Books Read in December of 2019!

Here it is already the end of another month. Where does the time go? I have been busy as usual reading some wonderful books for the month of December of 2019. Here are the 7 books I read and reviewed for December.

I love sharing my reads in this Jemsbooks Segment, Books Read in the Month. I hope you will get a chance to look these books over soon.

If you are an avid reader as I am, please review the books you love on Amazon or wherever you purchased them in order for others to enjoy your reviews. Reviews are one way for readers to know about an exceptional book. We indie authors love to receive reviews and appreciate the efforts of readers to do them. Thank you for your kind support and for supporting my fellow authors too.

The Forgotten Hours is a story told back and forth from past to present. It jumps around a lot and the reader must stay focused to keep the events straight.

It was an interesting premise but would have been better laid out if the events were more chronologically driven throughout the story. The main protagonist Katie tells the tale of her life with a father who went to prison for raping her friend when she was only 14 years old. Katie continues the story as she tries to deal with her life being torn apart.

What Katie strives to do is to try to bring some closure to her crazy life by putting some of the pieces of the puzzle together about how and why her father committed this horrendous crime. The reader feels the angst that is displayed throughout the story felt by the character.

A worthwhile read!

Jjspina5.0 out of 5 starsAn Interesting Biography of an Incredible Athlete!December 11, 2019Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseI don’t usually read sports’ books but this book intrigued me. Even though I never heard of Hank Luisetti the author has shown what an incredible athlete Hank was. In the short time Hank played he reached great heights and feats on the court. He was a remarkable person also in that he respected others and was a team player, playing unselfishly and sharing the ball. This, you do not see as much today. Hank was an admirable human being who changed the sport of basketball forever and laid the foundation for others to follow in his footsteps.

The author has written an enjoyable story around Hank’s life as he combined emotion, love interest, and family controversy. Mike De Lucia demonstrated through this story that with perseverance and determination how much one person can do to be a success at what he loves in life. Also, what an individual does and how he interacts with others can only make those around him better too.

I highly recommend this book.

This is the first book by this author I have read. Even though I did not read Book 1 I found this book to be engrossing. The author created a thriller with richly developed characters and a storyline that had twists, turns and surprises.

The story is told through the two main protagonists, Ella Borden, a lawyer turned singer, and Dana Goodwin, Deputy Chief of Special Victims Bureau, who are trying to solve a murder. Each gives her perspective of the situation and how they are connected to the victim.

There is a love interest for Ella who keeps her centered. She is tormented by not only her sister’s death but the present death of her friend and former supervisor. The scenes jump back and forth between Ella and Dana keeping the mystery ratchet up and the reader guessing what will happen next.

An enjoyable read that kept me in suspense until nearly the end.

A lovely collection of verse, micro fiction and short stories that contains an interesting and enjoyable assortment for all tastes. The verse is written in the author’s eloquent style that captures the attention and heart of the reader.

This book is artistically created by a master storyteller who knows how to grab her audience and keep them captive. I thoroughly enjoyed all the work of this creative author but was spellbound by some of the short stories which I think are her specialty. Sally Cronin has her own unique style in her writing as she spins a story and entwines twists and turns and some surprising elements into the mix that captivated this reader.

Some of the stories are touching, while others are profound as the one about elephants, and still others brought tears to my eyes. I especially loved the one about the grandmother. I won’t spoil it by telling you anything. You must read this book. I’m sure you will be as delighted as I was with this talented author’s latest publication.

I highly recommend this book as well as all her previous creations.

The Friend is an emotional rollercoaster ride as the main protagonist, Sophie, who has had a difficult time in her life must deal with another shock, her son is injured. Sophie met a new woman who has come to her town and finds that they are instant friends. This woman, Emma, has a son around the same age as her son. What she doesn’t know is that this woman may not be who she appears to be.

The author has created a psychological thriller that will rock readers to their cores. There are twists and turns and unexpected events that will lead you to the horrifying truth behind one sinister person who is the cause of heartache for many who come into contact with this being. Sometimes the person you become close to is not always who you think he or she truly is.

An engrossing read that kept me riveted until the last word. I highly recommend! I look forward to what this author will write next.

The 10th Island is a lovely story whether it is fact or fiction created by this author. The Azores sounds like a magical place to visit. Being of Portuguese heritage I thoroughly enjoyed this book that detailed much of the island’s history and its peoples.

The author details her life there on her many visits and how she has interacted and bonded with the island and its inhabitants even though she has no connection through family and ethnicity to the island and its heritage.

The author has a running dialogue with some of the characters on the island and shares many stories within the story of life, loves and island happenings such as the bull running. The story has rich full characters and a fascinating storyline that kept me engrossed. After reading this book I want to learn more about this beautiful little island that holds such magic and island secrets.

A book that will be enjoyed by anyone who loves to learn about island life, its peoples and customs and how the author found joy, beauty and love in Azores.

I’ve read the first two books in this series and have been hooked. Lottie Parker, the main protagonist is not a likable character being dependent on drugs and alcohol and not the best mother to her three children. She never gives up though until she solves her cases even if she puts her own life in danger. She needs, however, to get her life in order.

The many characters in this book were believable and flawed making for an interesting read. Some you will love to hate.
The author has created an engrossing mystery with so many surprises within the story that it kept me guessing until the very end. A thoroughly entertaining story that makes the reader want for more. I look forward to the next book in this series.

A creative and enjoyable book that you won’t be able to put down.

Thank you for stopping by to read about my latest reviews. Please review books that you enjoy wherever you purchased them to help others learn about some new authors and good reads. We authors thank you for taking the time to read and review our books. Bless you!

REMEMBER: READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS.COM ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING! Jemsbooks are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and by clicking on covers to the right of this post. Thank you for your kind support and reviews of my books.

Blessings & Hugs!

Janice

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About jjspina

Janice is an multi-award-winning author with 42 books: 20 children's books for PS-Gr 4, 12 middle-grade/preteen, two young adult books, written under Janice Spina, and 7 novels, and a short story collection written under J.E. Spina. She is also a writer of poetry, blogger, avid reader, reviewer and a copy editor. Janice has always loved writing and started very young writing poetry, then stories. Her books have received 36 Book Awards and a few finalists awards. All Janice's books are available on Amazon.com, Kindle, B&N and other online book sites. One of her sports' poems was published in The Lawrence Eagle Tribune in October of 2008. She is currently working on book 3 of a YA fantasy series an and book 2 in an angel series. There will be six books in all in this series. She hopes to work on a series of four books in a crime/mystery genre that will be offsprings of her thriller, Hunting Mariah. There are books in the works about a dog for ages YA. Her hobbies are crocheting, sewing, walking to keep fit, hula hooping, tap dancing, going to the movies with her husband, and spending time with her five grandchildren. Janice loves to hear from readers and appreciates reviews. Sign up on her blog http://jemsbooks.blog for a copy of her newsletters under Contact Me. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband who is her illustrator and cover creator.
This entry was posted in Amazon reviews, book reviews, Books Read in December 2019, multi-authors, multi-genres, Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Books Read in December of 2019!

  1. Some lovely books here, Janice.

  2. macjam47 says:

    A great selection of books, Janice! ❤️

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