Laurisa White Reyes's Blog, page 56

BOOK REVIEW: MARCH (book one) by John Lewis

MARCH (Book I)
John Lewis
Top Shelf Productions
Ages 10 and up

Congressman John Lewis (GA-5) is an American icon, one of the key figures of the civil rights movement. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper's farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington, and from receiving beatings from state troopers to receiving the Medal of Freedom from the first African-American president.

Now, to share his remarkable story with new generations, Lewis presents March, a graphic novel trilogy, in collaboration with co-writer Andrew Aydin and New York Times best-selling artist Nate Powell (winner of the Eisner Award and LA Times Book Prize finalist for Swallow Me Whole).

March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis' personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.

Book One spans John Lewis' youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall.

Many years ago, John Lewis and other student activists drew inspiration from the 1958 comic book "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story." Now, his own comics bring those days to life for a new audience, testifying to a movement whose echoes will be heard for generations.

MY REVIEW:

Powerful! A must read for all ages. I'll be handing MARCH to my kids to read. MARCH brings to life the lunch counter sit-ins of 1960 that impacted the budding civil rights movement. This is an important story to share with today's children. They should understand the sacrifices that were made to achieve the world we have today.

I will say kids will likely need more than just this book to understand the complexities of racism and the political and social climate of that era. This book is a good place to start a discussion. I loved the straight forward text, and the graphics were amazing. Can't wait to read books 2 and 3.

GIVEAWAY: ESACAPE CLAWS by Linda Reilly

Escape ClawsA Cat Lady Mysteryby Linda ReillyGenre: Cozy Mystery204 pages
Here, killer, killer, killer . . .


For the first time in sixteen years, Lara Caphart has returned to her hometown of Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. She wants to reconnect with her estranged Aunt Fran, who’s having some difficulty looking after herself—and her eleven cats. Taking care of a clowder of kitties is easy, but keeping Fran from being harassed by local bully Theo Barnes is hard. The wealthy builder has his sights set on Fran’s property, and is determined to make her an offer she doesn’t dare refuse.

Then Lara spots a blue-eyed ragdoll cat that she swears is the reincarnation of her beloved Blue, her childhood pet. Pursuing the feline to the edge of Fran’s yard, she stumbles upon the body of Theo Barnes, clearly a victim of foul play. To get her and Fran off the suspect list, Lara finds herself following the cat’s clues in search of a killer. Is Blue’s ghost really trying to help her solve a murder, or has Lara inhaled too much catnip?

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Armed with a degree in Criminal Justice, Linda Reilly once contemplated a career in law enforcement. But life took a twist, and instead she found her niche in real estate closings and title examinations, where the dusty tomes in the Registry of Deeds enticed her into solving mysteries of a different sort. A dyed-in-the-wool New Englander, Linda lives in New Hampshire with her husband, who affectionately calls her "Nose-in-a-Book." A member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America, she loves solving mysteries of the cozy type. When she's not pounding away at her keyboard, she can usually be found prowling the shelves of a local bookstore or library.
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BEST OF 2017 GIVEAWAY HOP

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Welcome to the BEST OF 2017 GIVEAWAY HOP, hosted by BookHounds!

I read some great books in 2017, including ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr, THE WRIGHT BROTHERS by David McCullough, and THE FISHERMEN by Chigozie Obioma. Click HERE for a complete list of my favorite books of the year.

To celebrate a new year of reading, I'm giving away a $15 Amazon Gift Card! To enter the giveaway, just fill out the rafflecopter form below. Then be sure to stop by the other participating blogs for more chances to win!

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COVER REVEAL: MICKEY MALLOY, WONDER BOY!

I am so excited to finally announce the upcoming release of my newest book, MICKEY MALLOY, WONDER BOY! This illustrated chapter book for ages 6-10 is about Mickey, an average kid who loves comic books and superheroes. Then one day a mysterious package is delivered with his name on it. Inside,  he finds a strange, metal contraption. And when Mickey pushes the thing's button, he gets ZZZZAAAAPPPED! Suddenly, he isn't average anymore. He's magnetic! But his new power gets him into more trouble than he could ever imagine.

I wrote Mickey Malloy about a decade ago when my oldest son (who is now 20) was a kid. My children have always gotten a kick out of the story, begging me to read it to them again and again. This year, when my youngest son turned ten, I realized that soon he'd be too old to enjoy Mickey's story. So I decided this would be the year I'd finally get it published. I'm happy to say that Jarett got the first copy for Christmas.

But MICKEY MALLOY, WONDER BOY! isn't just for my son. Come March 2018, it will be available for kids everywhere!

For now, I wanted to give you a sneak peek at what is to come. Illustrated by the amazingly talented Matt Easterbrook, I present to you...


So, what do you think? I'd love to hear your reactions to the cover at in the comments below. And let me know who, in your life, would love to read Mickey's story.

$10 GIVEAWAY - BETTING ON CINDERELLA by Petie McCarty

Betting on CinderellaThe Cinderella Romances Book 2by Petie McCartyGenre: Contemporary Romance
Garrett Tucker inherits his grandfather's casino empire and steps into the reclusive billionaire's shoes as the "Prince of Vegas." His first act is to buy a bankrupt casino in Biloxi. When he discovers embezzling in his new operation, Garrett goes undercover. His prime suspect is the new finance supervisor—the spitfire brunette who stole his heart at first sight.

Andi Ryan moves to Biloxi to care for her godmother and takes a job as finance supervisor for the renovated Bayou Princess casino. She discovers someone is skimming from the till and starts her own investigation, worried she will be blamed for the theft when the new owner discovers her godmother has a gambling addiction.
A rival Vegas competitor has sent a spy in to ruin the Bayou Princess, and Garrett and Andi are forced to work together to prove her innocence and discover the identity of their casino spy.

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Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World -- "The Most Magical Place on Earth" -- where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-a-dash-of-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband, a spoiled-rotten English Springer spaniel addicted to pimento-stuffed green olives, and a noisy Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in Angel to the Rescue.

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INTERVIEW IN REPERTINO

I was honored to be interviewed in last month's issue of REPERTINO. Check it out!

https://repentinoland.wordpress.com/2017/12/30/author-laurisa-white-reyes-stepping-through-every-hard-earned-way/

WINNER OF MIDWINTER'S EVE HOP ANNOUNCED

ELF is the winner of my Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop! For more giveaways, subscribe to my monthly newsletter: https://laurisareyes.authorreach.com/lead/0f236831

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BOOK REVIEW: THE GREATEST PROSPECTOR IN THE WORLD by Kenn Dunn

THE GREATEST PROSPECTOR IN THE WORLD
Ken Dunn
Next Century Publishing

Laura Dunagan, was born in the gold prospecting days of rustic Alaska in the early 1900's. When Laura was 16 years old, her father was trapped under a mud slide while prospecting in a nearby river and died. Laura was forced to move to Chicago in the care of her rich Uncle Joe. Laura hated Uncle Joe because he forced her to leave the river, but also because he had left the family prospecting business to move to Chicago years before she was born. Laura discovers that Uncle Joe made his fortune selling insurance and was the owner of the largest insurance company in Illinois. While wondering through the mansion one day, she found Uncle's Joe personal den. In it, she discovered an entire new life that would lead her to heights that she would never had realized panning for gold in Alaska. Uncle Joe used the 6 gold prospecting rules for safety to prospect new clients for his insurance company and in doing so, discovered the secrets to wealth in selling.

MY REVIEW:

Dunn's tale is a self-help book disguised as a novel about a girl who learns the secrets of success from her uncle and applies them to selling sewing machines in the early 20th century.  While Laura's story isn't necessarily the most compelling, the secrets she learns are worth the read. These secrets for success are general but like the gold Laura used to pan for as a child, they are also priceless nuggets that can help any salesperson excel at his/her trade.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! -- BOOKS I PLAN TO READ IN 2018

So, I've posted about my most disappointing read of 2017 and my favorite reads of 2017. Now to share the books I am hoping to read in 2018. My goal is to read 30-35 books. Here are just a few:










What books are on your TBR list this year?

GIVEAWAY: HYPATIA OF ALEXANDRAI by Laura A. Rockefeller

Hypatia of AlexandriaThe Legendary Women of World History #8by Laurel A. RockefellerGenre: YA Historical Fiction
Teacher. Philosopher. Astronomer.Born in 355 CE. In the aftermath of Constantine's reign Hypatia of Alexandria lived in a collapsing Rome Empire, a world where obedience to religious authorities trumped science, where reason and logic threatened the new world order. It was a world on the edge of the Dark Ages. As libraries burned, she dared defend the light of knowledge.
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Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA Laurel A. Rockefeller is author of over twenty books published and self-published since August, 2012 and in languages ranging from Welsh to Spanish to Chinese and everything in between. A dedicated scholar and biographical historian, Ms. Rockefeller is passionate about education and improving history literacy worldwide. 


With her lyrical writing style, Laurel's books are as beautiful to read as they are informative.
In her spare time, Laurel enjoys spending time with her cockatiels, attending living history activities, travelling to historic places in both the United States and United Kingdom, and watching classic motion pictures and classic television series.

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