The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

A brief bit from the author's website:

Macy’s summer stretches before her, carefully planned and outlined. She will spend her days sitting at the library information desk. She will spend her evenings studying for the SATs. Spare time will be used to help her obsessive mother prepare for the big opening of the townhouse section of her luxury development. But Macy’s plans don’t anticipate a surprising and chaotic job with Wish Catering, a motley crew of new friends, or … Wes. Tattooed, artistic, anything-but-expected Wes. He doesn’t fit Macy’s life at all–so why does she feel so comfortable with him? So … happy? What is it about him that makes her let down her guard and finally talk about how much she misses her father, who died before her eyes the year before? Sarah Dessen delivers a page-turning novel that carries readers on a roller coaster of denial, grief, comfort, and love as we watch a broken but resilient girl pick up the pieces of her life and fit them back together.

My Take:

I picked this book up towards the end of summer and thought maybe it would be a way to usher the summer out and fall in.  Loved the characters in this book!  Especially those on the more quirky side.  The grief that Macy is carrying around with her every day was so huge, but she didn't see the elephant (of her grief) strapped to her back.  Watching the love between she and Wes develop was wonderful.  It was like a gift that eased the burden of all of that grief and made it all more manageable.  I think so often we go through life thinking we can manage it all, no matter how great the weight.  It was nice to see her grow in the end to realize that it's not so bad to need to lean on someone at times.  I'm giving this one 5 sawoony kisses!  Oh, and tomorrow is my birthday!!  Woo hoo!!

Pretend You Love Me by Julie Anne Peters

Here's a brief bit from the author's webpage:

In this fresh, poignant novel, Mike is struggling to come to terms with her father's suicide and her mother's detachment from the family. Mike (real name: Mary Elizabeth) is gay and likes to pump iron, play softball, and fix plumbing. When a glamorous new girl, Xanadu, arrives in Mike's small Kansas town, Mike falls in love at first sight. Xanadu is everything Mike is not —cool, confident, feminine, sexy.... straight.
Julie Anne Peters has written a heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful novel that will speak to anyone who has ever fallen in love with someone who can't love them back.
National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters has written a compelling novel about coming out, finding love, and discovering your place in the world. Alyssa's story will speak to anyone who has known the joy and pain of first love and the struggle to start over again.

My Take:

I liked this book and always appreciate the fact that there are love stories out there for the LGBT community.  Ms. Peters books are always well written and great stories.  Mike Szabo falls in love with Xanadu, the new girl in town.  I started to find it frustrating that Mike kept trying to force the relationship between she and Xanadu.  I understand how difficult and frustrating it must be to love someone that will never love you back in the way that you would like them to.  The characters were great, very real and I absolutely loved Mike's friend, Jamie.  I would recommend this book and am giving it 4 chaste kisses!

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

A short blurb about the book from it's goodreads page:

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

My thoughts:

Okay, I read this book awhile back.  I've been terrible about updating this blog.  However, I will say that this book really stuck with me.  I loved it from page one.  My fingers flew to turn the page.  It was suspensful and just a great story all the way around.  There were times that the descriptions got to be a bit much, but I really did love this book.  I can't wait to read the other books in this series.  I'm giving this one 4 1/2 air kisses (since Juliette can't touch anyone).  :)

A Golden Light Anthology's Blog Tour!

 

Chamberton Publishing Proudly Presents

A Golden Light Anthology 5 Book Collection!

Thank you so much for hosting me on A Golden Light Anthology's Blog Tour! I'm so glad to be here and present to all of you our brand new releases! A Golden Light Anthology 5 Book Collection has been such a special project and I'm thrilled to be able to introduce the books to all of you.

A 5 book collections means that there is a book for just about every taste, too - from science fiction and fantasy to historical fiction, a young adult anthology, a children's anthology, and our Christian anthology. All are filled with some of the most talented authors around.  I'm sure you'll agree that A Golden Light Anthology series is something special.

Without further ado - the books!

*Don't miss the giveaway at the end of this post!*

A little about the books -

Gaslight: A Golden Light Anthology~

From the very first story by award winning author J.S. Dunn, to the last story in the anthology, readers will be swept away to various time periods with an array of characters - from ancient seafaring towns to the Ottoman Empire and everywhere in between. You'll find stories about World War I, The Civil War, and even a fantastic steampunk story - all wrapped up in Gaslight: A Golden Light Anthology.

Gaslight is an eclectic array of historical short stories that includes historical, historical romance, historical fantasy, and so much more!

I have to add that the authors contributing to this anthology are without a doubt some of the best writers of historical fiction out there. Yes, I may be biased, but I believe it's true. I think you'll agree, though, and once you read their stories in Gaslight I'd like to encourage you to check out their other books. You won't be disappointed.

Limelight: A Golden Light Anthology features tales of new worlds and old worlds and worlds yet to be. These stories twist and turn with adventure, intrigue, and wonder. This anthology of short stories brings science fiction and fantasy out of the shadows and into the limelight.

Authors Edward W. Robertson, John Grover, James S. Dorr, Ela Lond, Sergio Palumbo, Larissa Hinton, Jessica B. Zeidler, Katy Huth Jones, Alexandra Baker, Catriel Ceballos, Domyelle Rhyse, and Bill Blume spin tales of old and new, of fantasy or alternate realities. These stories wrap around the future, the unknown, and the fantastic. You may be surprised at where they’ll lead…

Take my hand and step into the light with Limelight: A Golden Light Anthology.

Spotlight: A Golden Light Anthology features young adult stories of hope. Themes of rejection and forgiveness, of loss and triumph, of loneliness and friendships, of struggles and determination, of betrayal and overcoming, lace each story.

Authors Deborah Prum, Sarah Meira Rosenberg, T.K. Richardson, Alexandra Singer, Tucker Cummings, Lynda Lee Schab, Jason Hinz, Carmen Tudor, and Lisa Marie Lopez offer stories grounded in reality or sprinkled with fantasy, but feature main characters that face real issues – issues that are often hidden in the darkness.

Step out of the shadows and into the light with Spotlight: A Golden Light Anthology.


  

Nightlight: A Golden Light Anthology 

Do you remember those nights when you switched on your nightlight or flashlight and read books under the covers?

How about those memories of your mom, dad, or grandma reading your favorite story over and over again?

Yes, the sweet events of childhood that stay with us forever...

Nightlight: A Golden Light Anthology wishes to create these memories for the children of today. Filled with colorful images and stories that are both exciting and sweet, this anthology of children's bedtime stories is sure to leave a lasting impression. 

Stories of fairies and wizards, of summer camp and family vacations, and stories of family and friends fill this children's book. Imagine spending that extra few minutes reading to your child right before they drift off to sleep. Or letting them read Nightlight themselves while you listen to them.

The memories you share together will last a lifetime, encourage literacy, a love of reading, and most importantly you'll set aside that special time at the end of the day - when work and play are done - to just be together.

That's how I envision children reading Nightlight and that was the intention compiling this children's anthology. The stories, and the authors contributing to this ebook, are hands down some of the very best.

I hope you'll get a copy, switch on the nightlight, and read it with your child.

Lamplight: A Golden Light Anthology is filled with stories and poems of faith. From the very first selection by author Seth D. Clarke to the final poem titled Benediction by David Andrews, this Christian anthology reaches in and touches the heart, inspires faith, and is filled with hope.

  We live in a tumultuous world. The evening news is filled with more bad than good. War, hunger, and loss seem to be the headlines and sometimes (or daily) we need that little bit of something that is good, that sees the darkness around us and shines a heavenly light on life.

And that's exactly what Lamplight does - it shines a light of faith and hope. The stories and poems in this anthology are real, are touching, are beautifully written, and fill that darkness with a ray of sunshine. They're not fluffy or preachy, but rather these stories and poems are uplifting.

The scripture that really inspired this anthology - "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path."

***

We hope you'll check them out!


Find our titles on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iPad, Copia,
Sony Reader, Kobo, and everywhere ebooks are sold. 

 

About Chamberton Publishing - 

Committed to excellence in book publishing, Chamberton believes the pillars of a society are founded on great literature and that each book leaves an indelible stepping stone for the future. We are currently focusing on publishing anthologies in a wide array of genres. Find our titles on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and everywhere books and ebooks are sold. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of new releases!

Get to know the authors - 

For a complete list of authors in A Golden Light Anthology we invite you to visit our website. You may find even more of their books that are just right for you! 




 




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