Book Review - Ben Braver and the Incredible Exploding Kid by Marcus Emerson

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Last year Ben Braver saved Kepler Academy and it's students from mass destruction. Yet, he still feels that he doesn't fit in with the rest of the kids who have special abilities.  He has been keeping his lack of ability a secret since most of his classmates are getting stronger. Will Ben be able to find his superpower? Or will he risk everything to gain his ability?

This was the second novel in the series. While you could read each novel as a standalone, I found it to be more enjoyable to read the books in order. The second novel is packed with humor and surprises just like the first novel. The book is littered with comics shorts and fun drawings. A fun series and a great read for young readers.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Now, Then, and Everywhen by Rysa Walker + Giveaway

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Two time-traveling historians cross paths with each other during a key point of time in the twentieth-century causing them to alter the timeline.

In the year 2136, Madison Grace discovers a key and the origins of Chronos. Chronos is a time travel group that has a link to her family's secretive past. When she makes a jump through history, she returns to her timeline to discover millions of lives have been erased. However, only she and the people on her team notice the change.

In the year 2304, Tyson Reyes is a Chronos historian who travels back in time to view the crucial events during America's civil rights movements. However, a time shift occurs while he is in 1965. He notices events that differ from the history that he is familiar with.

As the pair's path collide, they must work together to prevent the past from being erased. Will they be able to succeed or are they pawns in someone else's game?

I must preface this review by saying, I am not a big fan of time travel and science fiction novels. Mostly because it confuses the hell out of me. I can say that while this novel had a strong time travel theme, it was easy to understand in the beginning. There were some things that were confusing though.  I think they were plot twists that would be revealed later in the story. However, I wasn't a fan of how slow this novel was. I was more than halfway through the book before the time-lapse occurred. I feel like the author is trying to stretch the novel out for another part of the series. I feel that many series are starting to do this and it's a huge turnoff. Each novel should have its own story even if there is a broader story linking the novels. I had a hard time liking any of the characters or even being interested in them to continue reading. I liked that the author included articles but, sometimes, I found them irrelevant to the story (at least that point of time). I stopped reading the novel around a 75% mark because there wasn't enough to keep me interested in learning more.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Print Length: 503 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1612189199
Publisher: 47North (April 1, 2020)
Publication Date: April 1, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English

Praise for NOW, THEN AND EVERYWHEN

“Walker (the CHRONOS Files series) opens the CHRONOS Origins series with this ambitious time-travel adventure…a twisty narrative that expertly blends the past and the future. Fans of intelligent time-travel stories will be rewarded.” —Publishers Weekly

“Fans of Walker’s (Courier to the Stars, 2019, etc.) CHRONOS Files series will enjoy seeing the pieces of that mythology falling into place here, but new readers can easily jump in to this origin story with no prior knowledge. An enjoyable, mind-bending time-travel adventure.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the bestselling author of the Chronos series comes a page-turning novel of time travel, fast-paced action, and history-changing events.

When two time-traveling historians cross paths during one of the most tumultuous decades of the twentieth century, history goes helter-skelter. But which one broke the timeline?

In 2136 Madison Grace uncovers a key to the origins of CHRONOS, a time-travel agency with ties to her family’s mysterious past. Just as she is starting to jump through history, she returns to her timeline to find millions of lives erased—and only the people inside her house realize anything has changed.

In 2304 CHRONOS historian Tyson Reyes is assigned to observe the crucial events that played out in America’s civil rights movement. But a massive time shift occurs while he’s in 1965, and suddenly the history he sees isn’t the history he knows.

As Madi’s and Tyson’s journeys collide, they must prevent the past from being erased forever. But strange forces are at work. Are Madi and Tyson in control or merely pawns in someone else’s game?

You can purchase Now, Then, and Everywhen at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from Rysa Walker

RYSA WALKER is the author of the bestselling CHRONOS Files series. Timebound, the first book in the series, was the Young Adult and Grand Prize winner in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. The CHRONOS Files has sold nearly half a million copies since 2013 and has been translated into fourteen languages.

In addition to speculative fiction, she occasionally writes mysteries as C. Rysa Walker.

Rysa currently resides in North Carolina with her husband, two youngest sons, and a hyperactive golden retriever. When not working on the next installment in her CHRONOS Files universe, she watches shows where travelers boldly go to galaxies far away, or reads about magical creatures and superheroes from alternate timelines. She has neither the time nor the patience for reality TV.

If you see her on social media, please tell her to get back into the writing cave.

        

WEEK ONE

MARCH 30th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW 

MARCH 30th MONDAY Books, Dreams, Life SPOTLIGHT

MARCH 31st TUESDAY BookHounds EXCERPT 

APRIL 1st WEDNESDAY Life Within the Pages REVIEW

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Book Review - The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

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Aiden Bishop is tasked with preventing Evelyn Hardcastle from being murdered at 11:00 pm. However, if he fails the day will restart and Evelyn will die again. Aiden must race against the clock and name the killer if, he wishes to escape. As he wakes up in a body of a different guest every day, he learns each host has a different personality and motive. Will Aiden be able to find out the killer within the eight days?

The novel had a very interesting premise. I like that the novel had elements of sci-fi, thriller, and mystery all wrapped in one interesting book.  While the book was a good and suspenseful read, I had a hard time keeping track of some of the minor details especially, when the future was altered. However, the book is definitely a fun read and I look forward to reading more books by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - A Penny Lost by Aspen Bassett + Giveaway

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Penny Grace is the forgotten twin, especially when compared to her perfect twin sister, Dinah. To make matters worse, she has a special ability to see into a person's soul. Her family has a hard time accepting her abilities since Penny is the only one who has the superpower. One day Penny senses a human-shaped void in the surrounding aura. She decides to investigate the source but she is thrown into the past through an energy portal. The void seems to be following Penny as she time travels. What is the void that keeps following Penny? Will Penny be able to return home?

The book had an interesting concept but I found some to be confusing. I wish there was more time spent explaining how her abilities work and why. I did enjoy the time travel portions of the book especially when Penny and her companion try to figure out what they should do. It was a fast-paced novel with many mini twists that was fun to read.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for honest opinion**

Book Details:

Book Title:  A Penny Lost by Aspen Bassett
Category:  YA Fiction, 232 pages
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
Publisher:  World Castle Publishing
Release date:  Jan 13, 2018
Content Rating: PG (There's a kiss and some mild violence)

Book Description:

Penelope Grace, usually forgotten under the shadow of her twin sister's perfection, tries her hardest to hide her freakish ability to see into anyone's soul.

Until she senses an unusual energy like a human-shaped void in the universe. When Penny investigates the source, she gets tossed through a crack in time along with the cute boy next door. The Void follows them through history, increasing the dangers as if testing Penny. But what is it testing for? And why does it claim to know her better than even she knows herself? Even as Penny searches for answers, she must fight to survive the tragedies of both the past and future in order to get back home.

Buy the Book:
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Meet the Author:

Aspen Bassett works at a library, telling stories and suggesting books. When she's not working, she's usually sipping hot cocoa and wondering what would happen if she had superpowers. She's been published in multiple anthologies including Oomph: A Little Super Goes a Long Way and Inaccurate Realities.

Aspen grew up learning about chakras and auras and the true power of imagination which slips into her writing whether she intend it to or not. In college, when she wasn't busy working on her degree in Creative Writing, Aspen also got her certificate in Women's Meditation (basically general energy work). Now, she's working toward a diploma in Integrated Healing Arts with a certificate in Hypnotherapy.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~

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Book Review - The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig

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**May Contain Spoilers*

Nix Song is like every other girl in the world -- she wishes for something more and love/attention from her father. She is a girl with an mysterious past and an uncertain future.  She is the navigator on her father's pirate ship and she is also a time traveller.  

The band of misfit pirates whose past collide but each of their future is full of uncertainty travels together to find the next piece of the puzzle; unsure of what is waiting for them. Nix follows her father, Slate around the world and through time in hopes of winning his love and affection but also because she feels trapped. Slate is interested in a very specific time and place; when Nix's mother was alive but Nix wasn't.  Nix helps her father find his lost love because she is sure it won't work but every time she comes across a new map, her heart skips a beat. Nix is unsure why her father is willing to risk everything for the sake of love. Until of course, she falls in love and see how losing the one you love can be the most painful experience in your life.

The book is an interesting read and goes by quickly -- but some parts it was rather slow and boring. It has themes of mythology and time traveling. However, I feel like the book was trying to hard; almost like it was trying to be the next Harry Potter series. Being quite the simpleton, the whole time traveling business left me with more questions and confusion than anything else. It was an interesting read but it just wasn't for me. I did like the little section in the back that went into detail about new stories, mythology and tidbits that inspired the story.

**Disclosure - I received a copy of an uncorrected ebook for my honest opinion --- this had no impact on my review and feedback**

Book Review - The Five Times I Met Myself by James L. Rubart

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**May contain spoilers**

What happens, if you wake up one morning and you decide you are not where you want to be in your life? What happens, if you actually have the power to change that?

Everything in Brock Matthew's life is starting to unravel -- his marriage, his enterprising coffee company, his faith, and his relationships with his family.  Brook has also lately starts having ominous nightmares about his dead father. His relationship with his father was strained at best -- complete opposites who yearned for each other's love but unknown to them how to ask for it. Not knowing what to do, he turns to his best friend, Morgan for help. Morgan offers him a book on lucid dreams and how to help control his dreams, while understanding their purpose.

At first, Brock thought it would be a novel experiment.  He would try and understand what his father is trying to tell him and hopefully, he can find a way to fix his coffee business and repair his marriage. Unfortunately, not everything is what it is seems. Instead of just dreaming about the day he proposes to his girlfriend, he unintentionally travels back into time and changes his past and inconsequentially his future. As the saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility", Brock travels back into time to talk to his younger self in hopes to change the present. The only question is, would he succeed?

The book is a quick and fun read. It offers many twists and turns with the reader rooting for Brock. It also teaches us to focus on the more important things in life because once they are gone --- they are gone.  It also teaches forgiveness, love, understanding, acceptance and putting others before yourself. We all have done things in the past in which we feel guilty of, but it's up to us to make it right. A great piece of fiction that will make you analyze yourself and make you want to be a better person. There is no point in sitting around and saying "if I can go back and change this and that" --- when you can always try to be a better person in the present.


**Disclosure - I received a copy of an uncorrected ebook for my honest opinion --- this had no impact on my review and feedback**

Book Review - The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster by Scott Wilbanks

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A heartwarming tale of misfits coming together to find a place where they belong. Separated by decades, two woman who impose isolation on themselves find comfort in each other's company. A single mysterious item, connects the two lonely hearts in more than one ways. With each letter, the pair begin to bond when an article alerts Annie to a murder. She concocts a plan to prevent the murder with the help of her kindred friend along with a cast of misfits.

Little did she know, her plan is not only destined by faith but unleashes a whole new mystery. With each of the endearing and complex characters being drawn to each other and connected. A sweet endearing story with a lot of twists and turns, that will keep you in suspense page after page. The story kept me stuck to the edge of my seat compelling me to read faster than I could to find out how the story will end.