Follow Darlene's book nook Follow Darlene's Book Nook Follow Darlene's book nookFollow Darlene's book nookFollow Darlene's book nookFollow Darlene's book nookFollow Darlene's book nookFollow Darlene's book nookFollow Darlene's book nookFollow Darlene's book nookFollow Darlene's book nook

OPEN GIVEAWAYS

None at this time. Check back soon!

Monday, August 27, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.


I'm reading: 

Something from my dusty bookshelf. I gotta admit, I'm struggling with this one. It's very technical and detailed. I know the series is hugely popular, so it pains me that I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought that I would but I'm determined to finish it!!

TITLE: Deja Dead
SERIES: Temperance Brennan, Book #1
AUTHOR: Kathy Reichs
PUBLISHER: Pocket Books
PUBLICATION DATE: October 23, 2007 (first published 1997)
FORMAT: Paperback, 10th Anniversary Edition
LENGTH: 416 pages
GENRE: Mystery
ISBN: 9781416570981
Her life is devoted to justice—for those she never even knew.

In the year since Temperance Brennan left behind a shaky marriage in North Carolina, work has often preempted her weekend plans to explore Quebec. When a female corpse is discovered meticulously dismembered and stashed in trash bags, Tempe detects an alarming pattern—and she plunges into a harrowing search for a killer. But her investigation is about to place those closest to her—her best friend and her own daughter—in mortal danger. . . .


Not only am I a first generation Canadian, but immigration is my profession. 

PUBLISHER: Caitlin Press
PUBLICATION DATE: February 7, 2017
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 216 pages
GENRE: Nonfiction
ISBN: 9781987915341
Edited by Miriam Matejova, Wherever I Find Myself is a diverse collection of stories about the joys and struggles of immigrant women living in Canada. Often bringing with them the shadow of war and the guilt of leaving, the women in this new anthology expose their emotional pain but also their gratitude for being able to call Canada home. Their stories paint touching and charming portraits of cultural and linguistic misunderstandings, bureaucratic hurdles, attempts to navigate unfamiliar landscapes, and a desire to be accepted despite differences in accent, skin colour, or taste in food. Together they form a mosaic of emotions and world-views that underline the immigrant condition for women.

A yellow dress with ruffles, a kind Grade 1 teacher with a surname that’s difficult to spell, cockroaches in the bathroom, the contempt of strangers, and Whitney Houston on the radio–a Filipino woman recalls her experience as a six-year-old immigrant in a ghetto in Mississauga in the 80s. Browsing through a Polish fashion magazine at a European deli, a woman sees herself in an alternative universe of what her life might have been had she never immigrated to Canada. A same-sex couple moves from Minnesota to Ontario to find refuge for their love, but first they must drive a seventeen-foot truck through a blizzard and make it through the frustrating net of Canadian bureaucracy. In search of her origins, a Jewish woman travels to her birthplace in Passau, Germany. There, among rows of European picturesque houses and foreign tombstones of a Jewish cemetery, she finds no memories, only the shadow of Hitler and the ghosts of her parents.

Through these stories of courage, aloneness, and hope, new and established writers reach out to both immigrants and those whose families long ago ceased to identify with the immigrant label. Through their struggles and, at times, endearingly critical looks at Canada, they remind us that many of our perceived divisions are nothing but artificial creations of mind and that all of us are past, current, or potential immigrants.

I completed a nine-week course with a group of people, which featured DVD Study sessions and a Participant Guide with study questions (homework!) for discussion each week. The book is a lot to digest, and I'm still reading it in chunks.

PUBLISHER: Zondervan
PUBLICATION DATE: November 2, 1992
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 314 pages
GENRE: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self-Help
ISBN: 9780310585909
Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances -- Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions -- Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others -- Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God's will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator -- Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: - Can I set limits and still be a loving person? - What are legitimate boundaries? - What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? - How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? - Aren't boundaries selfish? - Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically-based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. We are loving this series! It just gets better and better!

SERIES: Warriors, Book #5
AUTHOR: Erin Hunter
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2015 (first published 2004)
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 368 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780062367006
Join the legion of fans who have made Erin Hunter's Warriors series a #1 national bestseller--with new editions featuring a striking new look! More thrilling fantasy, fierce warrior cats, and epic adventures await in Warriors #5: A Dangerous Path.

ShadowClan has chosen Tigerclaw as their new leader, and Fireheart fears that this old enemy still harbors dark plans for vengeance on his former Clan. A mysterious threat has invaded the forest, placing every cat's life in peril. And Fireheart's beloved leader has turned her back on their warrior ancestors. Fireheart can't help but wonder if she's right--has StarClan abandoned them forever?

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. This series is picking up and getting better!

TITLE: The Burning
SERIES: Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Book #6
AUTHOR: Kathryn Lasky
PUBLISHER: Scholastic, Inc.
PUBLICATION DATE: November 1, 2004
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 224 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780439405621
A great battle is on the horizon and drawing near. In preparation, Soren and his band must fly to the mysterious Northern Kingdoms to find allies and study the grim art of war.

Meanwhile, St. Aggie's has fallen to the Pure Ones. If they are not stopped, they will launch another, more deadly attack against the great tree. And without allies from the north, Ga'Hoole will surely fall. Soren's mission must succeed. And the final battle must be won. The coming conflagration will demand wisdom, bravery, and sacrifice from all the owls of the great tree, and from Soren and the band, nothing less the heroism.

I'm listening to:

Something from Overdrive - one of my holds came in. It's a 2018 YA debut.

SERIES: Sky in the Deep, Book #1
AUTHOR: Adrienne Young
NARRATOR: Khristine Hvam
PUBLISHER: Macmillan Young Listeners
PUBLICATION DATE: April 24, 2018
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 8 hrs and 40 mins
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9781427296986
Seventeen-year-old Eelyn’s world is war. Raised to fight alongside her Aska clansmen in a generations-old blood feud against the Riki, her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki if she wants to make it back to the fjord after the thaw. But when she begins to see herself in the people she's been taught to hate, the world Eelyn once knew begins to crumble. And after the village is raided by a ruthless clan many believe to be a myth, Eelyn is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend who has tried more than once to kill her. Together, they must end the blood feud between their clans or watch their people be slaughtered.

A lush, Viking-age inspired fantasy about loyalty, forgiveness, and the definition of family.

I just finished:

AUTHOR: Tananarive Due
NARRATOR: Robin Miles
PUBLISHER: Recorded Books
PUBLICATION DATE: July 9, 2004 (first published 2003)
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 21 hrs and 37 mins
GENRE: Horror
ASIN: B002V0TJP4
Tananarive Due, author of The Living Blood won the American Book Award and is praised as Stephen King's equal by Publishers Weekly. In The Good House, Due sets a story of ancient powers and modern retribution in a small Pacific Northwest town. When a young woman returns to her grandmother's empty mansion, she is pitted against demonic forces that have poisoned her family for generations.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these books and, if so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments and, if you are also participating in this meme, leave me a link to your blog post so that I can stop by!

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Stacking The Shelves and Sunday Post



This meme is hosted by Tynga over at Team Tynga's Reviews, which she describes as follows:

"Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!"




Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme


One down and one to go!

I finished the painting in my older daughter's bedroom. As you can see here, the ceilings are back to white and the colour she chose is a bluish-grey which contrasts nicely with the silver blackout curtains (yeah, I know, they need to be pressed - LOL! I just wanted to get them hung up to see what they looked like):



After finishing off that bedroom, I rented a lakefront cottage for a few days and my older daughter invited a friend along. We stopped at this remote beach on the way there and back, which was very nice and deserted:



And here was the view from our cottage. I really should have taken more pics in the daylight:







It was a great little getaway, and we enjoyed canoeing, kayaking, and paddle-boating. It was so nice to be totally unplugged. Even though I really didn't get much reading in at all, it was great to spend time soaking up the sun and having fun with the kids! I've always been a water-baby, and I'm totally in my element at the beach. I found it very calming.

Today, I am starting the painting on my younger daughter's bedroom!


I bought a couple more audiobooks at Audible's 2-for-1 sale - more new to me authors to try:


The Sound of Glass
by Karen White


Northern Lights
by Nora Roberts


I received this audiobook for review:


Heart on Fire
by Amanda Bouchet
(Kingmaker Chronicles, Book #3)

Thanks again, Recorded Books!


Recap: Last Week On The Blog




Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees




What books have you added to your shelves this week? If you are also participating in either of these memes, please leave me the link to your blog post in the comments so that I can come and drool over all your goodies!

Wednesday, August 22, 2018

#Book #Review: 5 out of 5 stars for Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie @agathachristie @Pocket_Books

AUTHOR: Agatha Christie
PUBLISHER: Pocket Books
PUBLICATION DATE: September 3, 1982 (first published 1939)
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 173 pages
GENRE: Mystery, Classics
ISBN: 0671467212 
Considered the best mystery novel ever written by many readers, And Then There Were None is the story of 10 strangers, each lured to Indian Island by a mysterious host. Once his guests have arrived, the host accuses each person of murder. Unable to leave the island, the guests begin to share their darkest secrets--until they begin to die. 
MY RATING:

Why have I waited so long to try Agatha Christie?! I absolutely loved this book and need to read more of her!

A group of people, unknown to each other, have been invited to Indian Island all for different reasons. Strangely, none of the individuals personally know the presumed owner but somehow that doesn't stop any of them from making the journey, first by train and then by boat. The members of the group are all strangers to one another, except for the husband/wife duo who are the hosts and act as butler and cook. A framed nursery rhyme of The Ten Little Indians hangs over the fireplace, which is an important piece of the story. After the first evening's dinner, the guests find out the real reason why they are all there. A recording addresses the guests and names them one by one, with accusations of each one being responsible for having killed or causing the death of someone. The guests think it is preposterous and a sick joke until, one by one, they are bumped off.

Wow, this book deserves ten stars! What a clever mystery!! I loved the isolated setting, and the suspense and anxiety that built up as each person because suspicious of the others and the fear of who would be killed next.

This is my first Christie novel, but it won't be my last!

5 stars!! It was superb, and I loved it. I will likely reread it. You should definitely put it on your TBR if you enjoy mysteries!

This book qualifies as:

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees @AlyssaWees @DelacortePress

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.


Here is this week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

AUTHOR: Alyssa Wees 
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: March 12, 2019
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 304 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780525581161
Pan's Labyrinth meets The Hazel Wood in this novel about a girl with terrifying visions and a wish-granting witch whose lives collide in the most unexpected of ways.

The waking forest has secrets. To Rhea, it appears like a mirage, dark and dense, at the very edge of her backyard. But when she reaches out to touch it, the forest vanishes. She's desperate to know more--until she finds a peculiar boy who offers to reveal its secrets. If she plays a game.

To the Witch, the forest is her home, where she sits on her throne of carved bone, waiting for dreaming children to beg her to grant their wishes. One night, a mysterious visitor arrives and asks her what she wishes for, but the Witch sends him away. And then the uninvited guest returns.

The strangers are just the beginning. Something is stirring in the forest, and when Rhea's and the Witch's paths collide, a truth more treacherous and deadly than either could ever imagine surfaces. But how much are they willing to risk to survive?

I have my eye on this YA debut! Isn't that cover just gorgeous?


What are you waiting on? Please leave a comment in the section below. If you participate in this meme, please leave a link so I can visit your blog!

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Authors to Pull You Out of a Reading Slump #TopTenTuesday


This is a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

The topic for today's list is:


Books To Pull You Out of a Reading Slump

I'm going to tweak this one a bit. Rather than specific books, I'm going to name my go-to authors when I'm in a reading slump.


  1. Dean Koontz: I love scary books, and Koontz usually delivers. I find that his books really mess with you psychologically, because it could actually happen. I definitely prefer his older books.
  2. M.C. Beaton: Sometimes, I just need something light-hearted and funny and Beaton's Agatha Raisin series for me fits the bill. I always know what I'm getting, which is a cozy mystery with a man-crazy woman who sometimes is a bit over the top! But that's what I love about Aggie.
  3. Chevy Stevens: If I'm looking for a suspenseful mystery, this Canadian author is right up there in my top three. I love everything I've read from her so far.
  4. Ruth Ware: Ditto for this author. Lots of suspense and keeps me reading.
  5. J.R. Ward: Her Black Dagger Brotherhood series was my first experience reading Paranormal Romances, and I love the Brothers. After 15 books in this series, I feel like I know them!
  6. Anne Bishop: Her The Others series is fantastic. If you enjoy urban fantasy, I recommend her. The worldbuilding is top-notch and her otherworldly creatures are fantastic.
  7. Patricia Briggs: I'm a big fan of her Mercy Thompson series. It's another great series if you enjoy urban fantasy with witches, vamps, and shifters. I need to get back to this series!
  8. Jeaniene Frost: I am loving her Night Huntress series. I love Cat & Bones, and it's another great PNR series.
  9. Cynthia Hand: This author is a recent discovery for me. I devoured her Unearthly series, a YA urban fantasy with angels. Warning though, it could actually give you a book hangover because it's THAT GOOD!!
  10. Debbie Macomber: I'm a sucker for her holiday romances. If you are feeling blue, you need to pick up one of her holiday books and you'll be pining for snow and counting the days to Christmas!


So, what are your favourite books or authors to pull you out of a reading slump? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!

Monday, August 20, 2018

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.


I'm reading: 

Something from my dusty bookshelf. I love the TV show, so I hope that I love the series as well.

TITLE: Deja Dead
SERIES: Temperance Brennan, Book #1
AUTHOR: Kathy Reichs
PUBLISHER: Scribner
PUBLICATION DATE: October 23, 2007 (first published 1997)
FORMAT: Paperback, 10th Anniversary Edition
LENGTH: 416 pages
GENRE: Mystery
ISBN: 9781416570981
Her life is devoted to justice—for those she never even knew.

In the year since Temperance Brennan left behind a shaky marriage in North Carolina, work has often preempted her weekend plans to explore Quebec. When a female corpse is discovered meticulously dismembered and stashed in trash bags, Tempe detects an alarming pattern—and she plunges into a harrowing search for a killer. But her investigation is about to place those closest to her—her best friend and her own daughter—in mortal danger. . . .


Not only am I a first generation Canadian, but immigration is my profession. 

PUBLISHER: Caitlin Press
PUBLICATION DATE: February 7, 2017
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 216 pages
GENRE: Nonfiction
ISBN: 9781987915341
Edited by Miriam Matejova, Wherever I Find Myself is a diverse collection of stories about the joys and struggles of immigrant women living in Canada. Often bringing with them the shadow of war and the guilt of leaving, the women in this new anthology expose their emotional pain but also their gratitude for being able to call Canada home. Their stories paint touching and charming portraits of cultural and linguistic misunderstandings, bureaucratic hurdles, attempts to navigate unfamiliar landscapes, and a desire to be accepted despite differences in accent, skin colour, or taste in food. Together they form a mosaic of emotions and world-views that underline the immigrant condition for women.

A yellow dress with ruffles, a kind Grade 1 teacher with a surname that’s difficult to spell, cockroaches in the bathroom, the contempt of strangers, and Whitney Houston on the radio–a Filipino woman recalls her experience as a six-year-old immigrant in a ghetto in Mississauga in the 80s. Browsing through a Polish fashion magazine at a European deli, a woman sees herself in an alternative universe of what her life might have been had she never immigrated to Canada. A same-sex couple moves from Minnesota to Ontario to find refuge for their love, but first they must drive a seventeen-foot truck through a blizzard and make it through the frustrating net of Canadian bureaucracy. In search of her origins, a Jewish woman travels to her birthplace in Passau, Germany. There, among rows of European picturesque houses and foreign tombstones of a Jewish cemetery, she finds no memories, only the shadow of Hitler and the ghosts of her parents.

Through these stories of courage, aloneness, and hope, new and established writers reach out to both immigrants and those whose families long ago ceased to identify with the immigrant label. Through their struggles and, at times, endearingly critical looks at Canada, they remind us that many of our perceived divisions are nothing but artificial creations of mind and that all of us are past, current, or potential immigrants.

I completed a nine-week course with a group of people, which featured DVD Study sessions and a Participant Guide with study questions (homework!) for discussion each week. The book is a lot to digest, and I'm still reading it in chunks.

PUBLISHER: Zondervan
PUBLICATION DATE: November 2, 1992
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 314 pages
GENRE: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self-Help
ISBN: 9780310585909
Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances -- Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions -- Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others -- Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God's will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator -- Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: - Can I set limits and still be a loving person? - What are legitimate boundaries? - What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? - How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? - Aren't boundaries selfish? - Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically-based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. We are loving this series! It just gets better and better!

SERIES: Warriors, Book #5
AUTHOR: Erin Hunter
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
PUBLICATION DATE: March 17, 2015 (first published 2004)
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 368 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780062367006
Join the legion of fans who have made Erin Hunter's Warriors series a #1 national bestseller--with new editions featuring a striking new look! More thrilling fantasy, fierce warrior cats, and epic adventures await in Warriors #5: A Dangerous Path.

ShadowClan has chosen Tigerclaw as their new leader, and Fireheart fears that this old enemy still harbors dark plans for vengeance on his former Clan. A mysterious threat has invaded the forest, placing every cat's life in peril. And Fireheart's beloved leader has turned her back on their warrior ancestors. Fireheart can't help but wonder if she's right--has StarClan abandoned them forever?

Another one from my dusty bookshelf, which I am reading aloud to my younger daughter. This series is picking up and getting better!

TITLE: The Burning
SERIES: Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Book #6
AUTHOR: Kathryn Lasky
PUBLISHER: Scholastic, Inc.
PUBLICATION DATE: November 1, 2004
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 224 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780439405621
A great battle is on the horizon and drawing near. In preparation, Soren and his band must fly to the mysterious Northern Kingdoms to find allies and study the grim art of war.

Meanwhile, St. Aggie's has fallen to the Pure Ones. If they are not stopped, they will launch another, more deadly attack against the great tree. And without allies from the north, Ga'Hoole will surely fall. Soren's mission must succeed. And the final battle must be won. The coming conflagration will demand wisdom, bravery, and sacrifice from all the owls of the great tree, and from Soren and the band, nothing less the heroism.

I'm listening to:

Something from my Audible library.

AUTHOR: Tananarive Due
NARRATOR: Robin Miles
PUBLISHER: Recorded Books
PUBLICATION DATE: July 9, 2004 (first published 2003)
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 21 hrs and 37 mins
GENRE: Horror
ASIN: B002V0TJP4
Tananarive Due, author of The Living Blood won the American Book Award and is praised as Stephen King's equal by Publishers Weekly. In The Good House, Due sets a story of ancient powers and modern retribution in a small Pacific Northwest town. When a young woman returns to her grandmother's empty mansion, she is pitted against demonic forces that have poisoned her family for generations.

I just finished:

TITLE: On the Island
SERIES: On the Island, Book #1
AUTHOR: Tracey Garvis Graves
PUBLISHER: Plume (Penguin)
PUBLICATION DATE: July 17, 2012 (first published 2011)
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 328 pages
GENRE: Romance/Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780142196724
Two people stranded on an island struggle to survive—and slowly fall in love—in the runaway New York Times bestseller from the author of the forthcoming novel Covet.

Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher desperately in need of adventure. Worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that’s going nowhere, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring sixteen-year-old T.J.

T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. His cancer is in remission and he wants to get back to his normal life. But his parents are insisting he spend the summer in the Maldives catching up on all the school he missed last year.

Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahan’s summer home, and as they fly over the Maldives’ twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens. Their plane crashes in shark-infested waters. They make it to shore, but soon discover that they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.

At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

TITLE: The Shattering
SERIES: Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Book #5
AUTHOR: Kathryn Lasky
PUBLISHER: Scholastic, Inc.
PUBLICATION DATE: August 1, 2004
FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 176 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy
ISBN: 9780439405614
Soren's sister, Eglantine, is falling under the spell of a strange nightly dream. Then, just as Soren notices her trancelike state, Eglantine disappears, and the dreams become a deadly waking nightmare that puts the Great Tree of Ga'Hoole in terrible danger. Soren must lead the Chaw of Chaws to rescue his sister. Thus begins the next battle between the owls of Ga'Hoole and the evil Pure Ones, deep in the treacherous territory known as The Beaks, where a raging forest fire will prove the greatest danger to the rescuers-and their best hope for victory.

SERIES: The Messy Man, Book #1
AUTHOR: Chris Sorensen
NARRATOR: Chris Sorensen
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
PUBLICATION DATE: May 29, 2018
FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook
LENGTH: 6 hrs and 32 mins
GENRE: Horror
ASIN: B07CZ4T4T6
A boy in a basement, a man in a booth and a darkness that threatens to swallow them both...

New York audiobook narrator Peter Larson and his wife Hannah head to his hometown of Maple City to help Peter's ailing father and to put a recent tragedy behind them. Though the small, Midwestern town seems the idyllic place to start afresh, Peter and Hannah will soon learn that evil currents flow beneath its surface.

They move into an old farmhouse on the outskirts of town—a house purchased by Peter's father at auction and kept secret until now—and start to settle into their new life.

But as Peter sets up his recording studio in a small basement room, disturbing things begin to occur—mysterious voices haunt audio tracks, malevolent shadows creep about the house. And when an insidious presence emerges from the woodwork, Peter must face old demons in order to save his family and himself.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these books and, if so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments and, if you are also participating in this meme, leave me a link to your blog post so that I can stop by!
Copyright 2012 Darlene's Book Blog Design by Parajunkee Design