UFOs: The Ultimate Abduction by Raymond E. Fowler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I think of UFO abduction, I, as most other people would assume this means little green aliens with huge eyes, transport us to their little round/oval ship and then fly us away for testing and other experiments. The author in this book proposes a slightly unorthodox theory: What if UFO abductions were not physical, but psychic? Using various case studies and the (as yet unproven) science of Ufology, the author puts plenty of facts forward that all give credence to his hypothesis.
At first, I was a bit skeptical of the book, it was a very interesting read as IO have never heard of UFO abductions being psychic before this book. How much of it is true is always debatable, and you will always have skeptical people out there. The ideas put forward are very unconventional, however the whole field of science is unconventional. So this book is interesting, but I don’t know how much of it I can take as truth.


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The Dating Itinerary by Brooke Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Penny, an ambitious reporter, is tasked with writing a piece on all the various dating apps and avenues one can take advantage of nowadays. The hitch? Penny is so not a dater, nor is she interested in finding her one true love. However, she takes on the task and starts to explore Tinder, speed dating, “dark dating”, etc. On her first outing, an old rival shows up and then subsequently is present at each event that Penny is. George is suave, cocky, handsome and smart and he is determined to write his piece.
A fun enemies-to-lovers romance, the two could not have been anymore diametrically opposite each other. They had great chemistry (even if they were in denial) and I got a “how to lose a guy in 10 days vibe”, but the story was still fresh and easily enjoyable. I really liked how the ending wrapped it all up.


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Holloway Witches by Isa Pearl Ritchie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ursula returns to Aro Valley after many years away. Returning to Holloway Road is bittersweet for her, on one hand she is eager to see her beloved Grandma Esme and Aunt Sorrel, on the other, her return comes after a horrible crash and burn of her life. Once she is back, she has strange visions and the eerie sense she is being followed. Finally, she is confronted with the reality that magic is real and her family has a long line of witches, of which she is one as well. Rebuilding her life anew, is hard, but trying to rebuild it while dodging dangers and stranger’s intent on harming not just her but her beloved family? Doubly hard!
As much as I wanted to love this story, I only feel lukewarm about it. I took too long to get into anything interesting, we had chapter after chapter of Ursula reminiscing about her failed relationship, what she would do now in life, remembering things about her past and the strange lapses in time she is having. But none of that Gripped my interest. It was hard finishing the book, it got a little better, but I am not sure if I would read it again.


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Soft Skills for Hard People: A Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence for Rational Leaders by Helena Kim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The importance of this book by Author Helena Kim, cannot be overstated. We NEED more people in the workforce who understand how to manage their own emotions in order to work effectively and competently with others. If I am constantly irate at my co-workers, or my subordinates because I do not understand why they do things in a certain way, then I will never be happy in my job and as such not only my job performance will suffer, but those around me will suffer as well. The skills taught in this book are really common sense, but since they are never truly taught in high school or in college (unless you take electives), than this book will help you develop the skills you need such as self-awareness, empathy, conflict de-escalation and even active listening. Very well written and I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to take a more active role in improving their own as well as others work.

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HAIRBAG NATION: A Story of the New York City Transit Police: Book 2, Train Patrol by Robert L. Bryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in this series, this book is just as crazy as the first. The antics that the individuals get into are hard to believe, even knowing that this is all based on a time of rising crime in New York City. This book follows five different people as they all enter into the Police academy, determined to make their own individual mark on the police force. Follow along as we see these five take on the streets and the subways of New York, one Train at a time.
Hilarious and real, the stories within this book are told from the varying perspectives, which allow us to see how different people have different takes on similar situations. It makes for a highly nuanced book, something that might come as a surprise. As such, I enjoyed this book a lot and was glad I continued the story after reading the first book.


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Impermanent Universe: A Sci Fi Thriller by Vern Buzarde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What happens when an AI becomes sentient? Even more concerning, what happens when said AI begins to network with an alternate dimension than our own? Tess Carrillo is a computer scientist who leads the team of experts who are to build the worlds first sentient AI. They succeed in their efforts; however, they could not have foreseen the dimensional repercussions of their actions. Our reality is called into question and Tess strives to sort through this new puzzle to figure out a solution before our reality becomes nonexistent.
The premise of this book is a great topic to write about. There are literally infinite versions of this type of lot that can be written about (pun intended). The problem with such books is that when your write about reality bending dimensions and puzzles, it becomes harder for the reader to follow along the entirety of the story. I felt that the story was solid, however, it had many random areas that did not fit in the overall plot (unless the were part of the warped reality). Overall, it was a good book, if a bit odd.


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One If: A Virago Fantasy by Carol B. Allen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A book that gives an eerie foreshadowing to Earth’s future if we cannot get climate change in check. But this book is so much more, a YA tale of three teenagers that are abducted to a faraway planet named Spyridon, where they are solely responsible to find a solution for the rampant changes that climate change has wrecked upon the planet. Parker and the other teens have to pool their wits and limited knowledge quickly to stop both a full out war between the divided population of Spyridon as well as the ravaging changes to the planet. A true coming of age tale for teenagers who love SciFi and fantastical adventures.
The adventures and SciFi portions of this book were very well done. The worldbuilding and underlying environmental themes were also well done. Some of the finer plot points and twists were odd or didn’t fit. I had to remember in this book that this was geared to YA and not Adults, so some inconsistencies are bound to be there.


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Homo Divinitas by Patrick Garner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the third and final book in the Greek Goddesses series about love, passion and coping with life in the modern world. In a mash-up of powerful deities, Olympic gods and now the Great Goddess, the originator of all. Through machinations, the great Goddess enacts her plans for mortals and gods alike, with wide sweeping consequences. Meanwhile, Gaia is reincarnated as a young 9-year-old girl in New York City and is as mischievous as ever. The love stories that bloom are sensual and emotional tales that even in happiness, carry some tragedy with them.
A very touching finish to the trilogy, and well executed at that. The blending of god mythology, be it Greek or pagan (Gaia), was very well done and I enjoyed the intricacies of the love stories within this book. This is a good book for a rainy day, as it is lighthearted and not very deep.


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SOLD by Ginger Rodeghero
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the stunning sequel to “I’m not for sale”, author Ginger Rodgehero again tackles the difficult topic of human trafficking. The story follows Christine as she is tailing her mark but gets herself captured instead. Stolen and sold, she ends up making two friends, Liam, and Emma and the three must attempt to escape the human trafficking web. The tribulations and torments these three young people go through and have to endure are difficult to read about, but one must understand that Human Trafficking is very real and it is easy to get caught up into the net. This is an excellent book of caution for us all, a reminder that this does not only affect young girls and women, and that it happens every day all over the world. What I found interesting and helpful is that at the end, the author included some helpful signs that will allow you to spot any human trafficking in your area.

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Preons: alpha by Frederik T. Stevens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Earth has been invaded and most of humanity falls in those initial days. What’s left is either scrambling for survival or gearing up to accept their new reality under Alien rule. David witnessed the slaughter of his two best friends and survived against the odds. He takes his chance at revenge against those who orchestrated it all and sets off along the galaxy, picking up dangerous allies and training himself to be stronger, better, and deadlier. He crosses paths with an alien named Hanla, who is herself on the run after she was framed for murder. Their chance encounter sparks the beginning of an alliance that can bring them both what they desire.
I was thankful that the romance was at a minimum here, the story is a well known trope in the SciFi genre, but the writing was well done and it did not feel as if I read the story before. It was a bit on the gorier side, and I imagine that David is not looking for sunshine and roses, revenge will come with entrails, blood, guts and gore.


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Children of the Miracle by Daniel Weisbeck
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After a global Pandemic wiped out much of the human population, the remaining world divided itself into 3 sanctuaries where humanity lived, and the scientists raced to fund a cure. If this seems similar to what we are currently undergoing, welcome to my first thoughts. Our main lead, Dr. Mercy Perching asks for more information on a certain genetic crossing research and is authorized to go to a different sanctuary. In this new sanctuary, Dr. Mercy finds a terrifying new strand of the virus that is resistant so far to their vaccines and attacks both human and animal sides of the hybrid’s DNA. Will Dr. Mercy’s brilliance be able to save humanity?
Very on the nose and poignant to what is happening nowadays, the book was easy to read and generally easy to follow along. The scientific elements of the story were well done, and I liked that the author really played with ethics and morals in the story. I was not fond of the ending, but as it’s the 1st in a series, I can overlook it.


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Fatal Decision: A Sam Harker Thriller by T.K. Wolf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sam Harker is a skilled Assassin; some would say even the best in her field. She did not choose this life; it was fate that brought her to the attention of the Delphi Intelligence Corporation. After her escape from their control, she has to lay low and go on the run for the reach of the Delphi Intelligence corporation is vast and far reaching. Living life on the lam is not easy and when Sam finally finds someone, she can love and confide in, she wants to settle down, but her past will always catch up to her. Only now, she actually has something to lose.
This was a good book, Sam is an accomplished woman and she does not let her feelings get in the way of what needs to be done to protect herself and her love Jake. A confident and well written female protagonist, Sam was an easy character to like and root for. I like that the author did not make her too emotional nor was she a rock, but that delicate balance was well drawn and written.


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Grime & Punishment by Kate Karyus Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a great second book. Straight off the high from the first one, Paige is still struggling to handle her unwanted supernatural house guests and all the issues that come with them (broken TV's, pregnant vamps, Ex's and more). Add Nico, a werewolf who just might be looking for more and Paige is straight up done with it all. Can't a girl just have a nice Human boyfriend?
I loved this book, it was snarky, suspenseful and I certainly did NOT see the big reveal coming at the end. I was yelling at Paige to GTFO by the end. And of course its a cliffhanger, which is slightly disappointing, however the next book will be out around January.
I was given a ARC and decided to leave an honest review.

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BOUGAINVILLEA by John Deupree
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The wind was strong enough to blow sins from men’s souls.” This is a pretty strong and intriguing first sentence in the book. A traveler named Joseph, meets Maria, Pedro, and Miguel, who take him in and give him a place to rest and eat. Joseph feels safe and compelled to share stories with the three and hopes they can help him interpret them. Each new story brings about a new revelation for both Joseph and the three siblings and subsequently changes their perspective on their own lives by the end.
While at parts strange and at other times fantastical, this book takes a dive into the mystical and explores the shifting realities that can exist between people. It is a short book, and I found it an easy read. It was odd and difficult to follow at times but still entertaining. I would imagine such a mystical topic would be hard to write about in a sensical manner.


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Grimdark: Tales of Exile by Kyle Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jacobus is a fallen knight who fought bravely against the invading demon horde, but ultimately failed and was captured. Not, he is being taken to the land of Grimdark, where he will be expected to labor as a slave and be tortured, until he finally perishes. Jacobus is not broken, and he will fight his new masters until he is free. Using a once in a lifetime opportunity, when he is given an ancient artifact, Jacobus starts to fight in earnest against the demons and he seeks his ultimate return to his homeland.
This book was a full-length novel distilled into a novella frame. With that, certain shortcomings were to be expected, however, the author was able to still bring a well thought out story, a well fleshed out plot and a great deal of action scenes in a coherent manner. I was not expecting the cliffhanger at the end, so that was a disappointment, but other than that this was a very well written book.


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A Magical Birthday Cake---For You! by Jeannie Dapra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tippet, a white and brown dog weas a very well-behaved dog. He loved to bake cakes, but of course his humans wouldn’t understand, so it was his big secret. He also had a brother, who was a very mischievous dog named Trout. Tippet and Trout kept Tippet’s cake baking skills amongst themselves and decided that they would bake a few cakes for a special person’s birthday. They hold a party and while some things go wrong, they all enjoy their day.
A cute children’s book, it is fairly short and very fun. The writing is easy to read, along with some questions for you to ask your child while you read it. Also, you are able to insert their name into the book, which will make it even more special to you and your child. I enjoyed the book, and my son likes to look at the pictures and he likes the antics of Trout and his friends.


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Independence: A Memoir of Secrets, Discovery and Forgiveness by Deb Landry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

35 years after her father dies, Deb Learns that he was not in fact her biological father. This revelation causes her to reflect on her past and her fraught relationship with her mother her entire life. Deb begins to view her mother’s behavior, that was uncaring at the least, and bizarre at the worst in a new light and the continuing revelations from her mothers as well as her own memories of Deb’s childhood. This book deals with childhood trauma, emotional abuse, and the deep scars it can leave upon a person that will follow them into adulthood.
I think most of us have suffered through some form of childhood trauma, and as adults it is hard to revisit those memories. However, for our own personal healing, it is important to do so and understand why we feel certain things in certain situations. To that end, I find it helpful in reading about others who have had similar experiences and how they dealt with them. This book is a very emotional one, but the author writes in a gentle manner, not abrasive or rash and so the book, sort of gently flows and takes you along for the ride.


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Get Rich in the Deep End: Commit to Your Niche, Own Your Market, and Audaciously Scale Your Agency by Brent Weaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author Duo Brent Weaver and Aaron Wrixon join up to tell the story of Heather Carlyle, a business owner who is mentored by Mr. Weaver in how she should be approaching her business practices, from marketing to day-to-day operations. One major mistake he helped her overcome, is leaving the lead generation and sales largely u to the customers word-of-mouth. Too many businesses do this and in today’s online interconnected world, that can leave you missing thousands of dollars in lost sales. Through the story of Heather, the authors are able to give real world examples of what to do and what to avoid.
A guidebook that explains target audiences and how to identify yours, as well as how to approach marketing towards each group. By targeting your ideal customer group (market segment), you will be able to bring your business into the spotlight and grow it into a stable and successful venture. The advice is relevant and pertains to todays online driven world. A very good marketing book.


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Zipacna's Legacy by Cindy Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Chi’pais Mexico the locals have knowledge of a vortex that attracts outsiders to their village. When Jade inherits a hotel in the village from her Grandfather, she sets out to refurbish the place and return it to its former glory. What she did not count on is a hostility from the locals, and a mystery that seems to surround the hotel as well as her grandfather’s personal life. One day 8-year-old Miguel shows up at her doorstep and awakens dormant powers in Jade that show her she may be able to have a bigger impact on the world than she ever imagined.
This was a very interesting book. The mysticism and the spirituality of the “old ways” was fleshed out and I found the villagers reactions to it all believable, especially considering what we do to others we do not understand in the “real world”. All in all, the mystery helps propel the book along, as its no action or romance book.


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