Running Wide Open (Full Throttle) by Lisa Nowak

Type: Novel
Genre: Fiction/YA
Price: $0.99
Grade: A


Cody is a damaged young man who has been let down by everyone he cared about, and he’s learned to just not care anymore. But he finally meets someone who doesn’t let him down, no matter how much Cody puts him through. And Cody finally learns what it feels like to be loved, and accepted, but no sooner does everything fall into place, then it all falls apart. Cody may lose everything, and he becomes a lost little boy again.

This is a touching story about dysfunctional families, teen angst, the importance of love and compassion, overcoming trauma, and race car driving. And believe me, you do not need to be a fan of racing (in fact you can be quite the opposite) to enjoy this story. The characters are richly developed and highly likable and the plot is exciting and believable. The writing style is easy but captivating, and though it is a stand-alone novel (meaning it follows a story arc, and has an actual ending instead of an annoying “cliff-hanger”) I was excited to find out that there is a sequel, and I feel that these characters have more of a story to tell.

Glimpse (Zellie Wells book 1) by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

Type: Novel
Genre: YA, paranormal
Price: Free when purchased, now $0.99
Grade: B+


A sweet, romantic story with an interesting paranormal twist. Teenagers Zellie and Avery have pined after each other for ages and when they experience their first kiss they finally seem to be getting everything they've wanted, until a recurring vision becomes troubling and leads to a whole slew of mysteries to unravel.
The paranormal twist in this story is unique, and not quite expected and makes this story definitely worth checking out. It is backed up by sweet, endearing teenage characters and a plot that though a bit slow and subtle at first, still draws you in and then becomes much quicker paced and more exciting.
An easy but entertaining read, and I look forward to reading the other two books in the series.
*Note, if you plan to read all three books in the series, consider buying the trilogy together, and you will save about a dollar. (I will be reviewing the other books as soon as I finish them!)

Alexander Death (The Paranormals Book 3) By JL Bryan

Type: Novel
Genre: Paranormal/YA
Price: $4.99
Grade: B


The third book in the Paranormals series takes us further into the lives of Jenny, Seth, Ashleigh, and the other paranormals in their epic, centuries long battle. This book gets even darker than the others, and for a while it isn’t clear where our allegiances are supposed to lie, and who we are supposed to be rooting for, but after many twists and turns, it all becomes clear in the end.

This book is a satisfying conclusion to the series and you’ll leave it glad you read them, and glad to know the characters who have developed so thoroughly throughout the three books. This series has been an interesting twist on the “teens with special powers” idea and I found it new and refreshing.

Encrypted by Lindsay Buroker

Type: Novel
Genre: Fantasy/Action/Adventure/Steampunk
Price: $3.95
Grade: A+


A stand alone novel set in the same world as the Emperor's Edge series, this book will appeal to fantasy, sci-fi and puzzle fiends. With it's usal nail-biting action, fight scenes, mysteries to solve, and loveable characters, this is a book I'd recommend to anyone who has enjoyed Lindsay's work before, or anyone who hasn't.
Though it takes place chronologically before The Emperor's Edge, this book can be read at any point and enjoyed (even if you haven't read EE yet). We get to see some of the Kyatt islands, as well as get to know the peaceful and scientific Kyattese people and the stark contrast they pose with the Turgonians. This book has more elements of science fiction in it than most of Lindsay's books, but die hard fantasy fans will not find it displeasing.
And, if you need extra incentive, we get to see our favorite assassin as a teenager in this story (although that does not make him any less deadly) and find out the origins of his favorite black dagger.

First, a note about e-readers vs paper books

Let me start off by saying that I am a book purist. I revere books so much that even in college I refused to highlight, underline, or otherwise mark up a book; even a textbook I was paying out the nose for. It seemed sacrilegious to me to deface a book in any way. I also love old books, the way they smell, the feel of their papers, everything. I notice when a book uses a different type or quality of paper and often comment on type settings. Needless to say, when e-readers first came out, I knew I would never like one, would never want one, and hated the thought that paper books would get fazed out to be replaced by gadgets and electronics.

Then, I got a Kindle keyboard for my birthday 6 months ago. It was my wonderful husband's idea and my mother gladly helped, both being avid readers themselves. The most exciting part, was that it was the first time ever that I had a new gadget before those around me did. I felt special. And I've been hooked ever since.

The first thing I noticed was the screen itself, I couldn't believe how much like a printed page it looked. Reading electronically on a back lit screen is nearly impossible for me, but this was as easy on my sensitive eyes as reading a book! I also liked the weight, by the end of the day holding up a book, especially a large trade paperback or hardcover was very daunting, and tremors in my tired hands would make it seem like I was reading in an earthquake, but I had none of those issues with the kindle (though I do occasionally hit myself in the face when reading while lying down. I never claimed to be graceful). And thirdly, what really sealed the deal for me was the vast library of books Amazon has for the Kindle, and they were all at my disposal. Books I had been searching for in book stores for months I could find in seconds. And even more impressive is the amount of free books that are available on the Kindle. Many books I enjoy are public domain, but what I did not expect was how many new, contemporary books were available for free.
In the 6 months I have had the Kindle I have read quite a lot of these free novels and short stories, focusing mainly on newer fiction and I have been so impressed (mostly in a good way, but not always) by the quality of these works, that I have decided to start this blog, something I have never had any inclination to do before. I do still read mainstream books, both electronically and in paper copies (I could never give up my paper books) I will not be reviewing them for the most part, they have enough people talking about their works, they do not need another. I'd rather give props to the independent writers to whom every single reader's opinion counts.

I plan to list a few stats about every book; if it is a novel, short story or collection of short stories, how much I paid for it (many free books are only free temporarily, and often I will purchase others in a series if the first book is free and I enjoy it) if there are obvious typos (I find it Very distracting when reading if there are obvious typos; however, small things like missing a space is often not the authors fault and I will not mention these), genre, and an overall rating based on a school grading system (A for best, F for worst, etc.) to help encourage others to read something, or not waste their time. I encourage any questions, comments or suggestions.