Category: iRead tour

May 1, 2019

Free Pizza Book Review

Then Brian receives a mysterious birthday card that says, Free Pizza. He soon discovers the card has nothing to do with food and everything to do with the big questions in his life.

About Free Pizza

Brian McSpadden is always hungry. Does he have a disease? Worms? Does it have something to do with his being adopted? He spends his days at his crazy friend Danny’s house, hoping for snacks, but nothing seems to fill the void.

Then Brian receives a mysterious birthday card that says, Free Pizza. He soon discovers the card has nothing to do with food and everything to do with the big questions in his life: where did I come from, why did my mother give me up and is there anyone out there who will like me the way I am?

My Thoughts

This cute, fun but full of emotions book introduces us to Brian. A young boy growing up with his adoptive parents and their two siblings. He struggles as any pre-teen would with this younger siblings – they drive him crazy. He struggles to find where he fits in with his family as he was adopted. He doesn’t feel close to them and struggles to find who he is. He is still learning right from wrong and is easily influenced by his closest friend in the world. The two together can get up to some pretty dangerous and adventurous acts!

His whole world changes when his birth mother is in contact with him. He so desperately wants to meet her and have her affection. He is full of questions and feels this may just be the void he needs to fill. This moment turns his whole family life upside down not only just his. We learn more about his adoptive father and mother, and we watch as they struggle with this new relationship growing.

This was a fun tale (Brian is still learning and can get up to some pretty crazy adventures with his best friend), not to mention the sibling love-hate relationships going on. But it also tells us a deeper story of how to we fit in, where do we belong and how do we figure this out. How do we remain true to ourselves during this transition – and how do we even know who we truly are. It is a great book for adults and young adults alike.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

G.C. McRae is the bestselling author of two young adult novels, three illustrated children’s books and a collection of original fairy tales. His writing is fall-down funny, even when the theme is darker than a coal miner’s cough. McRae reads to anybody at any time, in person or online, for free, which probably explains why he meets so many people and sells so many books.

In his latest work, Free Pizza, McRae spins the highly emotional themes from his decidedly unfunny childhood into a brilliantly comic yarn. After being given up for adoption by his teenage mom back when single girls were forced to hide unplanned pregnancies, his adoptive parents didn’t exactly keep him under the stairs but, well, let’s just say, there were spiders.

A lot has changed since then. McRae’s own children have now grown and he runs a small farm with his wife, who is herself an award-winning writer.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

May 1, 2019

Winter Frost Book Review

It all started with a chance encounter in the city with Blair, his late wife.

About Winter Frost

Chris Matheson and the Geezer Squad, working under the guise of a book club, dig into the events surrounding his late wife’s supposed death halfway around the globe. A state department employee shoots himself in the back three times. A CIA operative goes missing. A woman is targeted by an international assassin three years after being declared dead in a terrorist attack overseas.

Nothing is as it seems.

In his most personal cold case, Chris fights to uncover why the state department told him that Blair, the mother of his children, had been killed when she was alive. What had she uncovered that has made her a target? Who terrified her so much that she had gone into hiding and why are they now after him?

My Thoughts

This book had me on the edge of my seat right from the start – everything I thought I knew about Chris and his family was thrown right out the window and I never saw it coming.

This all centres around his late wife, Blair, who he thought had left him to advance her career only to be killed overseas. Imagine his surprise when so many years later, he sees her on a chance encounter! He is desperate to find out if this was truly her and if it was, why did she lie to him? Why did the government lie to him? Does he still keep moving forward with his life? Can he forgive her for their children’s sake? How does he even begin to tell his children?

What we uncover is a lot deeper and thicker then what first meets the eye – his wife was much more than she appeared and had uncovered something that made important people want her and those others who knew to disappear. They would stop at nothing to accomplish this.

I don’t want to give too much away but this book was by far the best in this series. I was not seeing any of those curve balls coming but they made the story. We learn so much about their history, find forgiveness to move forward and uncover one huge case of murders, deception and corruption. You will not want to put this book down!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Audible.

Rating: 5/5

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Now, Lauren has added one more hit series to her list with the Chris Matheson Cold Case Mysteries. Set in the quaint West Virginia town of Harpers Ferry, Ice introduces Chris Matheson, a retired FBI agent, who joins forces with other law enforcement retirees to heat up those cold cases that keep them up at night.

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

April 15, 2019

Drone Strike Book Review

Drone Strike takes you on a fast-paced adventure across the Mediterranean, into Mexico, finally arriving in the States.

About Drone Strike

Karim’s family is killed by a U.S. drone strike in Iraq, collateral damage. The Islamic State in the Levant exploits his rage, recruiting him for a terrorist attack on the U.S., and only Anthony Provati can stop him. Drone Strike takes you on a fast-paced adventure across the Mediterranean, into Mexico, finally arriving in the States. Drone Strike explores the psychological realities that seduce Karim to commit an act of terror, includes a love story between Moslem Karim and Miriam, a Christian woman he defends in Turkey and highlights the plight of Middle Eastern and Central American refugees.

My Thoughts

Drone Strike is intense, full of emotion, raw, painful and touches on the human perspective of conflict.

Karim loves his family and will do anything to keep them safe in Iraq even though his wife has pressured him to move them, he feels they will be safe. This all changes one day when his family is killed by a US drone strike as collateral damage. He is left full of anger, hate and bitterness. He will do anything to avenge his family and these emotions make him prey to others with dangerous plots.

This takes Karim down a very dangerous path of death, murder and suffering. We witness Karim be conflicted at times on what he is doing especially after he meets Miriam, a young Christian woman whose family was murdered by the men he is helping. They develop a relationship that you never see coming but one that is built on shared pain and understanding. Despite being from different backgrounds, their shared loss brings them together.

This is an intense but thrilling novel from start to finish. It builds up dramatically and leaves you not wanting to put the book down. There are so many tiny pieces woven into this story and this adds to how the plot unravels. I loved every moment of this novel and could not put it down.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

As a former International Executive Vice President of 3M, Joe Giordano’s
experience included running a business in the Middle East out of Athens, Greece. Born in New York, he’s had first-hand experience with the cultures and most of the locations in Drone Strike.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

April 1, 2019

The High Court Book Review

In a race against time and beasts, Zeus and his friends must find a way to survive not only the toxin ravaging Zeus’ body, but also the giants who grow stronger after every attack, and somehow make it to The High Court alive.

About The High Court

High atop Mount Olympus, as dawn breaks on a new academic term, normalcy returns to campus following a harrowing expedition into The Underworld to rescue kidnapped students.

Zeus and his fellow Olympians now prepare to testify in The High Court where Hyperion will be tried for the attack on Crete and death of Anytos and Kronos will stand trial for the murder of MO Prep’s Headmaster Ouranos.

As the trial draws near, the MO Prep students and faculty are besieged repeatedly by a race of gargantuan stone and earth giants. Under heavy assault, the Olympians are forced to flee to the volcanic island of Limnos to regroup. Meanwhile, a toxic poison Zeus has carried with him since a prior fight with a dragoness creeps toward his brain.

My Thoughts

This is the exciting sequel in this new series by Chris Ledbetter. I could not put this book down as I had to know what happens next to our young heroes.

In this book, we have our young heroes and future Olympians that we all know and love, preparing to testify in The High Court against Hyperion and Kronos for the crimes that they committed in the first book. The book jumps in where the story left off, so I would strongly suggest reading the first in this series (you can find my review here).

If you thought our characters would get an easy ride – no way. They face struggle after struggle in this book. It seems that someone would do anything to stop them from reaching The High Court to stand against Hyperion and Kronos. Enemies are at every turn and it is hard to know who to trust. They face multiple challenges with strength, wisdom and resilience. When it looks as though they may fall apart, they rally around each other and protect each other.

I loved the character development in this book. We are getting to really know and understand what makes each of the Olympians tick and how they developed into the Gods we know. Zeus is becoming the leader and I love watching him grow in maturity and wisdom. He constantly puts the needs of others ahead of his own. I am excited to see where the third installment will take this young group.

This is a perfect book for young adults and adults alike as you will enjoy the suspense, challenge and humour throughout.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Ebay and Indiebound.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Chris Ledbetter is an award-winning author of short fiction and novels for young adults. “Jason’s Quest,” a short story retelling of the Jason and Medea Greek myth was published in the anthology, Greek Myths Revisited. His first full-length novel, Drawn earned him two awards, Library of Clean Reads Best YA 2015 and Evernight Publishing Readers’ Choice Award Best YA 2015, as well as a USATODAY “Must Read” recommendation. His second novel, Inked, concludes that duology. The Sky Throne is his newest young adult novel.

He’s a proud member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and a strong supporter of the Need for Diverse Books. He now writes and lives in Wilmington, NC with his family, including three cats.

Book Trailer

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

March 18, 2019

From An-Other Land Spotlight

From An-Other Land dives deep into immigration today for the diaspora and its many facets with characters who seek to define themselves in an intercultural setting that is less and less sure of itself.

About From An-Other Land

Never has been the conversation on immigration more pertinent than now, post 2016 US elections. From cancellation of refugee protection and zero tolerance to undercurrent crackdown on H visas to the border wall – the resurgence of nationalism is hitting the globalized population head-on.

But what is immigration today? A question of life or death – fleeing of persecution? A compulsion? Or a mere pursuance of privilege? And what is the US today? A land of opportunities? Or a quagmire impossible to comprehend, inherently racist and selfish?

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

About the Author

Tanushree Ghosh works in Tech and has a Doctorate in Chemistry from the Cornell University. She is also a social activist and writer. Her blog posts, op-eds, poems, and stories are in effort to provoke thoughts, especially towards issues concerning women and social justice.

She is a contributor (past and present) to several popular e-zines (incl. The Huffington Post US, The Logical Indian, Youth Ki Awaaz, Tribune India, Women’s Web, and Cafe Dissensus). Her literary resume includes poems and stories featured in national and international magazines (Words Pauses and Noises, UK; TUCK, Glimmer Train Honorable mention) as well as inclusion in seven anthologies such as Defiant Dreams (Oprah 2016 reading list placeholder) and The Best Asian Short Stories 2017 (published out of Singapore by Kitaab). Her first single author book, From An-Other Land is on immigration.

She has held different leadership roles in non-profits (ASHA and AID India) and is the founder and director of Her Rights (www.herrights.website), a 501(3) c non-profit committed to furthering the cause of gender equality. She is often an invited speaker or panelist for both corporate and non-profit endeavors.

Connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway