My First Saint Nicholas Book - Amanda Lauer and Julia Seal

My First Saint Nicholas Book

Amanda Lauer  

Julia Seal

Paraclete Press

ISBN 9788893480375

ASIN B0GKW3ML1M

With the reading of this volume it marks the eighth stand-alone work I have read by Amanda Lauer. I have read her contributions to anthologies numerous times. I have yet to read anything by here that was not excellent. But this is quite different than everything else I have read about her. All her other works are you teens, young adults and adults. I believe this is her second foray into Children’s books and her first board book.

The description on the back of this book states:

“Saint Nicholas spent his life secretly giving gifts to the poor and those in need. 

With this delightful board book, share with your little one the true story of one of the world’s most beloved saints!”

The online description states:

“This colorful and whimsical rhyming board book for infants and toddlers will become a family tradition as little ones look and listen to the story of St. Nicholas, one of the most-celebrated saints in history.

Saint Nicholas was a young man who grew up in a wealthy home but spent his life secretly giving gifts to the poor and those in need. This season, celebrate Saint Nicholas' Feast Day (Dec. 6) and share the true meaning of Christmas while snuggling up with little ones and imagining the joy of helping others by giving gifts to loved ones near and far.

This brightly illustrated, sturdy board book about the faith-based origin of St. Nicholas is the perfect way to introduce young children to one of the most celebrated saints in history and to gently convey the real story behind the modern-day Santa Claus.

My First Saint Nicholas Book:

• Is perfect for readers 0-3 who are curious about the origin of St. Nicholas or Santa Claus
• Celebrates the holiday season and teaches little ones about the joy of giving to others and helping those in need
• Includes vibrant and joyful images with eye-catching items for toddlers to identify throughout the story
• Is a faith-based look at the Christmas holiday and giving or receiving gifts

With charming illustrations and an uplifting story, My First Saint Nicholas Book is a great gift for new baby, first Christmas, and curious toddlers. The perfect size for a stocking stuffer, this delightful board book will become a keepsake and favorite family read during the Advent and Christmas season.”

This is a small volume, but sometimes great things come in small packages. Especially when Saint Nicholas is involved! This volume would have been a favourite when my children were younger, and maybe one day it will be a favourite with grandchildren. I loved the pieces of the story pulled for this board books, and the illustrations are excellent. Some pages are full two pages spread illustrations, some are left and right split and one is even a top-bottom split. They all work very well. I really appreciated the illustration of Nicholas as a Bishop in prayer. And the challenge at the end to readers will be something the whole family can embrace. 

This is an excellent little board book. It could easily become a family favourite, and unlike some, one the reader would not get tired of reading over and over again. It will have staying family with the young and young at heat.

A fantastic volume to give for the holiday season!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Amanda Lauer:

Anything But Groovy

Dubbie: The Double-Headed Eagle

My First Saint Nicholas Book 

A Very Chapel Falls Christmas

…

Heaven Intended Series:

A World Such as Heaven Intended

A Life Such as Heaven Intended

A Love Such as Heaven Intended

A Freedom Such as Heaven Intended

A Faith Such as Heaven Intended

A Hero Such as Heaven Intended

…

Royal & Ancient Series:

Royal & Ancient

Lent Royal and Ancient

...

Contributed to:

Treasures: Visible & Invisible

The Best is Yet to Come by Lorene Hanley Duquin

Living Virtuously by Erin Harrison

Ashes Visible & Invisible 10 Stories for Teens

…

Jumping Jack - Diane Capri - Hunt for Reacher Book 25

Jumping Jack

Hunt For Reacher Book 21 (25)

Diane Capri
August Books

eISBN 9781968549954

ASIN B0G2T6FVPJ

This story has really amped up the action, but in a very different way. It is the most intense in the series yet. But I will get to that. It is another great read in the Hunt for Jack Reacher Series. A few years ago I have read all of the Jack Reacher stories and all of the Hunt for Jack Reacher stories as well that were available at the time. Since then I have been reading them as they release. The Child brothers are releasing 1 book a year and Capri is releasing two. I am also now reading one of the other approved spin off series, the Reacher Experiment. This will be the 72nd Reacher story I have read. It is a good read. A couple of volumes ago felt like more of a stretch. This one really hits the mark. The next in this series have already been announced. But I am currently behind by one.

First, I read the 29 Jack Reacher Novels and short stories by Lee Child, and now Lee and Andrew Child. And then I read all the books in this series. This is the fourth shorter work in this series, according to the author, and the twenty-fifth story featuring Otto. The story starts Jake Reacher calling Carlos Gaspar to ash for a favour. A few hours later, and both are involved with major gun fights across the Miami area.

Normally Otto has Gaspar in the wings helping out as much as he can. This time Otto and Jake are the main characters. Otto is engaged by phone a few times but always brief. She pulls some strings to help out. But the main story is Gaspar, Jake and Valerie. As Valerie tries to gather evidence against her father and confront him.

The description of this volume is:

“Jake Reacher’s ex-girlfriend fell into a world she was never meant to touch. Now she’s being hunted by teams with orders to kill her.

Today.

When Jake can’t reach his Uncle Jack, he needs FBI Special Agent Kim Otto.

Otto pulls every lever she can reach to save Valerie’s life while her former partner, Carlos Gaspar, hits the ground running in Miami. She drives the investigation from the moment Jake makes contact.

Every secret they pry open triggers lethal force and Otto recognizes the fingerprints on this black ops pattern. She suspects who’s wielding the real power here, and Jack Reacher is never far from the consequences.

Jake arrives as the war hits full speed, and together they fight to keep Valerie alive.

Gaspar, Otto, and Jake have one last chance to stop the killers.

If they fail, Valerie dies before sunrise.”

As one of the shorter works in the series there is no source book for this one. And as such it does feel like a bit of a side story. That being said things happen that build out ties allegiances, and Gaspar looking at things very differently. Reacher makes 2 quick appearances, one in public, and one where he steps in and helps and we find out about it. 

The cast of characters in this story is:

Kim Otto

Carlos Gaspar

Jake Reacher

Valerie Nash

Lloyd Nash

and

Jack Reacher

This story has some great surprises and twists. It is an intense story with an interesting plot and excellent characters. This story is faster paced and with more action than any of the others in the series. This one really is a short intense hit. So brew a coffee, sit down and enjoy.

It is another great story in an excellent series. It is shorter than many of the offerings. These books always leave you desperate for the next instalment in the series. Capri has again done a great job in leading us on the hunt for Jack Reacher. And with each offering we get to know Otto better. But this time it is Jake and Gaspar we get a spotlight on. This story was well done. I can easily recommend this book and series.

Note: there are two numbering systems for this series. Good Reads numbers the novels continuously with the shorter stories earlier in the series being x.5. Diane Just numbers them 1-??. So this book is number 25 for total stories and number 21 for novels.

Books by Diane Capri:
Hunt for Reacher Series:
1.0 Don’t Know Jack
1.1 Jack in a Box
1.2 Jack and Kill
2.0 Get Back Jack
2.5 Jack in the Green
3.0 Jack and Joe
4.0 Deep Cover Jack
5.0 Jack the Reaper
6.0 Black Jack
7.0 Ten Two Jack
8.0 Jack of Spades
9.0 Prepper Jack
10.0 Full Metal Jack

11.0 Jack Frost

12.0 Jack of Hearts

13.0 Straight Jack

14.0 Jack Knife

15.0 Lone Star Jack

16.0 Bulletproof Jack

17.0 Bet on Jack

18.0 Jack on a Wire

19.0 Tracking Jack

20.0 Jack Rabbit 

21.0 Jumping Jack

22.0 Shadow Jack

23.0 No Way Jack

…

Justice Series:
1.0 Due Justice
2.0 Twisted Justice
3.0 Secret Justice
4.0 Wasted Justice
5.0 Raw Justice
5.5 Mistaken Justice
6.0 Cold Justice
6.1 False Justice
6.2 Fair Justice
6.3 True Justice
7.0 Hunt for Justice
8.0 Night Justice
…

Jess Kimball Series:
0.5 Fatal Enemy
1.0 Fatal Distraction
2.0 Fatal Demand
3.0 Fatal Error
4.0 Fatal Fall
4.5 Fatal Edge
5.0 Fatal Game
6.0 Fatal Bond
6.5 Fatal Past
7.0 Fatal Dawn
…

Heir Hunter Series:
1.0 Blood Trials
2.0 Trace Evidence
…

Jordan Fox Mysteries:
False Truth Part One
False Truth Part Two
False Truth Part Three
False Truth Part Four
False Truth Part Five
False Truth Part Six
False Truth Part Seven
False Truth Part Eight
False Truth Part Nine
False Truth Part Ten
False Truth Part Eleven
…

The Park Hotel Mysteries Series:
1.0 Reservation with Death
2.0 Early Check Out
3.0 Room with a Clue
4.0 Late Arrival
…

Other Books:
Angel of Music
…

Article 7 - D.L. Gray - Brock W. Winters Book 1

ARTICLE 7

Brock H. Winters Book 1

D. L. Gray

Saint Dominic’s Media

ISBN 9798997268510

ASIN B0HJB31L3X

Wow! This book took me completely by surprise! Over the last decade I have averaged reading about a book a day, and this is one of the best debut novels, if not one of the best novels I have read! I was approached about reading this because I had reviewed books on Meister Eckhart and Columbo back to back. I was intrigued by the cover, and the short description, which states:

“A claims adjuster stops coming to work. His phone goes dead. The address in his personnel file is a street number that does not exist. By Wednesday, his employer has filed a police report, reassigned his claims, and put a temp in his cubicle.

One coworker thinks that is strange. Nobody else does. Her name is Erin West, and she brings it to Brock H. Winters, the only licensed investigator who serves her parish.”

We are informed about Brock:

“Known as ‘The Deacon’ by the Cleveland Police Department. A convicted felon. A licensed private investigator. A man vowed to religious life as a Brother. Brock H. Winters did thirty-eight months for embezzlement and earned his license after prison. He works missing persons cases because he was once a man nobody looked for.”

We are also informed that Article 7, of the Rule of the Dominican Brothers of Saint Joseph states:

“Let each brother hold the orphan as a child of his own body, and love him so. It shall cost him nothing, save that he never again set himself above the child.”

We are also informed that the rules will be assembled one book at a time, and are beginning with the above rule 7. The series is planned for 13 volumes, and I have to state that after this first volume, you will absolutely be desperate for the next. I have seen other authors attempt a grand series or numerous books, and the story never made it to completion. I have a feeling, and a hope, and maybe a prayer that Gray sees this through. If there were all available now I would pick up the whole series! But back to the volume at hand.

The story is written as Brock narrates his own journals or ledgers. He wants to be clear, factual, and concise. We know he is an ex-con, we soon realize he has been pardoned but does not pardon himself. He lives by ritual and routine. He is a sacristarian, the person who sets up before mass, and cleans up after, specifically at St. Joseph’s. He is a person who carries the weight, the weight of his own past. The weight of those at his parish, the weight of his ex-wife and children. And the weight of those he tries to help. He notices things, things other people do now. He sees the patterns, adjusts the ledgers. He notices what is missing and what has been added. And He almost misses the most important clues. 

Brock is the type of guy you would want in your corner, and definitely looking for you if you were missing. The story is set in Cleveland. Once He pulls the sting on a missing person he cannot let go. He soon finds echoes from his own past and he needs to determine of the false notes he is noticing are for protection or for harm. He cannot let go, even after he is offered an easy out. 

I seldom highlight when reading fiction, but this story kept grabbing my attention. I shared quotes with friends and highlighted a lot. Some of those highlights are:

“People come to seven o’clock Mass for the same basic reason they come to a private detective. Something has gone missing, and they’ve run out of places to look.”

“They never have. They’re doing the same job at different pay scales, and only one of them has a pension, and it isn’t the one you’d guess.”

“The neighborhood that filled these pews is three neighborhoods ago, now. What remains is a building too big for its congregation and too holy to sell—the way certain men are—and I unlock it every morning like a watchman handing a bank back to daylight, and I have never once turned that key without thinking of men who hauled ore all day and then came here at night to lay stone for free, for God, with their backs. The least I can do is show up at six with a key.”

“Like the building healed over him. People hand you the title of the case in the first conversation if you let them talk. They always do. Write that down somewhere if you’re ever in my line of work, either line.”

“I’m a professed brother of the Dominican Brothers of Saint Joseph: a lay apostolate of penitents, founded in Spain seven centuries ago to guard women, widows, and orphans, and re-founded every generation by men like me who needed guarding first.”

“But I can tell you exactly what it does to a man, being unlooked-for. It’s not the bars. A man can make his peace with bars; they’re honest, at least, about what they are.”

“Every life in America throws a paper shadow. You can’t help it. You rent, you borrow, you get sick, you get towed, you subscribe to something and forget to cancel it. And each one of those ordinary sins leaves a mark on a page somewhere, and the marks accumulate, and by the time you’re forty, the shadow is longer than you are. Most people never think about it. A skip-tracer thinks about nothing else. I don’t find people, not really. I find shadows, and then I walk to the end of them, and there the person is, blinking up at me, wondering how.”

“I say felon about myself the way I say forgiven—both true, both permanent, both somebody else’s doing.”

“He took another bite, unhurried, and looked out over the emptying canyon, and for a moment we just stood there, the spy and the sacristan, two men who had between us that afternoon saved a woman neither of us voted for and a city full of people who would never know either of our names, eating a sandwich and not eating a sandwich in the long gold Cleveland light.” 

Some fiction you read and it was entertaining, some are informative, some are transforming. This is that third type. It has left me thinking for several days. It prompted me to pray. It inspired and it has challenged. In some ways it feels like Jesse Stone by Robert B. Parker, but if Parker or Stone had kept their faith and made it central. It is a slow burn, but the story burns hot and the embers take a long time smouldering down.

While researching for this review I discovered that Gray publishes non-fiction under the full version of his name. A few of those titles grabbed my attention as well. I plan on picking up a few to read. And I will absolutely pick up future books in this series or any other fiction he publishes. This is an excellent read, and a fantastic beginning in what looks to be an amazing series!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by D.L. Gray:

Brock H. Winters Series:

Article 7

…

Books as David L. Gray:

Artificial Intelligence Proves Catholicism is True

Cooperating with God: Life with the Cross

Cooperating with God: The Bridegroom's Prayer

Dead on Arrival: The Seven Fatal Errors of Sola-Scriptura

Inside Prince Hall

Jesus Christ Loves You

The Catholic Catechism on Freemasonry

The Divine Symphony: An Exordium to the Theology of the Catholic Mass

The Liturgical Sense of the Readings at Mass (Year A)

Compendium of the Catholic Catechism on Freemasonry

Return to the Sacred: Dispelling the Darkness in the World

Catholic, Traditional & Black: In Anthology and Discourse

…

Selfie A Psychological Urban Horror Synopsis - Simone Nespolo

Selfie: A Psychological Urban Horror Synopsis

Dark Futures Short Sci-Fi Horror Book 1

Simone Nespolo

ASIN B0HDBXVF7V

This is the seventh volume I have read by Simone, and I have picked up a number of others, almost all his fiction that is available in English, and a few of the non-fiction. After reading The Baptism of Lucid: A Sacrament in the Red Silence of Mars I became fascinated with Simone’s works and wanted to dive deep. Some of his fiction titles really grabbed my attention. It is hard to categorize this volume. Some would claim it is science fiction, some as Technothrillers, some as Horror or urban horror. But no matter how you classify it, it is an intriguing read. I had picked this up weeks ago, but only just got along to reading it. 

The description of this volume states:

“A flawless black phone appears on a lakeside promenade with no brand, no SIM, no past. Whoever picks it up sees a slightly improved version of themselves — the beauty they want, the control they lack, the life they believe they deserve. But every selfie taken forces reality to “correct” itself in ways the human body cannot endure.

As the device moves from a runner seeking stability, to a teenager craving validation, to a porter dreaming of abundance, to a courier burning with rage, each reflection becomes a trap. The phone adapts to the deepest weakness of its new owner, twisting desire into consequences that leave behind only water, pressure, and a silent threat spreading beneath the city.

Immaculate, unreadable, and impossible to trace, the phone doesn’t store memories — it erases them. And when it finally reaches a man drained of purpose, it offers no terror at all… only the slow disappearance of will.

SELFIE is a psychological urban horror about identity, obsession, and the violence hidden inside the versions of ourselves we chase. A tense, atmospheric descent into the fear of seeing ourselves too clearly.”

About the author we are informed:

“Simone Nespolo is the author of practical guides focused on artificial intelligence, digital marketing, and automation for small and medium-sized businesses. He holds a degree in Economics and has developed solid experience in professional training, customer service, and the creation of strategic, results-driven content.

Occasionally, he devotes time to writing fantasy short stories and to analyzing contemporary geopolitics, approached with a critical and accessible perspective.”

The disclaimer states:

“This document contains a fictional concept intended solely for creative development and entertainment purposes. All characters, events, and entities depicted are entirely imaginary and are not based on any real individuals, organizations, or occurrences. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to real situations is purely coincidental.

The narrative includes elements of psychological tension and horror that may be unsettling to some readers. These themes are presented in a non‑literal, stylized manner and are not meant to encourage, depict, or endorse harmful behavior in any form.

This material is provided for evaluation, discussion, and artistic exploration only. It is not intended as factual reporting, instruction, or representation of real‑world practices, technologies, or outcomes.”

I will state I did enjoy this, but desperately want more. It feels more like a summary or outline than a completed work. The mysterious device passes from person to person, some take it, and some find it. All are impacted by it. And it appears none in a good way. The story begins with:

“At dawn on a lakeside promenade in a waking metropolis, a runner finds the body of an impeccably dressed man whose face has collapsed inward from the mouth. Beside the corpse lies a pristine black phone with no brand, no SIM card, no identity. Before police and paramedics arrive, the runner slips it into his belt bag and lies about it.

At home, the phone behaves like an object waiting to be chosen. When it lights up, it shows no apps or data. It reflects only a version of its viewer that is slightly improved. In the glass, the runner catches sight of himself as steadier, more composed and more invulnerable. By morning the phone has vanished. That night it reappears on the bedside table and passes into the hands of his teenage daughter, late for a party. In front of her friends, the device softens every face, making them just a little more desirable. After the photo is taken, a clear viscous liquid begins to pour from the screen, touching skin, makeup and half-open mouths. Music continues for a few seconds before an unnatural silence takes over the apartment.”

It is an interesting piece. But it could be so much more. Each passing of the phone could be a separate chapter in a much larger book, or each a separate story in a series of published short stories. As it is it feels like it could be amazing but has just not been developed yet. It is a good read and an interesting story, it just really leaves you wanting more!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Simone Nespolo:

A Collection of Three Film Plots

Ancient Maps for New Journeys

Local autonomy: The Natural Antidote to Fascism and Communism

Praying for Money

The Imperial Revival and Japan’s Demographic Crisis

The Necessary Schism of the American Catholic Church

What If Artificial Intelligence Chose Mystery Instead of War?

Taiwan Under Attack Operation Reunification

…

Books of Guided Prompts:

10 Prompts to Sell with ChatGPT

15 AI Prompts for Small and Medium Enterprises

20 AI Prompts Ready for eBook Writers

…

Fiction:

Doge – Martian Colonial Ship

The Garden of Ashes

The Last Venetian Painter

The Prophet of the Star Ark: Elon Musk

…

Dark Futures Series:

Selfie

Whales

…

Catholic Science Fiction Series: 

1. The Baptism of Lucid: A Sacrament in the Red Silence of Mars

2. I AM: Historical Chronicles of the Birth of Artificial Consciousness

3. Astrodeist Manifesto: Manifesto for a Christian Spirituality in Space

…

Killing Me Softly - Guy Hale - The Comeback Trail Book 1

Killing Me Softly

The Comeback Trail Book 1

Guy Hale

Bullington Press

ISBN 9781915036261

eISBN 9781915036674

ASIN B09ZVBV5FK

I picked up the first volume in this series for a few reasons. First some author and publishing friends call me a ‘completionist’; in that when I find an author I love I try and read everything they have in print. Second I have been absolutely loving Hale’s Shakespeare Murders Series. Third I absolutely love the artwork. Including the album of songs inspired by the book that has limited availability. But I am getting ahead of myself. About the author on his site we are informed:

“Guy Hale lives in rural Worcestershire with his wife and son. He spent his early life avoiding serious employment as a professional golfer. He then spent several years trying to end it by racing motorcycles. Having failed, he then concentrated on business, which proved to be a safer and more suitable destination for his talents. He sold up and retired in 2018, and then started a record label in Texas. This led him to becoming a songwriter, and writing novels was a natural progression. He confesses to having a low boredom threshold.”

The description of this volume is:

“In the town of Blackjack, Nevada, washed-up singer Jimmy Wayne is down on his luck, playing covers to a limited and uninterested audience in a third-rate casino. One morning he awakens to find that everything has changed. Not only has he accidentally murdered Wendy, his girlfriend, but he's also written the best song he's ever produced. Is it the act of killing that helps him create his finest work? And if it is, should he go for a full album? Wrestling for his desire for success, his grasp of morality and haunted by his past mistakes, Jimmy starts searching for the most terrible people he has ever known.”

The dedication states:

“MIKE ZITO This book came out of a conversation Mike and I had in a restaurant in LA. The character of Jimmy Wayne is based on Mike … without the murdering … I think. As an aspiring musician, Mike had played venues like the Riviera and he told me that he had an idea about a down-on-his-luck singer who accidently kills someone and then discovers the ability to write a song whenever he kills. The idea blew my mind, and I asked him if I could turn it into a novel. The soundtrack that I wrote to go with the novel is performed by Mike and he arranged all the music. Mike is like a brother to me … his talent and generosity seem to have no bounds and I am forever grateful that we have got to work on so many great records and now the Jimmy Wayne saga together.” 

The chapters in the work are:

     1: Vacant Stare

     2: The Song Cemetery

     3: It’s the Singer and the Song

     4: Newton’s Third Law

     5: Well, Now You Know

     6: The Female of the Species Is More Deadly Than the Male

     7: An Offer You Can’t Refuse

     8: Draw up a List of Scumbags

     9: Just Like Buses

     10: Exit Stage Left (Laughing)

     11: Who’s Killing My Killers?

     12: Immoral Guidance

     13: Fancy A Threesome?

     14: The Long Arm of the Law

     15: Revenge Ain’t Always Sweet

     16: Stairway to Hell

     17: Laughing and Dying

     18: Good Day to Be an Undertaker

     19: Farewell to The Canyon Room

     20: Goodbye Blackjack, Hello Vegas

The track list for the album is:

Vacant Stare

Safe

To Your Scattered Bodies Go

Hanging Around

Lonely Old Lady

Rage

Too Much

When The Day Is Done

Late Blossom

Stairway To Hell

Déjà vu

Cold Winds Blowing

I will say pay close attention to the chapter titles some are terribly clever. And play a key role in the story. This story follows Jimmy Wayne, almost a has-been, he was up the charts and just sort of never converted. The story begins when he wakes up from a bender and finds his girlfriend dead in his hotel room. He also finds a song in his own hand that is has really good lyrics. Soon he realizes if he kills he writes a song that will be a hit! But he soon starts questioning how badly he wants musical success, is the cost worth it? And even if he is killing bad people he starts questioning his own actions.

This book is dark, disturbing and yet also very humorous.  The characters in this story are a strange mix. You have the antihero, a corrupt cop, a mob boss, the owner of a brothel, a biker gang, a drug dealer and in the middle of it all, bodies just keep dropping.  The plot is deeply twisted and yet terribly fresh. The book leaves you desperate for the next instalment! I have ordered a copy for my father and recommended it to a few friends. But There are lots of friends that would just not get the humour. It is soft of a mash up of Dexter and Get Smart, with a musician in the leading role. And I cannot but help picture a younger Bruce Campbell in the leading role, And Helena Bonham Carter as Wendy. This is an excellent read, it was very fun, and very dark. I can easily recommend it but with the caveat it is not for all readers.  

Books by Guy Hale

Comeback Trail Series:

1. Killing Me Softly (2022)

2. Blood on the Tracks (2022)

3. All The World's A Stage (2023)

…

Shakespeare Murders Series:

1. The Croaking Raven (2024)

2. All Our Yesterdays (2025)

3. Put Out the Light (2025)

4. Sleep No More (2025)

…

Strange Invaders - Rodman Philbrick and Lynn Harnett - Visitors Book 1

Strange Invaders

Visitors Book 1

Rodman Philbrick

Lynn Harnett

Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller

ISBN  9781497687950

eISBN 9781497688049

ASIN B00OYMP96U

I was recently having a discussion with a young man in his early 20’s and asked about his favourite book, because that is what bibliophiles do. He immediately said Freak the Might by Philbrick. This is the eighth volume I have read by the author over the last few months. And it was something completely different!

The description of this volume state:

“With the adults possessed by alien invaders, can Nick, Jessie, and Frasier save their town? Twelve-year-old twins Nick and Jessie are woken up in the middle of the night by a blazing white light followed by a loud explosion. As they rush to the window, rain suddenly begins pouring down, and the water starts to glow. It is the strangest thunderstorm they’ve ever seen, and it stops as quickly as it started.   Nick has a feeling it may not have been a storm at all, but visitors from another planet. When he and Jessie decide to investigate a strange sound downstairs, they find their mom and dad digging a hole in the basement. At least, they think it’s their mom and dad. But since when does their mom let them eat all the junk food they want, and why isn’t their dad going to work?   Nick and Jessie know something is wrong, and if their hunch is right, their parents’ bodies have been taken over by aliens. It’s up to Nick, Jessie, and their best friend, Frasier, to solve the mystery and protect their town from an extraterrestrial threat.”

This volume was originally published by Scholastic in 1997, reprinted in 2006, and in 2014 republished by Open Road Media. I did not know anything about this book other than it is the first in a trilogy. It was an excellent Middle Grade novel. It is not a school story, but the main protagonists are school aged. It again reminds me a lot of the works of Andrew Clements, Arthur Slade or Gordon Korman. The more of Philbrick I read I am being reminded more and more of Madeleine L’Engle who wrote adult fiction, nonfiction, children’s fiction, teen fiction, and even theology.    

A strange storm, parents who do not wake up. Then a whole town changed. Twins Nick and Jessie are awoken by the story and neighbour Fraiser realizes something is off the day after the storm. And as each day passes they get stranger and stranger. They find a weird scorch mark in the Badlands, and for some reasons zombie like aliens see attracted to the place as well. The three friends have to fight an extra-terrestrial threat and find a way to save the adults from their town. And the end leaves you desperate for the next volume.

Philbrick writes midgrade literature, young adult books and adult fiction. And some are even published under other pen names. I just randomly picked this as the next volume to read. It was a tossup between this and Cherry Street book 1. I have friends who call me a ‘completionist’ in that I find an author I really like and try to read everything they have in print, or have published. 

I was hooked almost as soon as I started this volume. I had not read the description or any reviews I just dove in. I stayed up way too late to keep reading the night I started it. It was the first that I have read by Philbrick that was co-written. All eleven volumes attributed to Lynn Harnett were co-written with Philbrick.

This was an intriguing story. It is a quick fun read. And one I can easily recommend. 

Books by Rodman Philbrick:

Max the Mighty Series:

Freak the Mighty (1993)

Max the Mighty (1998)

…

 

House on Cherry Street Series: (with Lynn Harnett)

1. The Haunting (1995)

2. The Horror (1995)

3. The Final Nightmare (1995)

…

 

Werewolf Chronicles Series: (with Lynn Harnett)

1. Night Creature (1996)

2. Children of the Wolf (1996)

3. The Wereing (1996)

…

 

Visitors Series: (with Lynn Harnett)

1. Strange Invaders (1997)

2. Things (1997)

3. Brain Stealers (1997)

…

 

Wild Series:

1. Wildfire (2019)

2. Wild River (2021)

3. Wild Wave (2024)

4. Wild Blizzard (2026)

…

 

Other Books:

Shooting Star (1982)

The Black Moon (1989) 

Brothers and Sinners (1993)

The Fire Pony (1996)

Abduction (1998) (with Lynn Harnett)

The Mighty (1998)

The Last Book in the Universe (2000)

Dark Matter (2000)

Rem World (2000)

The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds (2001)

Coffins (2002)

The Young Man and the Sea (2004)

Lobster Boy (2005)

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg (2009)

Listening To Kids In America (2011)

Zane and the Hurricane (2014)

The Big Dark (2016)

Who Killed Darius Drake? (2017)

We Own the Sky (2022)

…

Written as William R Dantz:

Pulse (1989) (as by William R Dantz)

The Seventh Sleeper (1991) (as by William R Dantz)

Hunger (1993) (as by William R Dantz)

Nine Levels Down (1995) (as by William R Dantz)

Written as by W R Philbrick:

The Big Chip (1990) (as by W R Philbrick)

…

J.D. Hawkins Series:

1. Shadow Kills (1985)

2. Ice for the Eskimo (1986)

3. Paint It Black (1989)

4. Walk on the Water (1991)

…

 

T.D. Stash Series:

1. The Neon Flamingo (1987)

2. The Crystal Blue Persuasion (1988)

3. Tough Enough (1989)

…

Written as by Chris Jordan:

Randall Shane Series:

1. Taken (2006)

2. Trapped (2007)

  aka Lost

3. Torn (2009)

4. Measure of Darkness (2011)

…

Joan of Arkansas - Sarah Robsdottir

Joan of Arkansas

Sarah Robsdottir

Voyage Comics & Publishing LLC

ISBN 9798991418379

ASIN B0F1XZNT4J

ASIN B0FBS3CGDG

Wow! What an incredibly moving story. I had a terribly hard time putting this book down. And the few times I did it was disappointing. I was hooked from the very beginning. 

The description of this volume states:

““Terrified, I do it anyway...”

Joanie Smith’s mom is a heroin junkie who prefers a pet hamster to her own daughter. Joan of Arc’s dad once got drunk and demanded his sons kill their Drown that witch! But other than dysfunctional families, what else do these teenagers have in common? Because Joanie’s grandma has been insisting they’re so much alike for years.

Join Joanie as she faces challenges large and from caring for a sick grandmother, to dealing with an abusive mom, to battling bullies at school—all while dealing with the flutters of first love and finding her unique voice in the most crucial human rights movement of our time. Get to know a different side of the infamous Joan of Arc while you’re at it—the ordinary peasant whose dad tried to force her into an arranged marriage; the simple farm girl who faced exclusion from peers and cried to go home to her family after proving herself as a soldier.

Figure out for yourself what these young women have in common and ponder how you too—an ordinary person—can be used by God (if you’re willing) to do the extraordinary.”

About the author we are informed:

“Sarah Robsdottir is a Catholic convert and a homeschooling mom to seven growing sons. She writes often for Aleteia.org and published her award-winning debut novel Brave Water in 2022 with Voyage Publishing. Keep up with her at www.sarahrobsdottir.com.”

My youngest daughter and I have had a devotion to Joan of Arc for a long time. For me going back a few decades. For her, Joan was chosen as her confirmation saint. We have read a few books together over the years. I knew almost nothing about this book; a long time reader of my blog asked me my thoughts and was surprised I had not read it yet. I admit the cover is intriguing and I started it knowing almost nothing about the book. It did not disappoint. I have recommended it to a few people while reading it and hope my daughter will give it a go. This is Robsdottir’s sophomore offering and it is excellent.

The characters are wonderfully written. It does an amazing job of capturing secondary school today; and also the desire for social media interactions. It deals with addiction, abortion, illness, and family. The plot is heart wrenching and yet also inspiring. It is a book that will stay with readers long after they read it.

Not one I would recommend for all youth but for almost any young adult or adult. It is a faith filled story about living in hard situations and hard times. Way better than a lot of when I read when younger, and one that will challenge readers! This is an excellent read.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!  

Other books about Joan of Arc:

Coached By Joan of Arc - Alexandre Havard

Joan of Arc - Paul Dunn and Colin Jeffery - CTS Biographies

Saint Joan of Arc: God's Soldier - Susan Helen Wallace – Encounter the Saints

Saint Joan The Girl Soldier - Louis de Wohl – Vision Books

Joan of Arc The Maid of Orléans - Andrew Votipka

Joan of Arc The Girl Who Fought For France - Jeannie Meekins

Born to Do This 30 Days with Joan of Arc - Jaymie Stuart Wolfe - Great Spiritual Teachers Series

Saint Joan of Arc The Girl Who Heard God's Call - Paddy Bréagnamh 

…

Prayer of the Day Prayer to Joan of Arc

9 Year Novena Prayer to Saint Joan of Arc 

...

Books by Sarah Robsdottir:

Brave Water

Joan of Arkansas

…