Book 120 of the Boxcar Children series. This one is less scary than it sounds. This simple mystery is a kind sweet one that speaks to forgiveness and family. Overall a nice read, this book extols the values that have permeated the series as a whole. This one is very family friendly.

Book 3 of Phule’s Company. The story deeps as Omega Company gets new recruits and another surprise. Overall a great read and nice to see some of the loose ends of the previous novel addressed and resolved. The story pulls you in and refuses to let go until you finish it. This is the most…

Book 4 of Troy Stark. Another action packed book going after international human traffickers and Troy’s partner is right in the middle of it. Lots of gunfire and some focus on PTSD. Interestingly, a strong focus on the care needed when meeting people online. Overall a good resolution with Troy diving in to save the…

Book 3 of the Troy Stark series. This thriller was a little different as Troy was not in the action until the end. Plenty of action, gunfire, conspiracy, and death. If you’re a James Bond fan you’ll enjoy this series. Overall, I enjoyed the read. The author is not sexiest on who he kills off.…

Book 2 of the Troy Stark series. I still go crazy that this guy’s name is so close to Tony Stark. Aside from that it is an action packed thriller that is in the vein of 007 and such. Secrets inside of secrets as we follow both Troy’s group and the bad guys. Lots of…

This was a fun twist on the retelling of fairy tales. The theme is a solid discussion on deciding your own story. I liked how hopeful this story was and how malleable our lives can be. Even with the bad guy in the end, there was still hope for change. This is a strong theme…

This fun little book in the spirit of Harry Potter or Worst Witch. I love the theme of really trying. So much people talk about trying, but how many really dig deep even when they feel like the least qualified in the room. Overall a great message and a fun look into a well developed…

Book 8 of The Realm Between. This second stone quest set takes us all over the place. It definitely is exciting as there are several death defying moments. Overall this stays both via content and language strongly in the adult level and I recommend sensitive and younger readers beware. That said it was a great…

Book 118 of the Boxcar Children series. This was a fun simple mystery suitable for children of all ages. Albeit the theme continues to emphasize hard work, this book has less red herrings and was a little more written for the younger reader in mind. It was well done and the only minor complaint I…

Book 6 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The only thing missing from this one was the spooky prophecy and something world ending. But if you think that it can’t be a good book, you’d be wrong. Percy survives danger and chases yet another impossible deadline. This is the first Percy Jackson I have read…