Bibliophile Support Group

Deeply Devoted is a historical romance novel written by Maggie Brendan, with Christian readers in mind. It's 1887 and Catharine and her two sisters, Greta and Anna, are making a risky trip to Wyoming, leaving their home of Amsterdam, Holland behind for a fresh start. For these three lovely European ladies it's a both painful and hopeful change of pace - the memory of their recently deceased parents lingering in their hearts. They couldn't bring much with them, though Catharine made sure to keep her mother's set of Blue Willow china - even though there aren't many pieces left that are whole. The only reason they've been able to make the trip to America is that Catharine is a mail-order bride. She's corresponded with Peter Andersen, a wheat farmer, for six months after reading his ad - and has agreed to marry him. But he doesn't know she's bringing two sisters with him. Nor does he know the anguished, and possibly shameful, past that she is hiding. ...

Ravenwood is a YA fantasy adventure from author Andrew Peters. Ark, a fourteen-year-old apprentice to his plumber father, hears something he shouldn't hear. Something that could get him killed. Arborium, their huge, mile-high tree of a country, is being plotted against by Maw, a country of glass and steel and technology. Maw sees Arborium as a gigantic gold mine, as wood is now a natural resource even more precious than that very substance. And the plot is coming from the inside. From those who are supposed to be the most trusted advisors to King Quercus. It was just a terrible time to be fixing a pipe. Next thing you know, Ark is running for his life - and trying to figure out how he can save his tree home before Maw comes with axes and evil intent! A fight-or-flight opener throws us right into the action of this unique tree world of Arborium and immediately has an espionage/thriller tone. Andrew Peters doesn't waste much time! The idea of a...

Guardian of the Dead is a YA horror/supernatural novel by Karen Healey. Seventeen-year-old New Zealander Ellie is getting through boarding school one day at a time. Though she's never had a tough time making friends before, here she just can't seem to gel with any of the other girls. But she does have Kevin, one of the male students. And their close bond is unshakable. But then a stunningly beautiful, mysterious, and in Ellie's opinion, creepy woman enters their life and seems unusually focused on Kevin. What's even stranger is the way Kevin acts when she's around. Of course, maybe the way he acts around her is no more odd than how Ellie acts around Mark, a handsome, quiet guy that only goes to the school during the day. In fact, maybe she should be more worried about how after they interact in any way, Ellie feels a little fuzzy headed and when trying to remember what exactly happened in their encounter gets a terrible migraine and throws up. Or...

Rip Tide is the sequel to the YA underwater thriller Dark Life , written by Kat Falls. I recommend avoiding this review and reading Dark Life , if you haven't already. Otherwise, continue... Fifteen-year-old Ty has lived his entire life in the ocean - a life choice made by his family to pioneer in the depths instead of make due in the fried Earth above. But this choice has led to some unintended consequences. Ty has an ability. So does his sister. And people don't like things they can't explain. Because of this, they tend to keep their talents quiet. Yet despite the ocean being a dangerous place, Ty has never come across something as horrifying as he does one night as he's out with his friend Gemma (whom maybe he'd like to be more than friends). An entire township sunken - with people inside - apparently on purpose. Because how else would you explain it being chained to a downed airplane? Before they know it, Ty and Gemma find themselves unravelin...

Veiled Rose is a grown-up fairy-tale appropriate for all ages by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Being as this book in the second in a fairy-tale/fantasy series called Tales of Goldstone Wood , I would recommend reading the first book ( Heartless ) first - though I personally didn't get the opportunity to do that and still found Veiled Rose to be easily read as a stand-alone novel. Eleven-year-old Leo doesn't want to stay indoors watching his boring cousin read research novels - he wants to go out on adventures. After all, what's the point of having a summer in the country if you don't go out in the country? And the rumors of a monster in the woods is growing more rampant - so Leo sets off to hunt the monster with a beanpole. But he doesn't find a monster. Instead, he finds a girl named Rose Red who is entirely covered in ragged veils. Not a tiny bit of her appearance shows. She lives in the forest with no one but her beloved nanny goat and her kind father. ...

Death and Taxes is the second book in a YA graphic novel series called The Sons of Liberty . It is written and created by Alexander Lagos and Joseph Lagos, with art by Steve Walker, and coloring done by Oren Kramek. The makings of the Revolutionary War are beginning to fall into place. High taxes, tyranny, and a bunch of very unhappy Americans are starting to realize they want to be free of England's yoke. Amongst the many Philadelphia residents are Graham and Brody, escaped slaves for many years now. They've mostly kept their heads down and worked hard, avoiding getting involved in any of the debates and demonstrations. But they don't just avoid these situations because of their previous lives as slaves, but because they have successfully hidden their powers for many years now - and they don't want to reveal them now. Yet things are getting violent on the streets, and they find they can't ignore how they can help. So, Graham and Brody don masks and use their ab...

Passion is the third novel in the Fallen series, an ambitious YA angel saga by Lauren Kate. Again, this review will have inevitable spoilers for Fallen and Torment - don't read it unless you've already read the previous books in the series. You've been warned, bibliophiles!!! After the breathless events at the conclusion of Torment , Luce is in a state of desperation. It seems that the cycle of losing her life will never end - though this time she won't come back. It would truly be the end. What's the point of it all? Why is Daniel cursed? Beyond his immeasurable attractiveness, why does she love him? How does it all end? It is with all of these questions in her mind that Luce opened up an Announcer and stepped in. She was told repeatedly how dangerous that is, how she should be trained heavily before ever attempting such a thing - but in that moment she couldn't care less. What really mattered was to learn - to learn the secrets Daniel wouldn...