Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 191

Everyone She's Ever Loved | Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye

Title: Circle of ShadowsBy: Evelyn SkyeGenre: FantasyPages: 400Release Date: January 22nd, 2019Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Summary from Goodreads: Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied behind his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas—marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona.
As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging to the elite group—but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it’s been difficult to make their mark. So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group.Taking this risk will change Sora’s life forever—and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she’s ever loved.
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Review: I love books with characters that have abilities. I read them, I write the, I love them. Going into this book, I was so hopeful that this story would catch my eye and suck me into a wonderful world that I wouldn't be able to pry my eyes away from. For some reason, I couldn't get into this book. It had so much potential. Maybe it was the writing style. Sometimes its as simple as that. Not every book is going to be my cup of tea and I have to accept that.... but it makes me so sad... I wanted to love it. Three stars, middle of the road. 
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Children Are A Vital Gift | The Edison Gene By Thom Harmann

Title: The Edison GeneBy: Thom HarmannGenre: Non-FictionPages: 280Release Date: January 14th, 2005Publisher: Park Street Press
Summary from Goodreads: Thomas Edison was expelled from school for behavior that today would label him as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but his mother understood how to salvage his self-esteem and prepare him for a lifetime of success. In The Edison Gene Thom Hartmann shows that the creativity, impulsiveness, and distractibility that are characteristic of ADHD are not signs of a disorder at all, but instead are components of a highly adaptive skill set utilized by our hunting and gathering ancestors. These characteristics have been critical to the survival and development of our modern civilization and will be vital as humanity faces new challenges in the future.
Hartmann, creator of the “hunter versus farmer” theory of ADHD, examines the latest discoveries confirming the existence of an ADHD gene and the global catastrophe 40,000 years ago that triggered its development. Citing examples of significant innovators in our modern era, he argues that the children who possess the “Edison gene” have neurology that is wired to give them brilliant success as innovators, inventors, explorers, and entrepreneurs. He offers concrete strategies for helping Edison-gene children reach their full potential and shows that rather than being “problems,” such children are a vital gift to our society and the world.

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Review: My middle son struggles every day with emotions and actions that he can't control. Most people call him a wild child or a bad kid. We call him son. People have a certain perception when it comes to my son. They look at me like I'm a bad mother and that my son is going to grow up to be the scum of the earth. This is far from the truth.
I have read many books about ADHD and how to deal with it. They all say the same thing, there is nothing we can do and we have to learn to deal with it. This book gives me hope. This book tells me that there is more beyond ADHD and that my son could have the Edison gene. 
After reading this book, my family changed the way we dealt with my son's out bursts. Its only been a few days, but we have had the most peaceful days we've ever had. 
Even if you don't think your child has the Edison gene, not all kids with ADHD do, this book still has a lot of insight into the origins of ADHD and how to deal with situations that arise from it. Read it, love it, do it. Its that simple. 

Adrift the Movie | Review

Title: AdriftGenre: Historical True StoryRelease Date: June 1st, 2018Rating: 6.6/1 IMDBCast: Summary from IMDB: A true story of survival, as a young couple's chance encounter leads them first to love, and then on the adventure of a lifetime as they face one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history.
IMDB Trailer
Review: If you've been following my posts, you might remember this book from a few weeks ago. I loved this book about the true events that lead up to the main character being stranded at sea all alone. The movie was just as good as the book.
This nail biting true story is one that will leave you on edge. I'm not one for movies that have to do with water, the whole drowning thing and all, but the courage that is shown is just mesmerizing. If you need a good cry, or just a good show about the strength of the human will, then pick up this movie.

Is She Going To Be Just A Babysitter | Lucky Call by Ashlyn Hope

Title: Lucky CallBy: Ashlyn HopeGenre: Contemporary RomancePages: Release Date: Publisher: 
Summary from Goodreads: Amy is such a Gemini!!! She’s a jersey-chasing wild child who never wants the party to end, but in between tequila shots, she keeps fantasizing about settling down with Mr. Right and their perfect children. But her dreams might not be able to become her reality…
After a routine medical appointment, Amy gets crushing news: she’s infertile. To ease the heartache, she takes her jersey chasing and partying to the next level.
But there is a glimmer of hope when she shows up for a booty call with Tyrese… and he answers the door with a baby in his arms!
She had secretly hoped this “life-long bachelor” would become her happily ever after, but she didn’t think she had a chance. Now, a former lover springs a surprise baby on Tyrese, turning him into a single dad, and he needs all the help he can get, which Amy gladly gives. Is she just going to be a babysitter for this sexy football stud, or is this a fast track to her HEA?



Review: Holy cannoli! Another hot and steamy story by Ashlyn Hope. We continue our journey with the Jersey Chasers as they start to realize that there is so much more to life than chasing tale. Our main character struggles with the idea of wanting a family, but not sure if she can actually have children. What I loved about this story was how true to life it really was. Baby drama is something that can break a relationship, but at the same time, it can also bring people together. The way that the father decided to take his child even though he didn't know the first thing about parenting, was heartwarming. What I didn't like about the story was the fact that it was so short. I wanted back story on the characters and a little more depth to them. Although, they were still likable and kept my attention.

This was a great hot sexy romance with just the right amount of sex to keep you interested. Recommended to anyone who likes a good romance.    
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #269

I got the Mondays!.. Welcome back. This is the place where I dump all my emotion and stories. A place where I can feel free to be myself. I love this place. I love you coming to this place to enjoy the same things as I do.
We had a rough start to this last week. My middle son is still trying to figure out where he stands at school, being the new kid in the class and the youngest. It's been a struggle, but I've been doing some reading about the Edison Gene and I think it will really help the way we deal with him in the future and how he learns to deal with others. Even though we just started this new life, I can see the difference in my boy. He is more receptive to suggestions and less aggravated with all of us. He had two wonderful days at school at the end of the week. Hurrah!
This weeks book is The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. My coworker suggested this read to me. She is currently reading it and loves every bit of it. I'm excited to read it and let you all know what I think.
Monday- Tuscan Chicken 
Tuesday- Pork and Pablano Tacos
Wednesday- Chorizo Burgers
Thursday- Sriracha Cha-Cha Chicken
Friday- Spaghetti 
Saturday- Roasted Pork Tenderloin 
Sunday- Leftovers Night

Make Her Own Fate | Sherwood by Meagan Spooner

Title: SherwoodBy: Meagan SpoonerGenre: Historical FictionPages: 496Release Date: March 19th, 2018Publisher: HarperTeen
Summary from Goodreads: Robin of Locksley is dead. 
When news comes that he's fallen in battle at the King's side in the Holy Land, Maid Marian doesn’t know how she’ll go on. Betrothed to Robin, she was free to be herself, to flout the stifling rules of traditional society and share an equal voice with her beloved when it came to caring for the people of her land.

Now Marian is alone, with no voice of her own. The people of Locksley, persecuted by the Sheriff of Nottingham, are doomed to live in poverty or else face death by hanging. The dreadful Guy of Gisborne, the Sherriff’s right hand, wishes to step into Robin’s shoes as Lord of Locksley, and Marian’s fiancé. Society demands that she accept her fate, and watch helplessly as her people starve.

When Marian dons Robin's green cloak, and takes up his sword and bow, she never intended that anyone should mistake her for Robin, returned from the Holy Land as a vigilante. She never intended that the masked, cloaked figure she created should stand as a beacon of hope and justice to peasant and noble alike. She never intended to become a legend.

But all of Nottingham is crying out for a savior. So Marian must choose to make her own fate and become her own hero...

Robin Hood.
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Review: Could it be, another Robin Hood retelling? That was my thought when I first picked up this book. The story started off like any other story, but what made it unique was the twist it took a few chapters in. Can Marian really take over the roll of Robin Hood and get away with it>
Through the whole book there is a feeling that Robin really isn't dead and that he is going to show up at any moment. He's lurking around every corner and hiding in every shadow. That alone is enough to make you keep reading. 
The story has all the elements of a normal Robin Hood, but with the wonderful twist that Meagan Spooner has created. I loved this book. One of the best I've read all year. I'm excited to pick up another story by this author and I know you will love this book too.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

This book receives the Blogger's Choice Award

Solo: A Star Wars Story | Movie Review

Title: Solo: A Star Wars StoryGenre: Scifi, ActionRelease Date: May 25th, 2018Rating: 7.1/10 IMDBCast: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke
Summary from IMDB: During an adventure into the criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion.
IMDB Trailer
Review: This is not your typical Star Wars movie. If you are looking for big light saber battles, you wont find them here. Instead, you will be immersed in a world full of action and adventure. We earn how Han Solo got his name, how he met Chewy and what lead him down the path of smuggling. You also get to see how the Millennium Falcon ran the Kessel Run in twelve parsecs. It's a true prequel and worth every minute of it.   

September 2018 Wrap Up

It was another month of great books and not so great books. I didn't read as much as I had wanted, but still was able to finish so great reads.


Sharp Objects
Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.
Not Her Daughter
Emma Grace Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes. Brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma Townsend is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.


Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Abandoned by her mother. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal—and when a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her, far away from home. But if it’s to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?


Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure she wants her daughter back.

Amy’s life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now she’s gone without a trace.


As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But her real mother is at home, waiting for her to return—and the longer the search for Emma continues, Amy is forced to question if she really wants her back.


Emotionally powerful and wire-taut, Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother—and how far someone will go to keep a child safe. 
Street Freaks
It begins with a dire call—right before his father disappears and his skyscraper home’s doors explode inward. It is the kind of thrilling futuristic story only New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks can tell.“Go into the Red Zone. Go to Street Freaks.” his father directs Ashton Collins before the vid feed goes suddenly silent. The Red Zone is the dangerous heart of the mega-city of Los Angeles; it is a world Ash is forbidden from and one he knows little about. But if he can find Street Freaks, the strangest of aid awaits—human and barely human alike. As Ash is hunted, he must unravel the mystery left behind by his father and discover his role in this new world.Brooks has long been the grandmaster of fantasy. Now he turns his hand to science fiction filled with what his readers love best: complex characters, extraordinary settings, exciting action, and a page-turning story. Through it, Brooks reimagines his bestselling career yet again.
Lucky CallI Don't have a synopsis yet on this one, but it is steamy and exciting. If you love steamy, you will love this one.
Adrift: A True Story of Love, loss and Survival at Sea
THE HEART-STOPPING MEMOIR, NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING SHAILENE WOODLEY AND SAM CLAFLIN, AND DIRECTED BY BALTASAR KORMAKUR (EVEREST)A compelling, at times devastating, ultimately inspiring account of how much can go wrong on the ocean and how, miraculously, one woman conquered her own fears. `An inspirational and empowering read' Shailene WoodleyYoung and in love, their lives ahead of them, Tami Oldham and her fiance Richard Sharp set sail from Tahiti under brilliant blue skies, with Tami's hometown of San Diego as their ultimate destination. But the two free spirits and avid sailors couldn't anticipate that less than two weeks into their voyage, they would sail directly into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history. They found themselves battling pounding rain, waves the size of skyscrapers, and 140 knot winds. Richard tethered himself to the boat and sent Tami below to safety, and then all went eerily quiet. Hours later, Tami awakened to find the boat in ruins, and Richard nowhere in sight. Adrift is the story of Tami's miraculous forty-one-day journey to safety on a ravaged boat with no motor and no masts, and with little hope for rescue. It's a tale of love and survival on the high seas- an unforgettable story about resilience of the human spirit, and the transcendent power of love. Previously published as Red Sky in MourningAuthor BiographyTami Oldham Ashcraft speaks frequently about her experiences and continues to be an avid sailor. She is a hundred-ton licensed captain who has logged more than 50,000 offshore miles, and lives with her husband and family in Friday Harbor, Washington. - Adrift By Susea Mcgearhart, Tami Oldham Ashcraft
 Books I didn't enjoy this month...

His Role In This New World | Street Freaks by Terry Brooks

Title: Street FreeksBy: Terry BrooksGenre: ScifiPages: 384Release Date: October 2nd, 2018Publisher: Grim Oak Press
Summary from Goodreads: It begins with a dire call—right before his father disappears and his skyscraper home’s doors explode inward. It is the kind of thrilling futuristic story only New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks can tell.
“Go into the Red Zone. Go to Street Freaks.” his father directs Ashton Collins before the vid feed goes suddenly silent. The Red Zone is the dangerous heart of the mega-city of Los Angeles; it is a world Ash is forbidden from and one he knows little about. But if he can find Street Freaks, the strangest of aid awaits—human and barely human alike. As Ash is hunted, he must unravel the mystery left behind by his father and discover his role in this new world.Brooks has long been the grandmaster of fantasy. Now he turns his hand to science fiction filled with what his readers love best: complex characters, extraordinary settings, exciting action, and a page-turning story. Through it, Brooks reimagines his bestselling career yet again.

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Review: A wild ride that will keep you on your toes. This book was pretty dang cool. I'm used to Terry Brooks writing epic fantasies, so this was a new adventure for me. True to Brooks fashion, there was a deep character filled world that seemed real and wild. I loved the whole premise about the street racing and the world around it. I was excited to read that part and see what was going to happen. I had the excitement of pod racing from Star Wars. What I didn't like was the fact that the whole street racing thing was overlooked. There is a big buildup though out the story and then nothing really happened. The scene was short and lackluster. I wanted more.
The rest of the story was wild and crazy. A bunch of kids experimented on and altered, then discarded because they are deemed worthless. There are people out to kill the main character and you really don't know who's behind it until the very end. 
A great read for scifi fans and fantasy fans alike.   
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

What I'm Reading This Week | #WeeklyMenu Week #268

Monday! I have to say, last week was a little better than the week before. There wasn't much going on at school that I had to deal with and my youngest has learned that the school counselor is someone he can trust. We don't have as many tears. What a huge step forward.

Guess what? I've had a chance to write again. I wouldn't say it was writers block, but more of a mind block. Its been hard to get into the mind set of writing with the issues we've had at home, not that those issues have been kicked out, I'm able to rest my mind and put pen to paper, or in this instance, fingers to phone, lol. Yes, I wrote several hundred words using my phone. It felt good, so don't knock it.

Here is what you've been waiting for, what I'm going to read this week. I have to say, it was a hard choice. This one is another review book that I'm excited to read. Circle of Shadows. Just the name makes me shiver. I want to read it. Make sure you check back next week for the review.

This weeks menu is going to be delicious. Enjoy!

Monday- Figgy Balsamic Pork
Tuesday- Oven Fried Chicken
Wednesday- Gouda Pork Burgers
Thursday- Chicken Cheddar Fajitas 
Friday- Beef Chiles Rellenos 
Saturday- Hoisin Steak Supreme 
Sunday- Leftovers Night