Devil bureaucrat Essimore Darkenchyl barely made it out of the jungle alive, but next she’s going straight to hell—aka her hometown. When she finds out about a dark and desperate plan for immortality originating from her own people, her family ties, her sense of right and wrong, and her silly sense of humor will all be put to the test.
A strong and geeky female lead
A doomed romance
A dark but hopeful storyline
Llamas!
In the second book of The Saltwater Chronicles, the stakes are higher, the villains are scarier, and the jokes about cannibalism are more common.
Review
Cargo of Bones is a fast paced fantasy novel. It’s the second install to The Saltwater Chronicles. Essie is basically just trying to stay alive while traveling through her hometown with her crew. It’s a lot of witty comedy and magical experience throughout the story. Overall I enjoyed the story following Essie and her adventures. The writing is different than what I’m used to but didn’t take away from the story. The story was easy to follow and understand. I found the characters enjoyable to read and some even likable. I’ll definitely recommend this book to others.
Rating
4🌟
Excerpt One:
“What’s happening now?” Two Rabbit shouted.
“Looks like some kind of sheep,” Merritt said.
Essie’s eyes shot open.
“Sheep?” Two Rabbit asked.
She still couldn’t move. She was staring at the sky again. Purple storm clouds.
“Essie?” the doctor asked. “Are you awake? You hear me? You’re bleeding to death! For Aro’s sake, let down that shield or aura or whatever you’re projecting.”
He was just out of sight. They were all out of sight. Essie desperately tried to sit, but it only made the storm clouds choke in on her faster.
“Whoa!” Connie said. “Those are some mean sheep.”
“Sand sheep?” Boon asked.
Their voices made her head throb. She tried to follow, but couldn’t. It sounded like nonsense.
“By Aro—the sheep stepped on that guy’s crotch!” Merritt shouted. “Please don’t say we’re being rescued by sheep.”
“That’s if they don’t attack us, too,” Boon said.
“Holy Mother,” Two Rabbit said. “I’ve never seen a sheep spit like that.”
“Ohhhh.” Essie smiled as much as she could. “Llamas.”
Then she passed out.
Z. Lindsey will award a randomly drawn winner a $25 Amazon/BN gift card + a digital copy of the book via Rafflecopter.
Markita “Kita” Jones is a young woman with the world at her fingertips. A high-school student with beauty and brains to match, she’s well on her way to Howard University. However, on her 18th birthday, she watches her dreams die during a drive-by shooting that claims the life of her brother. Overnight, Kita transforms from a naïve schoolgirl into a savvy street hustler on a mission to find her brother’s killer.
With the help of her best friends, Kenya and Alexis, Kita quickly begins making more money and more enemies than she ever could’ve imagined. As these young hustlers learn to navigate the dope game, the police start to close in on them and the stakes are raised higher than ever. Loyalty is questioned, love is tested, and someone’s actions prove to be dishonorable. They came into the game together, but will they leave the same way?
Review/thoughts
First I want to thank the publisher and author for allowing me to read this and share my honest review.
Without taking or saying too much about the story, reading this novel kept me guessing the whole way through. I felt so connected to all the characters (including the enemies) I enjoyed the way the story flowed and how each chapter I wanted to know what was going to happen next. This is a dark, gritty story set in Detroit following a young woman and her friends (Kita, Kenya, and Alexis) and how they navigate the underworld of crime and fast money.
I enjoyed India’s writing and I want to read all her books now. I’m a fan now and anyone who likes urban fiction / street lit I think they would enjoy this story.
Fans of Hidden Pictures and The Lovely Bones will enjoy this unconventional love story with a harrowing mystery and a bond that transcends time…
In the year 1986, 12-year-old Jackie Tanner leads a desolate existence alongside a flighty older sister and an absent mother. It isn’t until Jackie meets an older boy on the banks of the river that she understands the value of love and the bonds of friendship. But J.R. is only in southern Minnesota because his father, a police detective, is aiding local authorities in the search for missing girls. After the community goes into lockdown to protect their children, Jackie and J.R. navigate through the highs and lows of their complicated lives as close confidants.
In the year 2018, 32-year-old Sterling Pruitt is inexplicably lured from Los Angeles to a small Midwestern city where her lifelong dreams involving a little girl become even more vivid…tangible, even. When Sterling learns of the city’s haunting secrets, she confides in Theo, the handsome yet sullen carpenter hired to renovate her new home. Together, Sterling and Theo will question both their destinies and their grips on reality.
Once Sterling begins to understand the gravity of her dreams, she’ll do everything in her power to unlock the mystery behind the abductions in 1986. This enchanting, heartfelt, and often agonizing tale of friendship and tragedy reminds us the bonds of true love can etch a permanent place into our hearts.
Review/ my thoughts:
The girls of Kato is a mystery told in two perspectives, Jackie in the year 1987 and sterling in the year 2018. Jackie is very close to her best friend JR and they both care about each other. JR is being abused by his dad. Jackie wants to help get JR away from his dad. One night leaving JR house she never came back home. The town says that she was kidnapped. During this time a lot of kids were being kidnapped and the town enforced a curfew.
In 2018 sterling moves to the town of Kato for a social work position. She meets a man named theo who is there to fix up things around her place.
Sterling finds out about the kids who were once kidnapped in 1987 and she wants to know more about the case. She has a strong passion to getting Jackie and the other girls back home or at least trying to find out what really happened to them.
Sterling ends up finding out a lot with the connection with Theo and the missing girls. A lot of information comes out about the missing girls that finally comes to the surface.
I like that this story was told in two perspectives. It gives the more of a backstory to the present. I do like the character sterling she was persistent with finding answers in the case of the missing girls. I do all like the little romance this story gives as well.
In When Mama Grows with Me, a mama and her son create their own garden, starting with just a few small seeds and ending with a beautiful display of flowers. They observe how pollinators help the earth stay healthy, learn how to care for plants, and meet other critters that live in their garden, all while playfully shaping their bodies into yoga poses inspired by nature. Not only do Mama and her son learn valuable lessons about their garden, but along the way, they also learn to practice patience.
By pairing lessons with movement, Rebecca Wheeler helps young readers make connections between the natural world and their own emotional experiences. Learn the value of patience and practice some fun yoga poses in this beautifully illustrated children’s book.
Purchase a copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Thrift Books, or Bookshop.org. Make sure you add it to your GoodReads reading list.
Review / my thoughts
When My Mama Grows With Me is a children’s picture book that teaches young kids about gardening and learning to be patient. The book has colorful illustrations that correspond with the story. The story also integrates different yoga positions into the story as a way to stay patient and keep the body moving. This is a good teaching tool for young kids wanting to learn more about plants and gardening and definitely learning about patience.
Rating 3.75⭐
About the Author
Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler was raised in West Point, a small town in the Tidewater region of Virginia. From the moment she submitted her first short story to a young author’s contest in second grade, Rebecca knew she wanted to be a writer. Her love of writing led her to earn a BA in English and an MEd in English education. She spent several years as a high school teacher, during which she also developed a passion for mental health advocacy. Rebecca completed an MA in professional counseling and now works in school-based mental health and as a college adjunct psychology instructor.
Rebecca also teaches yoga for the young and the young at heart, and she likes to infuse yoga and breathwork in her counseling practice wherever she can. She believes the most valuable use of her time is teaching youth how to love and care for each other and the world around them. Her stories share this focus on positive relationships and a love of nature. Rebecca now lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband, two children, and two spoiled Siamese cats.
When Mama Grows with Me is Rebecca’s third book. Her first picture book in the yoga series, When Daddy Shows Me the Sky released November 2021, and her first YA novel, Whispering Through Water, released January 2023.
The Unshakeable Road to Love (Value Centered Relationships) is based upon Eternal Principles from all world scriptures, including Zen. These tried and true Eternal Principles, the Pillars of Love, show how to build foundations for relationships where happiness and well-being are inevitable. And where pain and conflict can dissolve on the spot.
A radically different approach to love and psychology, the book offers a completely new perspective on fulfillment and what is truly needed to thrive. For example, one of the Pillars of Love upon which the book is based is:
To Be Happy, You Do Not Have To Be Loved, You Have to Learn What It Means to Be Loving.
The book explores the difference between Real and Counterfeit Love. We discover how all suffering in relationships is due to being caught in the trap of Counterfeit Love. And how easy it is to break free from bondage and leave that trap behind.
This is a book of practice, filled with Turning Points, Pillars of Love, Interventions, and many enjoyable exercises so the reader can practice these principles in all their relationships and in their everyday lives.
Written by a psychologist, Interfaith Counselor, and long-term Zen practitioner, the book combines the practices and principles of both East and West, helping us to discover and celebrate the best in ourselves and others.
Review/ my thoughts
The unshakeable Road to Love is the type of self help book I found to be very interesting. It talks about relationships and learning and understanding how to have good relationships in your life. But also I understanding that you will come across negative relationships. I have experienced both positive and negative relationships, and I have learned a lot by having both in my life. This book teaches what to look for in people and what are potential red flags. I feel when people want a positive relationship so badly it’s hard to see pass the negative flags that this person may bring. So a lot of people end up settling. I think the teaching in the book can work for both significant others and friends and maybe even family relationships. Because at the end of the day all these relationships are very different so therefore each relationship you go into with a different Response. Each relationship we have in life should be meaningful. I know life will put people in our lives that shouldnt be there, I look at it as a lesson and to continue to look for red flags that maybe triggers for me stay away from. Having good relationships is not good for you and your peace of mind but also I feel keeps a person well grounded.
I enjoyed reading this and I think anyone who wants to take learning more about how they should go about handling relationships this will be great for them.
Rating 4⭐
Excerpt
EXCERPT ONE We are all treasure hunters, looking for the secret to fulfilling relationships. Usually, we believe the secret lies in finding the right person, acquiring the best relationship skills and learning to communicate our needs more clearly. Our relationships are usually dedicated to finding happiness, getting our needs met, being powerful or in charge. Basically, we are using our relationships to feel good about ourselves. However, despite all our efforts, relationships often become a source of pain and suffering. And when a partner stops meeting our needs, love often turns into rejection. Conflict, anger and loneliness arise endlessly. When our thoughts are primarily absorbed with what we are needing and receiving, or how to build up our self esteem, we live in a prison without bars. It becomes impossible to truly see the person we are with, or what is really happening. The harder we try to make things right, the more complicated they can become. How can we ever find fulfillment in this manner?
A Completely New Perspective It is time to offer a completely new perspective on psychological and spiritual suffering and the road to unfailing happiness. As we turn to the world’s Eternal Scriptures we see that suffering has been dealt with throughout the centuries. Profound relationship insights along with powerful forms of healing have been offered again and again. However, this fundamental, eternal wisdom has not been recognized or invited into our relationships. That is why we suffer so.
A Radical Alternative These eternal truths present a radical alternative to the ways we function in relationships and what we expect of them. They also present a radical view into what it means to truly love. Like the laws of gravity, these principles are infallible, cannot fail. An Unshakable Road To Love (Value-Centered Relationships) is based upon these eternal truths found in all world scriptures. They are the perfect medicine for what is truly ailing us. Not only are these principles fundamental to our happiness, they are also simple, easy to understand and enjoyable to perform. And when we apply these principles to our relationships, pain and conflict often disappear on the spot. This book and program are dedicated to sharing a new form of psychology based upon these Eternal Principles. This is a Book of Practice, simple, direct and filled with specific insights, exercises and interventions, which carefully guide us in ways of applying these truths with whomever we meet, including ourselves.
About the Author
Brenda Shoshanna is an award-winning author, psychologist, Interfaith counselor, and long-term Zen practitioner and speaker. Her work is dedicated to integrating the teachings of East and West and making them real in our everyday lives. Brenda has offered over five hundred talks and workshops on all aspects of personal and spiritual development, relationships, and living an authentic, meaningful life.
