Kindle First

[Manabi]

I went with Venom and Vanilla too. It sounds interesting, although I don't see me reading it anytime soon. (At best I'll wait till the rest are out.)

Not sure why I get this feeling, because this month's seem fairly logical, but sometimes I swear Amazon just throws a dart a dartboard to pick the genre for these books.

[Wearever]

Lol ! I think that's how they pick them too Manabi .

I'm leaning towards It is Well , but will wait for more reviews to come in.

[Blossom]

I went with Venom and Vanilla.

Sent from my XT1528

[Wearever]

I decided on, It Is Well , after reading reviews.

[Barbara1955]

NONE!

[Josieb1]

Originally Posted by Wearever

I decided on, It Is Well , after reading reviews.

So did I but tbh I doubt I'll read it any time soon. I've never had a Kindle First book that either me or hubby really wanted and some months we just don't pick one.

[Wearever]

Originally Posted by Josieb1

So did I but tbh I doubt I'll read it any time soon. I've never had a Kindle First book that either me or hubby really wanted and some months we just don't pick one.

Some months I won't find a book I'll read either. I don't know when I'll get to this one though. I'll just keep it in the cloud for now.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

That easy an easy pick, urban fantasy it is for me this month. Start of a series as well that will stay in KU.

Finished Venom and Vanilla last night and it felt a little strange. Was going to only sample a little of it after I finished my last book, but decided to keep right on reading after only the first chapter. The book felt a little short, sometimes I wished it elaborated a lttle more. OTOH, it is a good thing that it is quite fast paced as it never made me yawn.

Here is what I liked about it:

Just like the blurp said most mythology is Greek. A welcome change from all those Lord of the Rings clones. There is no cut-scenes ( other than sleep or unconciesness ) as you pretty much all the time stay with the main character who is also narrating. There is some really nice snarks in the book - for example making fun of authors that use pen names instead of their real name.

What could have been better:

The book was too short, I want more of the story. Not really a con as that is true for virtually every book - you don't want them to end so you can enjoy reading it longer. The transition from not knowing how to do things to being an expert was rather quick. Granted it had to be though, as one dangerous situation blends with the next more dangerous situation without any time inbetween as breather. Urban fantasy? The urban was missing a little and the feel of the city was not recognizeable. If it wasn't for the mention of the Space Needle once, it could have been somewhere else than Seattle.

What was really viscous:

After finishing the book I wanted to jump immediately into the next one, but that won't be released until next year ... ( I will keep an eye out soon as it is released so that I can borrow and read it)

[badgoodDeb]

Hmmmm .... well, alright then. Rather than 'nothing', I'll give "Venom and Vanilla" a try! Thanks for the review.

[Wearever]

Thanks for your review DuckieTigger ! I don't normally read fantasy books, but if I see it on Prime Reading I'll give it a try based on your review.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Hmmmm .... well, alright then. Rather than 'nothing', I'll give "Venom and Vanilla" a try! Thanks for the review.

No, thank you for giving the book a try after my review when the blurp alone wasn't enough.

Originally Posted by Wearever

Thanks for your review DuckieTigger ! I don't normally read fantasy books, but if I see it on Prime Reading I'll give it a try based on your review.

I don't normally review books since it is so complicated when I am trying not to spoil anything. That leaves limited options to show why I enjoyed reading a book so much when talking about specifics is off the table.

Reading outside your regular genre can still be a good experience with the right book. If the writing is good, and the plot is good, and the pace is good then it matters little whether the hero / villian is a serial killer, an alien, a specop, or a nurse. It matters more how they interact and not who is doing it.

[Wearever]

I agree with you there , I usually read history, mystery , many of the stories can be either or.

[ATDrake]

Just a reminder that this will probably be the last day to pick up one of the monthly selections if you haven't already.

[Manabi]

This month's Kindle First selections are out, they are:

Ocean of Storms by Christopher Mari (Author), Jeremy K. Brown (Translator) [Genre: Science-Fiction Thriller]

In the near future, political tensions between the United States and China are at an all-time high. Then a catastrophic explosion on the moon cleaves a vast gash in the lunar surface, and the massive electromagnetic pulse it unleashes obliterates Earth’s electrical infrastructure. To plumb the depths of the newly created lunar fissure and excavate the source of the power surge, the feuding nations are forced to cooperate on a high-risk mission to return mankind to the moon.

Now, a diverse, highly skilled ensemble of astronauts—and a pair of maverick archaeologists plucked from the Peruvian jungle—will brave conspiracy on Earth and disaster in space to make a shocking discovery.

Ocean of Storms is an epic adventure that spans space and time as its heroes race to fulfill an ancient mission that may change the course of humanity’s future.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Ocean of Storms is inarguably entertaining, as fast-paced as it is far-reaching. In its opening pages, a disastrous calamity on the Moon leaves Earth hobbled, down but not out. Like Andy Weir’s The Martian—which I also admired—the story imagines a quickly assembled partnership between the US and Chinese space programs, which must mount a joint mission in short order and under emergency circumstances to address the crisis.

Much of the warmth and humanity of this book arises from the resulting interactions of this diverse ensemble cast of astronauts, taikonauts, and a couple of captivating archaeologists, who must overcome their mutual distrust as a matter of survival. Like the screaming momentum that propels this story forward, the crew’s group dynamic—charming, funny, emotional, and suspenseful—entertains, even as coauthors Christopher Mari and Jeremy K. Brown drop hints that a larger motive waits in the wings.

Partly a love letter to NASA’s long-abandoned Apollo missions, this ambitious novel bravely speculates about some of the most fundamental questions we can ask about ourselves. So what exactly opened up the enormous fissure on the Moon that triggers this story? While getting there to find out is at least half the fun, the answer will delight, possibly confound, and almost certainly surprise.

- Jason Kirk, Editor

Walk Into Silence by Susan McBride [Genre: Mystery]

A woman vanishes from a Texas town. Did she simply run off, or is something darker at play?

When Patrick Dielman shows up at Detective Jo Larsen’s desk insisting that his wife, Jenny, is missing, Jo wonders if it’s a case of a bored housewife running away.

But as she digs deeper into Jenny’s life, Jo learns that Dielman keeps a stranglehold on the family finances, down to the last nickel, and that Jenny’s first marriage dissolved following the death of her young son. By all accounts—including her doctor’s—she never recovered from the loss. Between a controlling husband, a tragic past, and a callous ex-husband, Jo can’t be sure if she should suspect foul play or accept that the woman may have wanted to disappear.

For Jo, whose own demons are shadowing her every step, finding Jenny becomes more than the typical protect-and-serve.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Two women form the core of Susan McBride’s Walk Into Silence: One missing. One tasked with finding her. Both damaged in unthinkable—yet believable—ways.

Detective Jo Larsen left Dallas seeking refuge in the small town of Plainfield, desperate to escape the pressure of her mother’s advancing dementia and her childhood memories of neglect and abuse. Jenny Dielman has made some escapes of her own, fleeing a traumatic childhood and an abusive marriage, but finally finds a safe haven, where she quietly grieves the loss of her six-year-old son.

Until one day Jenny just doesn’t return home from grocery shopping, leaving no note and no trace. Detective Larsen doesn’t believe Jenny would leave—damaged or not, she is a survivor.

This mystery kept me guessing on every page; I had to know what happened to Jenny. But what stopped me in my tracks and made me want to tell the world they must read this book were the portraits of these two women.

I felt as if I knew them. Their integrity, their pain, and ultimately their strength resonated with the power of relatability. Walk Into Silence is one of those remarkable reads that scratches at the edges of our shared psychology and exposes something so honest it is almost painful to look at.

- Jacque Ben-Zekry, Editor

The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland by Rebekah Crane [Genre: Contemporary Fiction]

According to sixteen-year-old Zander Osborne, nowhere is an actual place—and she’s just fine there. But her parents insist that she get out of her head—and her home state—and attend Camp Padua, a summer camp for at-risk teens.

Zander does not fit in—or so she thinks. She has only one word for her fellow campers: crazy. In fact, the whole camp population exists somewhere between disaster and diagnosis. There’s her cabinmate Cassie, a self-described manic-depressive-bipolar-anorexic. Grover Cleveland (yes, like the president), a cute but confrontational boy who expects to be schizophrenic someday, odds being what they are. And Bek, a charmingly confounding pathological liar.

But amid group “share-apy” sessions and forbidden late-night outings, unlikely friendships form, and as the Michigan summer heats up, the four teens begin to reveal their tragic secrets. Zander finds herself inextricably drawn to Grover’s earnest charms, and she begins to wonder if she could be happy. But first she must come completely unraveled to have any hope of putting herself back together again.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

I can’t think of one other book that has triggered the same mix of heartbreak, audible laughter, and outright adoration from both myself and my twelve-year-old daughter. Rebekah Crane’s wonderfully refreshing coming-of-age novel features rage, resilience, romance, and redemption—a rainbow of emotional registers that might be difficult to take in all at once if the book didn’t also offer so many riotously funny scenes along the way, precisely when they’re needed most.

In its opening pages, sixteen-year-old Zander Osborne is broken and lost, though the origins of her misery are unclear. Sent to a summer camp by her parents, she meets Cassie, who describes herself as a “manic-depressive-bipolar-anorexic.” And Grover Cleveland, healthy but with a family history of mental illness that motivates an array of charismatic habits and personality traits. And Bek, an often unintentionally hilarious pathological liar. Among these unlikely peers, Zander appears almost normal, even to herself, and as the summer progresses, these unforgettable characters develop a mutual friendship that evolves into much more than the sum of its parts.

So if you’re looking for a book that both adults and teens will cherish—a laugh-out-loud story with exquisite dialogue that portrays the healing powers of trust, courage, perseverance, and hope—look no further.

- Jason Kirk, Editor

The Food of Love by Amanda Prowse [Genre: Family Drama]

A loving mother. A perfect family. A shock wave that could shatter everything.

Freya Braithwaite knows she is lucky. Nineteen years of marriage to a man who still warms her soul and two beautiful teenage daughters to show for it: confident Charlotte and thoughtful Lexi. Her home is filled with love and laughter.

But when Lexi’s struggles with weight take control of her life, everything Freya once took for granted falls apart, leaving the whole family with a sense of helplessness that can only be confronted with understanding, unity and, above all, love.

In this compelling and heart-wrenching new work by bestselling author Amanda Prowse, one ordinary family tackles unexpected difficulties and discovers that love can find its way through life’s darkest moments.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Bestselling author Amanda Prowse’s stories introduce us to people we feel we already know—characters so relatable that we recognize in them our family and friends and sometimes ourselves. Then she puts them into heart-wrenching situations where their relationships are tested and their emotional boundaries pushed.

The Food of Love follows the journey of the Braithwaite family as they struggle to understand a disease that is literally eating away at their youngest daughter, Lexi. This tumultuous family drama begins with the discovery of Lexi’s anorexia and explores how the family battles with her life-threatening condition. When faced with a disease that seems, at times, insurmountable—a disease that has touched the lives of so many—this family’s bonds are stretched to the breaking point but never severed. I was particularly taken with the strength of this family’s connection and their unflinching love and support; what unites them is powerful, complicated, and universal.

I’m pleased so many readers will experience the magic of an Amanda Prowse novel for the very first time. I recommend you have your tissues at the ready and your book club on standby.

- Sammia Hamer, Editor

Nirzona (A Love Story) by Abidah El-Khalieqy (Author), Annie Tucker (Translator) [Genre: Literary Fiction]

When Sidan’s family and village are swept away in the 2004 tsunami that ravaged Indonesia, he rushes home to Aceh, leaving behind Yogyakarta, his studies, and his beloved, Firdaus. Interrupting their plan to marry, Sidan promises Firdaus he will soon return to her side so they can spend the rest of their lives together.

But the unimaginable scale of loss and the political and cultural complexities that ensnare the recovery make it impossible for Sidan to abandon his birthplace and the graves of his family. Stoked by his love for Firdaus and their shared devotion to the poetic beauty of Islam, Sidan remains in Aceh, doing everything in his power to help the survivors while keeping in close contact with his beloved.

In spirit Sidan and Firdaus are one, but in body they are distant. Theirs is a love bonded in

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Nirzona: A Love Story is a beautiful portrayal of the similarities between romantic love and religious faith. Sidan and Firdaus are young and in love, with plans to marry. But can their devotion reunite them after they are torn apart by the devastation of a tsunami?

The couple remain connected in their hearts even as they are divided by distance, keeping in touch through text messages. Inspired by the poetry of Islam, the two exchange elegant couplets memorable enough to keep their blossoming romance alive even when their phones go out of range. As he faces unimaginable horrors in the wake of destruction, Sidan is carried through by the powerful force of his love, sustained by the ballads that find him through his phone, always buoyed by the thought of his sweet Firdaus whispering unforgettable phrases in his ear. And just as they can always trust in their prayers, they can trust in one another.

The intensity and fervent hope of these two lovers’ words ring as true as a classic love song—so simple, yet so heartrending—and as they struggle to return to each other’s arms, they include the reader in the intimate beauty of their exchanges.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

Knight Kyle and the Magic Silver Lance (Adventures Beyond Dragon Mountain) by Oliver Pötzsch (Author), Sibylle Hammer (Illustrator), Lee Chadeayne (Translator) [Genre: Middle-Grade Chapter Book]

Welcome to Knight Kyle’s world!

Beyond the great forest and towering Dragon Mountain lies Fairyland, a land of elves and trolls, dragons and giants, magicians and fairies. And in one corner, Fairyland East, lives Knight Kyle.

Kyle’s great-grandfather once possessed a silver lance that, according to legend, gave its owner invincible power. The lance is now missing, and Kyle is always looking for it, but so are his worst enemies: the robber Rasputin and the evil magician Balduin.

Luckily, Kyle has the help of his friends, including Lady Constance (who is as brave as a dragon), Dragobert (who really is a dragon), Elf Aurin (whose harp playing, unfortunately, puts Kyle to sleep), and Prince Nepomuk (who protects his friends and his wardrobe at all times).

Almost every day they find themselves in a new amazing adventure…

This enchanting story by bestselling author Oliver Pötzsch is beautifully illustrated by Sibylle Hammer.

Illustrations can be viewed on certain Fire tablets and the free Kindle app for iOS and Android.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

After becoming a father, bestselling medieval thriller writer Oliver Pötzsch was inspired by his favorite part of parenthood: telling bedtime stories to his children. Encouraged by the look of wonder in his kids’ eyes, he invented far-off lands peopled with knights and ladies, threatened by invading hordes, and protected by fortresses and moats.

The result is Knight Kyle and the Magic Silver Lance, Oliver’s first book for children, and there’s something for everyone in this world of dragons and trolls, lances and armories. The whimsical language glints like the sunlight off Knight Kyle’s sword, with Sibylle Hammer’s vibrant illustrations bringing the action into full color. Readers will see themselves in the story, much as we all find ourselves in classics like The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. My favorite is Constance, the lady of the castle, who is always reading books at the top of her tower. This princess does more than just wait for her suitor to return from battle: she learned something from all those books—like how to get rid of chocolate-loving trolls!

So tonight before bedtime, I invite you and your family to experience this magical escape, beyond the great forest, over towering Dragon Mountain, to Fairyland East, land of raspberry soda and infinite possibilities.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

[badgoodDeb]

Oh! I hope she's okay.