series books

Alice’s Wonderland of Hell

ByMichael Thal January 22, 2018

Alice the Player is the third novel in the Serenity House series by A.W. Exley. This series is a sequential one meaning the author has connected the plots of her novels chronologically so readers are best served beginning with book one. In this case that’s Ella the Slayer (read Pop’s review). Alice the Player picks…

A Nineteenth Century Romance Novella

ByMichael Thal January 4, 2018January 4, 2018

Sweethearts of Jubilee Springs is a series of books written by several different authors relating stories about the Arkansas Valley of central Colorado during the 19th century. The Christmas Outlaw by P.A. Estelle is one of the newest novellas to this series. Charlene arrives in Jubilee Springs Colorado on the same train as a batch…

A Cinderella Story Like No Other

ByMichael Thal January 2, 2018

Ella the Slayer isn’t your everyday fairytale adaptation of the Cinderella fantasy. Eleanor Cowie’s father is a knight and her deceased mother, who died when Ella turned ten, was a humble maid. Prior to fighting in the Great War (WWI), Eleanor’s father, Sir Jeffrey, married Elizabeth, the mother of two daughters, Louise and Charlotte. When…

Pop’s 5 Favorite 2017 YA Books

ByMichael Thal January 1, 2018

During 2017 Pop read and reviewed 32 YA books. Here are his five favorites with the #1 posted last. #5 Collide The last day of spring break Anna (aka Annabelle) and younger brother Eric have the opportunity to go out for dinner with their parents. Eric wants Italian and Anna craves sushi. Mom tosses a…

Fantasy Christian Novel for YA Readers

ByMichael Thal November 29, 2017

Jennie Samuel’s Beyond the Pond takes readers to a Texas backyard pond where we are introduced to the pond’s animal life and an ancient Cedar tree named Thalia. In this first book, Olivia, a new fish to the pond, reaches the mythical springs and coerces the great Artesia, the spirit of all water covering the…

Give the Gift of Learning this Holiday Season

ByMichael Thal November 9, 2017

Holiday shopping is right around the corner. Are you really looking forward to spending hours fighting for a parking spot or waiting in long checkout lines at Macy’s, Sears, or Best Buy? If you want to avoid the hassles, think about buying your favorite child a book this year. You will want your book choice…

Rotten Rapunzel: An Alternative Fairy Tale

ByMichael Thal October 9, 2017

YA author and illustrator Anita Valle has created a very dysfunctional family in her Dark Fairy Tale Queen Series. The novels begin with Sinful Cinderella, who turns out to be a not very pleasant young woman living with an even more unpleasant stepmother and two stepsisters—Lunilla and Melodie. Cinderella does end up marrying a prince,…

Psychic Girl Communicates with Animals

ByMichael Thal August 31, 2017

Lost and Found by Sharon Ledwith is an excellent read for YA readers on several levels. It teaches kids about leadership and responsibility, and it sets a fine example for us humans to care better for the animals around us Whiskey, a fifteen-year-old calico cat, is the only link of communication between the cat floor…

What is Your Hidden Super Power?

ByMichael Thal August 25, 2017

Daniel Solomon Kaplan wrote his YA science fiction novel, Elevated: A YA Sci-Fi Fantasy Superhero Series (Elevated Book #1), based on a premise: If you could have a super power, what would it be? Since life isn’t that simple, and not all of us will fly, the characters in this book only hope for the…

A Time Travel Love Story

ByMichael Thal August 21, 2017August 21, 2017

Eighteen-year-old Lucy Channing has the responsibility of marrying Dashel Rothchild, the Earl of Westington, so her soon to be impoverished father can maintain his position in 1815 London society. Unfortunately, Lucy doesn’t love Dashel, a young man she’s known most of her life, even though he is a nice enough chap. Lucy’s grandmother, Agatha, the…