The Mine by John A. Heldt

The Mine

by John A. Heldt

I received an ARC for an honest review.

Blurb: In May 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can't use, money he can't spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of Whirlaway, swing dancing, and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come

When I first received this book I put it on hold due to the fact I was sick. I am ashamed of myself for doing such because this book is amazing. I simply couldn't get enough of this WONDERFUL story. The Mine is the catalyst for change but not at all what the story is about. The story finds the college senior back in the forties. The depression still had a hold on the country so he got home the way most did in that day. Hoping the rails until he made it home to Seattle to live in a world that was forty years before he would be there. This was a simpler time before Pearl Harbor and the War.

Joel faces the challenges of knowing the future and being responsible for his actions that may or may not affect history. He falls in love and learns a lot about life and love.

This story is about human Nature and Love.

You would be doing yourself a great disservice if you don't read this book.

I give this book 5 Keys.. WONDERFUL!!

Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Eve and Adam 

by: Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

This book blew me out of the water. I picked it up based on the cover. I can hear my elementary librarian fussing at me as I type this. Don't judge a book by it's cover. It's so hard not to though because in this day and age of digital imaging you can easily make whatever cover you want and this one captured me. Not to mention the names of the two authors. I love their books so it was a no brainier. 
The story line is original and the things that happen make you hope that this won't or isn't really happening somewhere. Eve and Solo are the two we follow throughout this book. They have a shared past that neither relied and they become great friends because of similar reasons. Solo knows a lot about Eve and especially Eve's mom who is this scientist with a god complex literally. Eve finds out about herself things she simply wasn't expecting. Solo has to face a tough choice. Eve's best friend is in some serious trouble too all because of a boy. If only to make things more complex an unexpected guy enters the story. 
I won't give anything else away. However if you are looking for something new and different pick this book up and enjoy. 

The Thief by C.L.Stone

The Thief

By C.L.Stone

The Thief is C.L Stone's is the first book in her new series. The Scarab Beetle Series. There is some cross over in the story mentioning the characters from her SongBird Series.

This story works on the principal that Wil's sister is the girl (bird) in this book that gets picked up by a different group of Academy guys. She's strong willed and determined to do what she wants, when she wants. It follows the same formula as her other series. That the girl should have to choose just one guy. She makes out with several of the guys. Sharing a bed with three of them and flirting with Corey whose twin brother outs him for being gay.

This book is not one I would recommend to the younger teen readers. The sexual context is definitely up there. There are implied themes of polygamy and a girl who does end up having sex with a total stranger.

The violence level in this book is medium with drug, gang and murder themes being present.

While I must admit C.L. Stone definitely knows how to spin a story and keep the audience entertained. This story is definitely not on a good moral level and should probably be New Adult book verses a teen novel.

Christian Perspective this gets 1 key.

Writing evaluation is 4 keys. 

As Always keep reading ... The Booker

13 Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes

by: Maureen Johnson

The story goes a little something like this. Seventeen year old Ginny Blackstone receives a little blue envelope from her deceased Wander lust filled aunt. Her aunt is very unreliable and not a good example of how to live life. However she's decided to send her teen niece on a trip traipsing through Europe. The parents are completely lacking in this book. Normally I just shrug off the absent parents in YA books but, this book has Ginny traveling with no extra money, no cell phone, or communication with people from the US. She's to go with only a backpack and these letters written with instructions to go do random task while traveling through Europe. Two of them have Ginny meeting random guys. She almost ends up in a date rape situation. She gets mugged and eventually does get robbed of all her possessions. She then has to call her aunts random “friend” to get help getting back to England. Only to discover that her aunts art is now worth tons of money.

1^st problem- No parental guidance for a seventeen year old.

2^nd she has to meet up with strange men she doesn't know and puts herself in very unsafe situations.

3^rd problem- She starts doing these seemingly meaningful task only to discover they have no meaning.

4^th stranger danger- The Author makes this into a cute romance but doesn't think that this could inspire others to go on such adventures which would be seriously dangerous.

The sexual content of this book is very small. Ginny is a virgin and does a little kissing. She does spend the night with a guy but nothing sexual happens.

Violence – is very low. She almost gets mugged, raped and she does get robbed but it's glossed over very well.

This book over all would have been better written as a college age adventure with someone older and a little wiser.

I give this book 3 out of 5 keys.

As always happy reading... The Booker.

Fresh Start!!

So I'm starting a NEW BLOG...

I kept asking myself do I want to get back into book blogging

after last time? The answer is YES!!! I love reading and I have tons of thoughts and reviews to share. The difference this time is

I'm going to be reading for me. I'll take on a solicited review here and there but mostly. I'll be choosing the books and telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth about the books.

Do you want me to review your book?

That depends is it good? Would you be okay if a reviewer told you exactly what she thought? If you want sugary nice nice reviews head else where. Here I'm going to tell it how I see it.

I'm also going to be helping parents, teachers, and others out by adding info about the book such as sexual content, violence, and the age levels I recommend.

As always you're welcome to solicit me for reviews and I'll let you know if I have time to give you my take.

Thanks.... The Prison Guard..