Sassinak - Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Moon

 Born on a colony world, Sassinak was no stranger to a life full of discipline and the dangers of the universe.  But learning about it and living through it are very different things.  When she was twelve, the slavers came and her world was completely turned upside down.  But her spirit would not be broken and she would learn what true grit she had in her.

This book spans almost the whole life of the character Sassinak.  From her early childhood and being taken to growing up as a slave, freedom and changing into adulthood and "making it" as a fleet officer.  In true 70's/80's sci-fi style, this book has a little bit of everything, grit, fighting, political intrigue and coming of age in space.

I enjoyed this one.  I have a soft spot for Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon and surprisingly hadn't read this one yet even though it's been collecting dust on my self for decades. It's book one of a trilogy and I look forward to digging into the next ones.

We'd Know By Then - Kirsten Bohling

A monochrome world where everyone sees in black and white until you meet your soulmate.  Brighton Evans however has seen in color since the day she was born, so meeting her soulmate isn't so easy.  Which has led her to live a life of "happy enough".  However meeting Cain Whitaker - handsome, cheeky and a little to colorful in personality has her questioning her life.  

This book hooked me from the premise before I even cracked it open.  As an artistic person, this spoke to me on a different level.  Thrown in tall, dark, handsome AND CHHEEKY...well let's just say that I was done.  This was my Ali Hazelwood before I knew Ali Hazelwood.

100% recommend! 

A Home for Hannah - Amy Lillard

 It's been 15 years since Hannah McLean has left the amish way of life in Pontotoc, Mississippi and she's returning a widow with a 15 yr old son.  Her heart has never forgotten her first love Aaron.  Will she be able to settle again into the community or will she be turned away?  How has 15 yrs changed Aaron?

This was a sweet read.  Life changes so completely sometimes, taking us from our roots that if we were ever left with no other way but to return would we try?  I appreciate the incorporation of teenagers into the story and the no hard core romance aspect of this book.

I would recommend if you want a little lighter romance read.

Faeborne - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

Brennon was stolen from his family at 16 and forced to use his gifts in service to a malevolent goddess.  For seven years he knew nothing but hardship and pain.  When he finally escaped he returned home to find his sister and parent murdered and his little nephew blind and broken.  He continues to persevere for his nephews sake, worrying that the dark stain on his soul will destroy him one day. Seren is an outcast an ostracized by her people.  Her gifts allow her to transform into a deer like all her people however she was also granted a once in a generation gift - the power to heal grave wounds.  When she reveals this to her peers their hatred forces her to flee far beyond her peoples borders in deer form.  Brennon mistaking her for food, injuries her.  When he finds her she has reverted back to her human form and he realizes his mistake and takes her home to nurse her.  So begins a friendship that will cross races and heal more wounds than physical.

This book was a very light read (only 700 or so pages) but well done.  I didn't feel rushed reading it nor did I feel like I was left feeling there wasn't enough character development. The story alternates between Brennon's pov and Seren's pov.  I didn't find Brennon's nephew annoying which was huge bonus points for me.  I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between the characters and how they over came obstacles like communication and differences in culture, realizing at the end that they can trust one another if they one talk. 

I would recommend this light read for something a little different.

*Note: I didn't realize that this was #7 in a series of books.  It didn't feel like I missed out on anything as it seems like each novel is standalone-ish?

Iron Flame - Rebecca Yarros

 Everyone including Violet herself expected her to die before Threshing.  Not only did she survive that, but bonding with not just one but 2 dragons and she's made it to her second year.  Throughout all that - bonding with the most badass, strongest man of his generation; discovering she has one of the most if not the most powerful channelings; learning to rely on her instincts to stay alive; 2 also super powerful dragons - the war they thought they were all training for isn't nearly as big as the secret that the academy has been covering.

As far as sequels go I have to say this one didn't fall flat.  The author does a good job keeping the momentum going and keeping characters story lines along the same growth and personality.  Just enough suspense and surprise to keep the reader entertained and involved enough to keep reading.

Going to have to pick up book 3 now...

If you've read the first one and enjoyed it, keep reading the series.

All Last Summer - Stephanie J. Scott

 Sometimes life doesn't go according to plan.  And for Lila Vaughn who is a type A personality and makes lists for EVERYTHING it can completely turn your life upside down when your boyfriend who you were supposed to go to Brazil with for the summer the night before is out partying with a new girl.  Sure you weren't "supposed" to be at that party.  And you weren't "supposed" to find out that they'd been together for 2 months.  So out the window goes the trip.  The money for the trip and any hope of having a perfectly planned summer.  But sometimes surprisingly things happen that are good when they aren't planned.  

This was a short, sweet read. The setting, character development and story were all very well done in the 400 pages it encapsulated.  It was a nice YA read that evoked teenage memories of trying to find yourself and the self doubt you experience at that age while trying to navigate high school, social relationships and responsibilities.

Great quick summer vacay read!

Lion - A Long Way Home - Saroo Brierley

I have to admit that breaking tradition I watched the movie first and it got me interested in the book.

Based on a true story of a 5 year old boy in India who got lost on a train not knowing how to read or write, how he got adopted by a family in Australia and how in his twenties and the invention of Google earth he found his way home.

This is one of those heartbreaking stories of lost children.  You really feel for his brother who originally took him along to the train station and also for his adoptive mom Sue who really took him in and loved him as her own son (incidentally she also wrote a book about the experience from her point of view and about her upbringing - Lioness by Sue Brierley).  

100% worth the read AND watching the movie.