Maura Sheridan
Hi my resolution for 2021 was to read 50 books! I’ve read 10 so far because of long bus trips and no social life!! Now I need to stock up on new ones. Drop some recommendations below. I love ALL kinds of books!
Book mentions in this thread
A Girl Called Ari
by P. J. Sky
"It's been a hot minute since I've read a book that fits so well into the dystopian genre" - Witty & Sarcastic Book Club "You MUST MUST MUST read the book. Oh, and watch out for crocodiles!" - Taryn, Dragons Codex "The absolute strength of the book is the ongoing dynamic and developing relationship between the two which always feels natural and believable" - Bookends & Bagends In a distant future... A world divided... A walled city in a devastated wasteland... a struggle for power becomes a struggle to survive... with friends like these, who needs enemies? How would you survive beyond the comfortable walls of your world? For Starla, a struggle for power becomes a struggle for survival when she finds herself on the wrong side of the wall. Fleeing her abductors and lost in the wasteland, she faces starvation, warring factions, bloodthirsty creatures, and the endless burning sun. And then there's Ari... who is she really? And can she really trust this girl from the wasteland to lead her back to the city gates? One thing's for sure, Starla's once privileged life will never be the same...Seven Roses
by L.L. Tremblay
Ellen Taylor is only seven years old when her entire world collapses after she witnesses a horrific event that will change her life forever. This shocking tragedy sparks a series of inexplicable events and coincidences that test Ellen as she grows up and tries to discover why the number seven continues to appear all around her. Can Ellen find meaning in her recurring dreams and encounters with the ghosts of her past? Or will she succumb to the darkness that has stalked her since she was a young girl?Stolen
by Lucy Christopher
A stunning debut novel with an intriguing literary hook: written in part as a letter from a victim to her abductor. Sensitive, sharp, captivating! Gemma, 16, is on layover at Bangkok Airport, en route with her parents to a vacation in Vietnam. She steps away for just a second, to get a cup of coffee. Ty--rugged, tan, too old, oddly familiar--pays for Gemma's drink. And drugs it. They talk. Their hands touch. And before Gemma knows what's happening, Ty takes her. Steals her away. The unknowing object of a long obsession, Gemma has been kidnapped by her stalker and brought to the desolate Australian Outback. STOLEN is her gripping story of survival, of how she has to come to terms with her living nightmare--or die trying to fight it.Dividing Ridge
by Stacy Hawks
Dividing Ridge is based on a true story of an unsolved crime that took place along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Alleghany, N.C. in 1937. After a young woman goes missing on her way to school a community is left on edge. With news spreading quickly of her disappearance and gossip swirling, it is up to local law enforcement to restore a sense of safety and one determined Sheriff to bring justice to her family.Votes: 5
Redemption
by Mike Wilkerson
This story-oriented recovery book unfolds the back-story of redemption in Exodus to show how Jesus redeems us from the slavery of abuse and addiction and restores us to our created purpose, the worship of God.Symphony of Dreams
by Cynthia D Rogan
For the past three decades, many history professors have allowed their biases to distort the way America’s past is taught. These intellectuals have searched for instances of racism, sexism, and bigotry in our history while downplaying the greatness of America’s patriots and the achievements of “dead white men.” As a result, more emphasis is placed on Harriet Tubman than on George Washington; more about the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II than about D-Day or Iwo Jima; more on the dangers we faced from Joseph McCarthy than those we faced from Josef Stalin. A Patriot’s History of the United States corrects those doctrinaire biases. In this groundbreaking book, America’s discovery, founding, and development are reexamined with an appreciation for the elements of public virtue, personal liberty, and private property that make this nation uniquely successful. This book offers a long-overdue acknowledgment of America’s true and proud history.The Drift
by Casie Aufenthie
In a future where the human race has split into three species, the mentally-evolved Illuminatos have conquered the other two in a brutal Genetic War. Now, the seven most powerful Illuminatos, the Council, control the Earth, ruling over the other two human species through violent oppression. As one of the defeated physically-evolved Corporis, Samara lost everything: her family, her freedom, and her will to fight. But, when her master, Lord Wyatt Faraday, commands her to find the mysterious leader of the Resistance, Tristan, everything she thought she knew is challenged. Tristan is an Illuminatos who has turned his back on his own kind to follow his principles. An idealist hoping to restore peace and equality for all species, he cannot escape his past, and it may force him to make a terrible choice. Their meeting will change the world, but will it be for the better? Content Warnings: Graphic violence References to rapeThe Package
by K. Bromberg
Christmas week can’t get any worse for Jules Jilliland. Dumped by her boyfriend, rear-ended on the freeway, and fired from her job, she finds herself stuck in an elevator with a handsome stranger. When their packages are accidentally swapped, will it end up being a misfortunate accident that suddenly brightens her holidays? (The Package was previously releases in the All Wrapped Up 2019 Christmas Anthology)First Earth
by Cami Murdock Jensen
The moment I declared the last word, I felt a rush of wind from every direction, as though the power surge in my chest sucked energy from the entire Earth. The hurricane of energy imploded into me, and silence caused a still calm to fall onto the room. My skin tingled. Not like neuropathy, but like warm static electricity. "Whoa," I whispered. I expected an adventure when I left home for a new internship. A nice, easy, comfortable adventure that a sixteen-year-old burn victim like me could handle. That wasn't what happened. While I translated an ancient text for my new boss, a woman possessed by a ghost tried to kill me. Then an old wizard saved me by taking me to another planet. Saved? As if. Kidnapped is more like it--and that's just the beginning. According to him, I was the only wizard on my planet, and some prophecy destined me to save his planet, First Earth. The guy was crazy to think I could do anything like that. I could hardly walk more than ten minutes because of my neuropathy. Maybe I should just go home and forget about being a wizard. How am I supposed to save a whole other planet, with magic I don't know how to use and an army of demons led by an evil necromancer trying to murder me? Fate seriously messed up this time.The Warriors of Bhrea
by T. M. Kohl
She was between two worlds. Can her secret destiny save both from destruction? Lauren Strauss feels like she's all alone. She still grieves her father's death, and her mother's past is shrouded in mystery. She is plagued by headaches and strange dreams, visions she just can't understand. But on the day of her college graduation, she thinks she may finally get some answers... Then a violent attack rocks downtown Chicago, and Lauren's life is thrown into chaos. Her mother arms her with a mystical amulet, and Lauren is thrust into a strange, new world - a world of magic, mystery, and danger. And she soon realizes that the truth about her family is more complicated than she had ever imagined. Lost in a world beyond her wildest dreams, Lauren must evade a bloodthirsty cult as she seeks to discover the truth about herself and her mother's past. If she succeeds, she will embrace a destiny she didn't even know she had. But if she fails, she will lose all she holds dear... If you like page-turning epic fantasy with a unique twist on magic, ancient mysteries, and a hint of romance, then you won't want to miss The Lost King.Votes: 3
Werewolf Nights
by Mari Hamill
Votes: 2
1Q84
by Haruki Murakami
The long-awaited magnum opus from Haruki Murakami, in which this revered and bestselling author gives us his hypnotically addictive, mind-bending ode to George Orwell's 1984. The year is 1984. Aomame is riding in a taxi on the expressway, in a hurry to carry out an assignment. Her work is not the kind that can be discussed in public. When they get tied up in traffic, the taxi driver suggests a bizarre 'proposal' to her. Having no other choice she agrees, but as a result of her actions she starts to feel as though she is gradually becoming detached from the real world. She has been on a top secret mission, and her next job leads her to encounter the superhuman founder of a religious cult. Meanwhile, Tengo is leading a nondescript life but wishes to become a writer. He inadvertently becomes involved in a strange disturbance that develops over a literary prize. While Aomame and Tengo impact on each other in various ways, at times by accident and at times intentionally, they come closer and closer to meeting. Eventually the two of them notice that they are indispensable to each other. Is it possible for them to ever meet in the real world?Votes: 2
"A" is for Alibi
by Sue Grafton
READ THE SENSATIONAL BLOCKBUSTER THAT STARTED IT ALL! Take it from the top in #1 New York Times bestselling author Sue Grafton's knockout thriller that introduced detective Kinsey Millhone—and a hot new attitude—to crime fiction... A IS FOR AVENGER A tough-talking former cop, private investigator Kinsey Millhone has set up a modest detective agency in a quiet corner of Santa Teresa, California. A twice-divorced loner with few personal possessions and fewer personal attachments, she's got a soft spot for underdogs and lost causes. A IS FOR ACCUSED That's why she draws desperate clients like Nikki Fife. Eight years ago, she was convicted of killing her philandering husband. Now she's out on parole and needs Kinsey's help to find the real killer. But after all this time, clearing Nikki's bad name won't be easy. A IS FOR ALIBI If there's one thing that makes Kinsey Millhone feel alive, it's playing on the edge. When her investigation turns up a second corpse, more suspects, and a new reason to kill, Kinsey discovers that the edge is closer—and sharper—than she imagined. "A" Is for Alibi "B" Is for Burglar "C" Is for Corpse "D" Is for Deadbeat "E" Is for Evidence "F" Is for Fugitive "G" Is for Gumshoe "H" Is for Homicide "I" Is for Innocent "J" Is for Judgment "K" Is for Killer "L" is for Lawless "M" Is for Malice "N" Is for Noose "O" Is for Outlaw "P" Is for Peril "Q" Is for Quarry "R" Is for Ricochet "S" Is for Silence "T" Is for Trespass "U" Is for Undertow "V" Is for Vengeance "W" Is for Wasted "X"Votes: 2
The Bell Jar
by Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath's shocking, realistic, and intensely emotional novel about a woman falling into the grip of insanity Esther Greenwood is brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. In her acclaimed and enduring masterwork, Sylvia Plath brilliantly draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that her insanity becomes palpably real, even rational—as accessible an experience as going to the movies. A deep penetration into the darkest and most harrowing corners of the human psyche, The Bell Jar is an extraordinary accomplishment and a haunting American classic.Votes: 2
Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?
by Raymond Carver
With this, his first collection of stories, Raymond Carver breathed new life into the American short story. Carver shows us the humor and tragedy that dwell in the hearts of ordinary people; his stories are the classics of our time. "[Carver's stories] can ... be counted among the masterpieces of American Literature." --The New York Times Book Review "One of the great short story writers of our time--of any time." --The Philadelhpia Inquirer "The whole collection is a knock out. Few wriers can match Raymond Carver's entiwining style and language." --The Dallas Morning NewsChildren of Sinai
by Shelley Clarke
How would you feel if you got caught up in a secret so vast it threatened everything the world had come to believe? That's what happened to John Milburn, computer science lecturer, orphan, husband and father, who lived an ordinary life in Haverhill, Suffolk, England. That is, until the dreams started... From the idyllic calm of Cambridge, John Milburn is drawn to the dust and the heat of Jericho. Thrown into danger and intrigue, he discovers more than he'd bargained for. 'A wowser of a tale that is exciting and thought-provoking with a cast of characters you'll fall in love with. Inspired by Biblical events, historical finds, theories and the author's own strange imagination.'Crime and Justice
by Carolyn Boyes-Watson
Crime and Justice offers a comprehensive introduction to the U.S criminal justice system through fifteen historical and contemporary case studies. The third edition has been revised and streamlined throughout, featuring new material on race, the war on drugs, police violence, “stand your ground” laws and gun laws, and more. Each chapter opens with an engaging case study followed by an explanatory chapter that teaches core concepts, key terms, and critical issues. The cases serve multiple learning objectives: illustrating concepts applied in real life; exploring sociological issues of race, class, gender, and power; and teaching students the law and processes of the justice system. Crime and Justice is excellent for any course that introduces students to the criminal justice system. A complimentary Instructor’s Manual and Test Bank are available, as well as an open-access Companion Website for students that includes interactive flashcards, links to online video and media, and other learning material. Visit http://textbooks.rowman.com/boyes-watson3e or email textbooks@rowman.com for more information.Votes: 1
Crowns
by James Lynch
Haxfuri
by N J M Hemfrey
In New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken’s gripping new fantasy romance series, the Blacksmith Queen must confront armies and pretenders desperate to take her new-won crown. But with the Princess Knight at her side and a centaur warrior clan at her back, she’ll risk everything for victory . . . LONG LIVE THE QUEEN Gemma Smythe dedicated her life to the glory of battle. With her fellow War Monks, she worshipped the war gods, rained destruction on her enemies, and raised the dead when the fancy took her. Until her sister Keeley became the prophesied Blacksmith Queen, and Gemma broke faith with her order to journey to the Amichai Mountain and fight by Keeley’s side. The Amichai warriors are an unruly, never-to-be-tamed lot, especially their leader-in-waiting, Quinn. But when the War Monks declare support for Gemma’s ruthless younger sister Beatrix, the immaturity of her key ally is the least of Gemma’s problems. She has to get to the grand masters, dispel their grudge against her, and persuade them to fight for Keeley and justice. If her conviction can’t sway them, perhaps Quinn’s irritating, irreverent, clearly unhinged, ferocity will win the day . . . Praise for The Blacksmith Queen “It may be laugh-out-loud funny, but at its heart this is a story of a woman who cares deeply for both the family she has and the one she creates.” —Bookpage “Tilting more toward fantasy, this paranormal romance will be a hit with fans of both genres who enjoy tales that are lighthearted and humorous.” —BooklistOpened Wounds
by Judith White
Sam is hot under the collar, and it has nothing to do with the summer swelter! The frail woman waltzed into his office on a steamy Saturday in July, wanting Sam to exonerate her husband of the charge of murder. But the murders occurred over nineteen years ago and the man in question was killed in prison some months back. But that wasn't the worst of it! It just so happens that her husband was Carlo 'the Confessor' Andolucci, the once notorious Purple Gang member. Sam knew this name all too well...Carlo Andolucci had brought devastation to the Flanagan family while employed by Abe Saperstein, head of the group of thugs that terrorized the streets of Detroit. There was no way he'd take on this case to help this woman...or would he? Once he discusses the matter with others, he begins to hear a side of Andolucci he didn't know. Had Sam held on to a belief that was wrong all these years? Only by rethinking his decision to take on this case will answer that. Only by agreeing to investigate would he ever find the truth.Votes: 1
The Energy Bus
by Jon Gordon
Enjoy the ride of your life with the Wall Street Journal bestseller None of us can expect to get through life without any challenges. Life isn’t always a constant daydream of unbridled pleasure and happiness. But that doesn’t mean you can’t approach everything with some zing – a big dose of positive energy is what you need to feel great, be successful and love life! And the international bestselling The Energy Bus can help you live your life in a positive, forward-thinking way. Learn the 10 secrets that will help you overcome adversity and harness the power of positive, infectious energy, so that you can create your own success. International bestselling author Jon Gordon draws on his experience of working with thousands of leaders and teams to provide insights, actionable strategies and positive energy. The Energy Bus: Shows you how to ditch negativity and infuse your life with positive energy Provides tools to build a positive team and culture Contains insights from working with some of the world’s largest companies Foreword by Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One-Minute ManagerThe Freedom of Acceptance
by Q E Priest
For most of my life I was dissatisfied, angry and frustrated, to one degree or another. Usually to more of a degree. All stemming from fear.This is the story of the surprising way I found peace, and the way I implemented simple techniques to change my outlook on life.The Moon Hunters
by Anya Pavelle
For fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Gender Game comes a captivating new story like no other. The Pestilence sweeps the globe with terrifying speed. A group of survivors finds an island sanctuary. Three generations later, no one has heard from the outside world in years. The old radio only crackles with static. The Pestilence either finished its job or the world tore itself apart. In the Village of Lehom, Leilani has been called to court as a Virtue by the King. Going to court means losing her independence and self-respect. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a choice. Leilani decides to take a stand; the King be damned. She plans a daring escape and sets in motion a series of events that will shake the foundation of her village and the island to its core. What reviewers are saying: "This is an engaging story with complex but believable characters and an interesting presentation of story- a journal, a retelling of the past, and an exploration of the present. Anya moves seamlessly among those sources to develop themes of resilience, courage and integrity within three unique cultures. A great read....one of the few books that demands both a prequel and a sequel! Thank you, Anya, for sharing this with us all!" -StoryCollector "If you're a fan of Divergent, The Maze Runner, and The Hunger Games, this is the perfect book for you. I love a good dystopian thriller and Moon Hunters did not disappoint. While borrowing themes from the classics, the plot is unique. The characters are very well developed and you can't help but rally behind them. The story pulled me in within the first few pages and I had a hard time putting it down. I highly recommend it." -Eric S. "I highly recommend "The Moon Hunters" by Anya Pavelle. It's a great story of standing up for what you believe in. It also features a strong female lead character. The book is a thrilling example of excellent post-apocalyptic sci-fi at its best. The author crafts a tale that is both an epic worldbuilder and riveting adventure. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy. You'll be glad you did." -DTMVotes: 1
The Pixy and the Giantess
by Jennie Lee Schade
The Temper Saga
by Lila Mina
Submission will tame her temper but unleash her true power. Dutiful devotion will heal cursed bodies and souls. Compassion and boundless passion will set them all free.Nobody, nothing will tear this trio apart. Not even death! Short-tempered Lana Martin is a workaholic consultant based in Tokyo. Not one to turn down a challenge, she accepts the indecent proposal of her martial arts instructor to become his submissive in a dynamic that tests her resilience. Spreading like wildfire, their affair lights up another blaze, this time between Lana and Honda's wife, the sophisticated socialite Yuki. Fearless, Lana embraces what her two masters offer her.Yet, unbeknown to her, their powerful desire rouses dark powers who have waited for decades to claim their prizes. Lana must confront the enemy eating her from within, while pulling back Honda from the edge of madness. Yuki's unwavering strength will keep them sane - but for how long? A two-edged sword, the trio's fiery passion will either destroy them or be the key to their salvation. DEFERENCE is the first book of the TEMPER saga and continues with DREAD. It contains explicit content only suitable for an adult audience.Where Darkness Meets Light
by Sabrine Elouali
A poetry collection depicting the trials and tribulations of living with mental illness and the journey of one girl's struggles to try and overcome them. From the difficult beginnings of life that contributed to her illnesses, to the present day where she still faces her demons day in day out. Full of harsh truths, comforting truths, and humbling truths. A book that will have you reflecting on your own life, where you can make changes, improvements and start to really challenge your regular ways of thinking. Featuring descriptions of hope as well as woeful testimonies, each poem illustrates the thoughts and emotions this young woman has gone through and continues to go through. Having written this book to inspire, and open the eyes of all who come across it, as well as hopes of breaking the stigmas around mental health and mental illness.