I have so many reviews to share, and I’m reading faster than I can get my reviews posted. Three more 5-star books, all different!
The Gemini Connection
by Teri Polen
Oh, what a fun read. Sci-fi fans will have a blast with this thriller, but readers who love human stories will thoroughly enjoy this book too. Simon and Evan are twins with a unique connection even though they are strikingly different. Simon is cerebral, a scientist and gentle soul. Evan is a jock with a temper and a painful chip on his shoulder—he’s never been able to live up to his parents’ expectations.
Despite their differences, the brothers are fiercely loyal to each other, and when Simon goes missing, Evan makes it his mission to find out what happened and bring him home. He’s a successful bender, capable of entering the dreams of clients to unblock their memories or fight their nightmares. Their connection and his talent lead the way.
The world-building is excellent, and though “bending” is a bit of a scientific stretch, Polen does a credible job making it feel plausible throughout the story. The pace moves along at a speedy clip, and there are plenty of tight spots and danger.
The story is told in the first-person point of view of both brothers. You might have guessed that I just loved the characters, particularly Evan and Simon. Their relationship wasn’t without its bumps and bruises, but the steadfast loyalty they felt toward each other had me rooting for them from the start. Secondary characters were richly drawn and three-dimensional, as were peripheral players. A great read that I highly recommend.
***
The Hat
by Craig Boyack
In this short read, Boyack has teamed up Lizzie, a young woman with two part-time jobs, and a talking hat that she stole/inherited from her grandmother’s estate. Yes, you heard that right—a talking hat. At first, she’s rather suspicious and freaked out by the hat, but when a friend’s newborn is stolen as part of a larger baby-napping ring, Lizzie and the hat set out to rescue the infants.
What ensues is pretty entertaining. The banter between Lizzie and the hat is exceptionally witty, particularly as the hat navigates advances in technology (it’s been in a box for a long time). The duo reminded me of wise-cracking detective team with snappy dialog and lots of attitude on both sides.
This book can be polished off in a couple of hours and is well worth the time. Highly recommended.
***
Amanda in Holland
by Darlene Foster
This book was quite a bit of fun. Foster combines a middle-grade fiction plot with a colorful tour of Holland, including its famous sites, snippets of history, and its wonderful flowers and food. I had the great fortune of visiting my grandparents in Holland when I was Amanda’s age, and her experiences in the book mirror my memories in great detail. It was a blast to traipse along beside Amanda and enjoy the country once again.
The main plot focuses on the recovery of a lost puppy, but secondary plots weave through the story, and all come together nicely at the end. There’s a bit of mystery and some danger to keep the tension up. There are also some very moving scenes when Amanda visits Anne Frank’s home and a war memorial dedicated to the Canadians who helped liberate Holland during WWII. A lovely book for young readers and absolutely perfect for readers who plan to travel the world.
***
Happy Reading!
Myths of the Mirror 
Great reviews, Diana! And my TBR list continues to grow….
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Ha ha ha. I know what you’re going to do one day when you retire. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to read, Julie.
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Great reviews, Diana. I read The Hat some time ago and need to do a review myself. I enjoyed it as much as you did. The other books sound just as enjoyable. 🙂 — Suzanne
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I just got Craig’s new book but haven’t started it yet. His imagination cracks me up. I’m sure you’ll see that review before long too. Thanks for the visit, my friend. ❤
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I now have his latest book also. I’ve also read “The Yak Guy Project” and have ebooks of “Macabre Sanctuary” and “Voyage of the Lanternfish”.It will take me a while to read all those. 🙂 — Suzanne
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You’re way ahead of me. Happy Reading!
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So glad you’re enjoying my work.
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I loved The Hat and have The Gemini Connection on my ereader waiting for me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the books. Best of luck to all the authors 🙂
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Thanks for the visit, Harmony. I love sharing reviews. More to come from more wonderful authors. 🙂 Happy Reading!
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I’ve read The Gemini Connection and The Hat. Both were great. Like you, I especially loved the witty banter in The Hat!
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Thanks for saying so here, Mae.
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Thanks for stopping by, Mae. I was so entertained by Craig’s book. All of these were great fun and well done. Happy Reading, my friend. 🙂
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I enjoy reading your reviews Diana, as they say a lot without revealing much…those are the reviews I love! Thanks for sharing. Have a lovely week.
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I try not to give anything away, Balroop. And sometimes that’s hard! I go with enthusiasm and hope that shines through. Thanks for stopping by to take a peek. Happy Reading.
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Excellent reviews, Diana! Thanks for sharing! I thoroughly enjoyed “The Hat!”
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Thanks for saying so here, Jan.
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Craig must do a whiz job at marketing based on how many folks have read his book. I’m at the back of the line, I guess. Lol. 🙂 Thanks for the visit, Jan. Happy Reading!
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Well, this just perked up my Monday quite a bit. Thanks so much, Diana! I’m also a fan of The Hat – such a fun book, and I’m really looking forward to reading Craig’s newest release. I haven’t read Amanda, but I sure have seen some wonderful reviews of Darlene’s series.
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Thanks, Teri. Love sharing the spotlight with you.
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I thought maybe you were off for the weekend. I’m glad to start your week off with a smile. A great read, Teri, and I’m delighted to share my review. 🙂
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Tempted by ‘The Hat’ – another to get my head in. Good reviews as ever, Diana – I enjoy reading them.
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So glad you’re tempted.
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I think you would enjoy it, Eric. It’s quirky and fun, and a short read. Thoroughly enjoyable. I’m so glad you found something interesting in the batch. Happy Reading!
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Great reviews! I have only read “The Hat” but I completely agree its a fantastic read:) They all sound intriguing.
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Thanks for saying so here.
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🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, DL. They were all fun reads, and clearly quite different from each other. I have more to come too. Have a wonderful week and Happy Reading.
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Wonderful reviews Diana. I think many of us have read the Hat and enjoyed as much as you ❤
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Thank you for that.
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Just sayin’ Craig. 🙂
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It was a hoot, Debby. I’ll have to pick up another one of Craig’s books. He has a new one out, I hear. And I’m overdue to read another of yours. Thanks for the visit, my friend. Have a great week.:-)
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Always a treat to visit here Diana 🙂 x
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Ooo some good titles there! You sound like you’re having a blast reading some good stuff at the moment 🙂
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I’ve slowed down quite a bit, Jess, since my parents live closer now and I’m spending a lot less time in the car. I’ll slow down a bit more when I get writing again. But it’s been a blast getting caught up on my TBR. 🙂 Happy Writing!
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-grin- The Gemini Connection has gone straight to my TBR list. It sounds like my kind of sci-fi. Thanks, Diana!
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Oh good. Teri will be pleased. She writes the best teenage boys, and I loved their relationship. The sci-fi aspects were fun too. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
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I’m always on the look out for a new sci-fi author, especially an Indie. I was a reader loooooong before I became a writer. 😀
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Diana’s right – Teri is very pleased, lol. Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoy my boys!
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Ha ha. Who wouldn’t be, right? Thanks for stopping by, Teri. I hope you find some new fans. 🙂
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lol – hi Teri! I’m sure I will. 🙂
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Wonderful reviews, Diana! Sharing…
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Thanks so much for the visit and the share, Bette. I’ve been reading like crazy and loving it. I’m glad you enjoyed the reviews. 🙂
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You have me so intrigued with The Gemini Collection (and also good reviews on Amazon by you and Robbie and Marcia). I’ve just added it on the Kindle, but my guy would really love this book (he doesn’t “kindle”) but the paperback is $18.95, too much in my mind for a softback. Not sure why it’s so expensive that way, so just a heads up to the author that many still like to read ‘paper’ books, but at reasonable prices.
The Hat sounds like fun! And all of Darlene’s book are winners.
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Hopefully Teri will have some info on the paperback Gemini Connection price for you, Pam. It’s a fun read with great characters. The Hat is a riot and short. And you’re right about Darlene’s book. Took me right to Holland. 🙂
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Pam – I’ve mentioned to my publisher (as have other authors) that the price for paperbacks is set too high. We’re hoping they listen and consider reducing the prices. However – I recently changed the book description on the back, and have several copies with the old description I’m selling for $10.00. If you’d be interested in purchasing one, please email me at tpolen6@gmail.com I love seeing teen boys reading!
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I had the same problem with a trad publisher, Teri. They’re great in some ways, but totally frustrating in others. Good luck.
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I loved The Hat and the other two are on my toppling TBR pile 🙂
Fabulous reviews, Diana!
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Thanks for stopping by Jacquie. The Hat cracked me up. I was so glad I gave it a chance. Have fun with the other two. Worth the read. Happy Sunday!
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Thanks for saying so here.
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Great reviews, Diana. I’m struggling to catch up with all of my reviews too! ❤
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It’s hard when you want to add other posts between them. I’m at 263% of my Goodread’s goal as a result of listening on my phone while driving. It will slow down as I get back into writing, but what fun it’s been! Happy Reading, Colleen. ❤
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Three fabulous reviews, Diana. I have also read and enjoyed The Hat and The Gemini Connection.
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Thanks for the visit, Robbie. I’m glad you enjoyed those books. I’ve enjoyed reading a variety of stories this year, and wrote a lot of reviews. More to come. 🙂 Have a great week ahead, my friend. 😀
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You too, Diana.
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I’ve already read “The Gemini Connection”, and it was so good I didn’t want it to end, and would love more stories about these characters. Thanks for the reviews! 🙂
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I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Barbara! I still miss those twins – they just set up camp in my heart and haven’t left.
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Hi, Barbara. Somehow I missed your comment! Thanks so much for the visit and for checking out the reviews. I’m glad you enjoyed Teri’s book. Clearly I did too. Have a great week and Happy Reading. 🙂
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These sound like fun books. Thanks for sharing Diana.
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Thanks for taking a peek, Brad. They are fun and all different. Happy Reading, my friend. ❤
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Thanks!
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Great collection. Darlene’s book is wonderful–I’ve read it. The rest I will have to check out!
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More books for the whale reader, Jacqui! I’m at 263% of my Goodreads goal so far this year. It’s been great and I’m trying to keep up the pace even though I plan to start writing again, soon. Thanks for the visit!
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Great reviews, Diana! Thanks so much for sharing.
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Thanks for the visit, Jill. I’m trying to keep up my reading even though I’m not in the car all the time now. Much more to share. Happy Reading, my friend. ❤
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Amanda and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the lovely review. I am so pleased you enjoyed the book and that it evoked good memories for you. I am in such good company here and both Teri’s book and Craig’s book are on my TBR list. xo
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Thanks for the visit, Darlene. My mom and I were talking about my memories of Holland on Friday and I was smiling because they all felt so refreshed. I’m delighted to share the review. Happy Sunday!
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They all look great but The Gemini Connection particularly stood out to me. I’ve really noticed lately that the world building makes the difference between a good SFF and a great SFF and I always love well developed characters ❤️
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Teri does a nice job with world-building. This is a YA novel, so the teenagers take center stage, but there’s none of that annoying angst that occasionally accompanies YA books. She’s a mom of teenage boys, so she has first hand knowledge! Thanks for stopping by Theresa. Happy Reading!
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Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:
While I’m touring Viral Blues around, you might want to check out this wonderful review of it’s predecessor, The Hat.
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Congrats on the new book. I’ll have to check it out. And thanks for sharing the review. 🙂
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I’m excited about it. Still promoting it around the blog world. Halloween season is a good time for this kind of story.
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So glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and placing me with these wonderful authors.
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You’re welcome, Craig. I got such a kick out of your book. It’s a pleasure to share. 🙂
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That makes me so happy. Thank you.
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