortunately, a storm is coming in. Rescue boats will not be sent out until it passes. At which point Julia will have been blown away from the sight of the wreck.

Just when Julia is starting to give up hope, a ship come by. When she is brought on board she is sure it is some kind of reenactment. But it soon seems like she is actually back in the 1800s.

Before Julia can get comfortable on her strange rescue ship, that ship is attacked by pirates. Julia is taken captive by a female pirate named Simone Moreau on her ship Le Faucon de Mer. The very ship Julia has been excavating.

Adcock has written a great tale of romance set in two different time periods, perfect for anyone who like stories of swashbuckling female pirates.

Adcock, Brenda. (2008). The Sea Hawk. Nederland, TX: Yellow Rose Books.

Cataclysm

Cataclysm by Tim Washburn is a disaster novel about what would happen if the caldera volcano under Yellowstone exploded, creating the worst ecological disaster since the end of the dinosaurs. Told in short, tension building chapters, from many points of view (including survivor interviews) this book is a geological terror of an adventure. There are some great characters for readers to root for along the way.

If you like disaster movies, this is even better.

Washburn, Tim. (2016). Cataclysm. New York: Pinnacle Books.

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown is a coming out story - for the second time.

Joanna Gordon has made a deal with her father. He is getting married to wife number three and they are moving from Atlanta to a small town in northern Georgia. Jo has agreed to go back in the closet. She figures it is only ten months until she graduates and leaves for college.

Part of her dad's reason for asking this is that he is worried for her safety in small town, religious American south. Jo agrees with it to not make waves with the new in-laws.

Then she meets Mary Carlson. And it seems like it is going to be harder to keep her promise. All of the reasons she agreed to this awful idea seem less important that being herself.

Brown has written a sweet, complicated story of love and coming out. She has included religion and shown how it is possible to be out and faithful. The book is filled with great characters that make small town America seem less scary to us city lesbians. Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit is a great read.

Brown, Jaye Robin. (2016). Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit. New York: Harper Teen.

The Power

The Power by Naomi Alderman is an amazing commentary on our times. And just what us left leaning women needed in this political climate!

Written as an historical novel, looking back five thousand years to our current day, The Power looks at what happened to shift the political and social power from men to women.

Roxy is the daughter of a London gangster. When men come to attach her mother, thinking she wouldn't be home, Roxy fights back. She has something inside of her that tells her she can hurt the men who are trying to hurt her family.

Margot is mayor. The power in her is awakened by her daughter - teen girls can trigger it in older women. But Margot keeps her power a secret. The political climate is not reacting well to girls being able to defend themselves - and occasionally attacking some guy.

Allie is an orphan who is being abused. When she feels something in her chest she fights back. And her step father reacts as if electrocuted. Then she runs.

Tunde is a witness. He is excited for young women to be able to defend themselves. In some parts of the world they will rebel against religious laws that keep them from having rights. Tunde will start traveling the globe to help document the changes and the revolution.

The Power is so good. Alderman has written a book that shows the opposite future to the one in The Handmaid's Tale where women rule the world and men are seen as the weaker sex. This is a refreshing novel that is brilliantly conceived and written. Go buy a copy today - and buy one for the women in your life.

Alderman, Naomi. (2016). The Power. UK: Penguin.

At All Costs (Honor Harrington #11)

At All Costs by David Weber is the eleventh book in his Honor Harrington series, a space opera featuring a kick ass female protagonist.

The uneasy truce in the war with Haven is on the brink being broken. Someone has been altering the documents of negotiation in route between the star nations. Both the Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Republic of Haven think it is someone from the other side.

The new government in Manticore has been cutting military budgets left and right. If war does restart, Haven will be at an advantage for the first time in the history of their animosity. But a secret production facility hidden in space will shock Manticore at how quickly Haven has closed the technology gap.

Tension within Haven mounts when it looks like it was someone from their side, especially with the new constitution that is supposed to stop the unilateral assassinations of the last government.

Honor Harrington’s life is altered in an interesting way in this book, but I don’t do spoilers! This is a great science fiction series. Read it if you like scifi at all!

Weber, David. (2005). At All Costs. New York: BAEN.

In This Grave Hour (Maisie Dobbs #13)

In This Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear is the thirteenth book in her Maisie Dobbs series. Maisie is an investigator and psychologist.  This may be my favorite book series.

September 3rd, 1939 England declared war against Germany. When Maisie returns home from her best friend’s house where they listened to the radio announcement from the king, a Doctor Thomas is waiting for her. Maisie knows her to be a spy. Dr. Thomas wants Maisie to investigate the death of a Belgian. England took in many Belgian refugees during WWI. Some of them stayed. But the attitude toward other cultures within England has changed since the war started. Dr. Thomas is concerned that the police are not looking in the right place, if at all. Maisie takes the case.

At the same time, operation Pied Piper is put into effect. Children in London, a city likely to be bombed by the Nazis, are being evacuated to the countryside. Maisie’s estate has gotten three children. Her father is going to get the two boys working with horses. But the small girl who doesn’t speak is a mystery. She came without any paperwork. None of the other children know where she came from.

Winspear is a brilliant writer. Her books will grab you from the first page. Plus, if you listen to the firstbook on audiobook read by Rita Barrington will put the wonderful accents in your head for the rest of the series!

Winspear, Jacqueline. (2017). In This Grave Hour. New York: Harper.

A Pirate's Heart

A Pirate’s Heart by Catherine Friend is a lesbian romance for fans of both pirates and librarians!

Librarian Emma Boyd works at a rare book library. She is overworked and has little time for a social life but she know just about everything there is to know about the pirate captain Tomasina Farris who disappeared in 1715.  So when a thief steals a map from her collection she wants to help catch the person who did it – someone who may be searching for Tommy Farris’s lost treasure.

Investigator Randi Marx does not want help from any stuffy librarian. She is a map expert in her own right and works for one of the best private investigation firms in the country. When it is suggested that she and Emma go to the other libraries where there have been map thefts, she is less than thrilled.

Friend has combined two stories – one of Tommy Farris in the height of piracy in the Caribbean – and a chase across the US and a search for a lost treasure. This is great romance story.

Friend, Catherine. (2008). A Pirate’s Heart. Valley Falls, NY: Bold Strokes Books.

War of Honor (Honor Harrington #10)

War of Honor by David Weber is the tenth book in his science fiction series featuring Honor Harrington.

The war between the star kingdom of Manticore and the star nation of Haven has reached a cease fire. The timing has possibly saved one side from outright losing the war. Treaty negotiations are going slowly – no solely due to the enormous distance between home worlds of the two governments.

In Manticore the parliamentary style government has changed parties. The new leaders have no use for the Navy. They plan to systematically take money from the Navy to bolster social programs that have suffered due to the war. They don’t have any impetus to reach a treaty with Haven because then the war funding they are syphoning off will dry up.

The new government, due to some previous personality clashes, wants Honor Harrington away from the spotlight, and unable to speak against their policies. So when they see an un-winnable situation forming, they put her in charge – sure that the “Salamander” will either make them look good or die in the process.

Weber is a great science fiction author. This series is one of the few military science fiction / space opera series with a female lead character. And Honor is an amazing protagonist!

Weber, David. (2002). War of Honor. New York: Baen.

Silver Stars (Soldier Girl #2)

Silver Stars by Michael Grant is the second book in his Soldier Girl series – an alternated history where there was not gender restriction in the draft for WWII in the United States. The story follows three American young women as they experience the horror of the War to End All Wars.

The story continues as each character has experienced battle and is just trying to get home safely. Rio Richlin, whose proficiency with a rifle has put her on the front lines, will be sent with her squadron to a new theater. Frangie Marr, who is a nurse, will continue to help people while facing the double burden of being a black woman in the US Army. Rainy Schulterman, trained in Army intelligence, will have the chance to help the war – but at the cost of being stuck behind enemy lines.

Grant has done a good job of realistically placed female soldiers into the US Army of the 1940s. This is a great young adult series.

Grant, Michael. (2017). Silver Stars. London: Electric Monkey.

Our Own Private Universe

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley.

Aki Simon is spending the summer in Mexico with her church group. Another group of teens from Maryland and one from farther south will be joining them.

What Aki wants to do this summer is test her theory about being bi. And as soon as she meets Christa from one of the other groups, she knows with whom she would like to test it. And her best friend, Lori, can see it on her face immediately.

Over a few weeks, Aki and Christa get to know each other. Aki contemplates coming out to her father. Christa is sure her parents would never understand and is worried that word might get back to them through another member of the church. Either way, they cannot deny they have feelings for each other.

Robin Talley is one of my favorite authors and she does not disappoint with this novel.

Talley, Robin. (2017). Our Own Private Universe. New York: Harlequin Teen.

Read Me Like a Book

Read Me Like a Book by Liz Kessler is one young woman's story of finding out who she is and who she wants to be.

Ash is a mediocre student in her last year of school. While her very future depends on her A level exams, she is not too interested in school. She thinks of teachers are old, grumpy people who don't care about teaching so much as about discipline. Which may explain why she and her best friend Cat skip class so often.

But the new English teacher seems different. Miss Murray is only a few years older than Ash. And she is making class interesting. Ash wants to spend as much time with her as possible and works hard on her classwork to get a compliment.

It takes a while for Ash to realize she has a crush on her teacher - the results of which may be hard to deal with in the near future, but will spark Ash's interest in a life after school.

Kessler has written a great coming out story set in England. The scene of Ash coming out to her parents (specifically her mother's reaction) is wonderful - and the closest to my own story I have seen in a book.

Kessler. Liz. (2016). Read Me Like A Book. Summerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Windwitch (Witchlands #2)

Windwitch by Susan Dennard is the second book in her Witchlands series, a young adult fantasy series.

After centuries of war and then a twenty-year truce, people in the three nations are wondering what comes next. Some are making plays for power, others trying to keep the peace going.

Safi, after being promised to a terrible man as an alliance, has escaped. The ship she was on was attacked by magic fire. She only escaped because the Empress of Marstock is an ironwitch. Now she is bound to Marstock long enough to weed out traitors. Safi is a truthwitch - she can tell if anyone is telling a lie.

Iseult, Safi's best friend, is on the run and trying to catch up with Safi. She is being tracked by two different groups and the bloodwitch, Aeduan.

Aeduan can track anyone with their own unique blood scent. He knows Iseult from tracking her before, but he cannot sense her. But he will not give up until he catches up to her.

Susan Dennard has created a great fantasy series. It has great characters, political intrigue, mythical creatures, magic, pirates and Hell-Bards, all in a well thought out world. Out of the new fantasy series of the last few years, this is one of my top picks.

Dennard, Susan. (2016). Windwitch. New York: Tor Teen.

Vanished (Nick Heller #1)

Vanished by Joseph Finder is the first book in his Nick Heller series. Heller is a private intelligence operative working for a private firm in Washington, DC.

Roger and Lauren Heller are attacked on their way back to the car after eating at a restaurant. Lauren is hospitalized with a head injury. Roger is missing. Nick is contacted by his nephew, Gabe, while he is on a job about a missing cargo shipment.

Nick and his brother, Roger, have not gotten along since they became adults, but Nick would do anything to help his family. He will use all of his skills to find out where Roger is or what happened to him.

Finder is a master of the suspense/thriller novel. All of his book are fast, engaging reads. Nick Heller is a great character with a unique set of skills in a popular genre.

Finder, Joseph. (2009). Vanished. New York: St. Martin's Press.

The Dark Days Pact (Lady Helen #1)

The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman is the second book in her Lady Helen series of alternate history / fantasy set in the early 1800s England.

Lady Helen Wrexhall was introduced to the Dark Days Club at the time she was introduced to society. Expecting parties and potential suitors, instead she got creatures that look human but feed off of those around them.

Now Helen is in training to fight these creatures, to keep a balance. She is in Brighton with her members of the club, the Hammonds. Lord Carlston is helping to train her.

Unfortunately, Lord Carlston is fighting something within himself. And to make matters worse, the man Helen turned down for marriage has followed them to the shore.

Goodman has created a great fantasy series set within the confines of British society at its height.

Goodman, Alison (2017). The Dark Days Pact. New York: Viking.

South of Sunshine

South of Sunshine by Dana Elmendorf is the story of first love.

Senior Kaycee McCoy is tired of attempting to date boys. She has no interest in them. She just needs to stay hidden until the end of the school year. Then she will start breaking free of Sunshine, Tennessee.

But her plan begins to fall apart as soon as she sees the new student. Bren Dawson, from Boston, has lived all over the place. Even in Africa. She is tall and beautiful and stands out because of her skin. Her mother is Cuban.

Kaycee tries to avoid Bren. But then she wonders if she will be too obvious by not being her friend. Van and Sarabeth, Kaycee's best friends since childhood start to notice her strange behavior. Van, who is not closeted, but is not shouting to the small conservative town that he is gay wants Kaycee to admit to him her feelings. Sarabeth is acting strange and trying to force a new boyfriend on Kaycee.

Elmendorf has written a beautiful coming out story with a brave and wonderful ending.

Elmendorf, Dana. (2016). South of Sunshine. Illinois: Albert Whitman & Co.

Archetype (Archetype #1)

Archetype by M.D. Waters is a dystopian tale on the order of the Handmaid's Tale.

Emma wakes up with no memory. Her husband, Declan, is a patient and powerful man who helps nurse her back to health. She is staying in a clinic which seems more like a lab where she has tests everyday.

There is a voice in her head that warns her not to talk about the dreams and memories that begin to surface. Memories of a camp / school where girls are trained to be mothers. And dreams of a beach with a man who is not her husband.

Waters has created a creepy futuristic novel about a woman with no memory who has to rely on instincts about who to trust. The feel of reading this book invokes a confusion and tension - and a need to find out the truth!

Waters, M.D. (2013). Archetype. New York: Plume.

Front Lines (Soldier Girl #1)

Front Lines by Michael Grant is the story of what it would have been like if US women could have been drafted during World War II - focusing on three young women who sign up.

The court case Becker v. Minneapolis Draft Board in 1940 ruled that the Selective Training and Service Act (the military draft) unfairly singles out males, and extends the draft to all United States citizens 18 year of age or older.

Rio Richlin of Gedwell Fall, California, just heard that her sister died in the Pacific when her Navy ship was sunk by the Japanese. When her best friend Jenou announces that she is joining the Army. Rio decides to join with her.

Frangie Marr of Tulsa, Oklahoma, wants to be a doctor. She doesn't know any black women doctors, but it is her dream. She is going to sign up for the Army and try to become a medic. The stipend will help her family's income since her father's injury.

Rainy Schulterman of New York City wants to join the Army to kill Nazis. Her relatives in Europe have been silent since Germany invaded. Her brother, who is her best friend, is a Marine being assigned to the Pacific. Rainy will be assigned to Army intelligence.

Grant has written a great historical novel that is also a what-if. The book explores the sexism and racism at the time with three great main characters. Front Lines is the first book in a series. Buy a copy today! Book two is already out.

Grant, Michael. (2016). Front Lines. New York: Katherine Tegen Books.

Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet

Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet by HP Wood is a look at Coney Island at the turn of the 20th century.

Zeph works at the museum known as Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet. It is a collection of strange and bazaar artifacts. Zeph enjoys the days when no customers come to see the exhibits. He is content to sit at the counter and read.

As one of the Unusuals, Zeph doesn't feel the need to interact with Dozens. They have not proven to be overly kind people, especially to Zeph, who lost his legs and is now seen as one of the many freaks who hang around Coney Island.

Kitty Hayward has adopted a bench on Coney Island as her current home. She and her mother just arrived on a steamer ship from abroad. She left her mother at the hotel to go for a walk and when she returned was treated like she did not belong in the hotel. The bell boy acted like she was lying about staying there. Now Kitty doesn't know what to do. She knows no one in America.

As Kitty meets the Unusuals, a few of them vow to help her find her mother. But on top of dealing with a missing mother, they ship they can in on has been quarantined and people are starting to get sick. It is not unlikely that politicians will use this as an excuse to try to close Coney Island.

Wood has taken an American landmark and created a story of the wonderful, colorful people who may have live there 100 plus years ago. This is a book for anyone who loves New York. Read it!

Wood, H.P. (2016). Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet. ?:Sourcebooks Landmark.

Guilty Minds (Nick Heller #3)

Guilty Minds by Joseph Finder is the third book in his Nick Heller series. Heller is a private intelligence operative based in Boston.

A Washington power broker hires Nick to stop a story that is about to break on a gossip news site. Slander Sheet is about to print a fake story - set up to withstand a cursory investigation - about a Supreme Court Justice. Heller has 24 hours to bring them proof that the story is fake and stop them from releasing it to the public.

But someone has got to great lengths to have this story printed, and the Justice ruined. Heller finds a witness, only to have someone kidnap her.

Finder writes great thrillers. I discovered this series at book three, but had no problem following the story. I will go back and read the previous novels. It is a fun read if you like thrillers.

Finder, Joseph. (2016). Guilty Minds. New York: Dutton.

Before the Wind

Before the Wind by Jim Lynch is a humorous look at people who love to sail. Written like a memoir, this novel follows the Johannssen family outside of Seattle.

Josh comes from a sailing family. His grandfather designs boats, his father build them. The Joho sailing boats are famous through out the Pacific Northwest and the racing community. Josh is the middle child who, as an adult, repairs sailboats - no matter how broken down. His older brother, Bernard, has taken off for points unknown - in a stolen sailboat. His younger sister, Ruby, is a sailing savant who could have gone to the Olympics but had other ideas.

Lynch has written a laugh-out-loud story about a single man in a boat yard. It is at times inspirational - stories of sailing on the open sea. And at times heartbreaking. This is a great book. Read it if you have any interest in sailing!

Lynch, Jim. (2016). Before the Wind. New York: Borzoi Books.

Of Fire and Stars

Of Fire and Star by Audrey Coulthurst is a great young adult fantasy novel!

Dennaleia, second princess of Havemont, has been promised to Prince Thandilimon since they were six years old. Her upbringing was spent learning to run a country. Now she is going to the city of Lyrra, capital of Mynaria, to be married.

Upon arrival, it appears she is missing one type of training. Dennaleia cannot ride a horse and is now in a land where horses are revered. Even her wedding will be on horseback.

Princess Amaranthine (Mare) is a horse expert. She was never going to inherit rule, so she has been left to do what she wants. Now she is supposed to teach her brother's fiancé to ride. This will break into the time she usually sneaks into the city in disguise.

When an assassin attacks the royal family, Dennaleia and Mare feel like no one is doing enough to find out who is behind it. So they join forces, spending more and more time together. Does the attack have something to do with the fact that the marriage contract will outlaw magic in both Havemont and Mynaria? The council thinks so and is hunting down anyone who show an ability - an ability like the one Dennaleia has been hiding her whole life.

Coulthurst has written a great fantasy with two likeable characters thrown into political turmoil and put in danger. The relationship between Mare and Denna is sweet and realistic. It is unclear if there will be another book with these characters, but I hope so! This is a great lesbian fantasy novel.

Coulthurst, Audrey. (2016). Of Fire and Stars. New York: Balzer + Bray.

The Queen's Accomplice (Maggie Hope #6)

The Queen's Accomplice by Susan Elia MacNeal is the sixth book in her Maggie Hope series - a historical mystery, espionage series set during World War II.

England 1942. In London the Blitz has paused but the blackout continue. It is starting to seem like someone is taking advantage of the darkness and the transience of women working for the war effort. Someone is killing ATS women.

Maggie Hope is currently assigned to the SOE (Special Operations Executive) office overseeing spies in France. She is under appreciated and her expertise is being ignored by those in power - who have never been undercover - when she is borrowed by MI-5. Maggie is tasked to work with DCI Durgin at Scotland Yard. to find the man responsible for killing SOE recruits. A man the media has dubbed the Blackout Beast.

MacNeal has created a great character in Maggie Hope. The books are a wonderful mixture of historical, mystery, suspense and espionage as we follow Maggie's time in the war. This novel reads like a fiction version of Devil in the White City.

MacNeal, Susan Elia. (2016). The Queen's Accomplice. New York: Bantam Books.

Ashes of Victory (Honor Harrington #9)

Ashes of Victory by David Weber is the ninth book in his science fiction series featuring Honor Harrington.

The war between the People's Republic of Haven and Manticore continues. After a setback, the Royal Manticoran Navy is about to unleash a technological jump ahead in space warfare. It may be the beginning of the end of the war.

Honor Harrington is headed home to recover from her injuries. While on Manticore she has been asked to teach classes at Saganami Island, the Naval College.

In Haven, the committee that has taken over the government is having some internal suspicions. One or more of the high ups will be displaced and the balance of power will change once again.

The Honor Harrington series is great science fiction. If you are a fan and have not read this, buy the first book today. If you like scifi and are tired of the dearth of female lead characters - look no further.

Weber, David. (2000). Ashes of Victory. New York: Baen.