Gina Rae Mitchell

Book recommendations for August 2019. Wait!!! How can it possibly be August already? There must be some mistake or a problem with the space-time continuum. Anyway,  I hope you enjoy my August book list. Be sure to leave reviews for any book you read. Reviews are crucial to the success of books and authors.

Synopses from Amazon and Goodreads.

There are affiliate links in this post. If you click through and make a qualified purchase, at no additional cost to you, I may receive a small referral fee.

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Book recommendations for August 2019 — Fiction

Troika: A Supernatural Short Story by Bibiana Krall

A normal day in the Deep South turns into a nightmare, as Chantal discovers that beauty and terror trace the fault lines between life and death. She fights to understand why a good woman, her friend Aida is stricken with a debilitating illness that steals her mind and reason. When Aida’s terrifying visions are revealed, what price does it have when it’s shared with Chantal?

Martin Chalk and the Case of the Underworld King by Bruno Stella

In the city of Fulldon, in the midst of the magic-deadlands, Martin Chalk, a brilliant young alchemist, plies his trade searching for order amongst the substances of the universe. He likewise seeks to use his mind to impose order on the criminals of his wretched city. Equipped with Sherlockian deductive capabilities, if not quite the physical attributes of that great detective, Martin is faced with an enigma that will take all his skills to solve. When a sick priest arrives at his door looking for help in recovering a stolen artifact, little does Martin know that this will lead him into a confrontation with the criminal mastermind known as the Underworld King.

The Case of the Underworld King is the first novella (37000 words) in a series of five interlinked works. Each novella is a complete story in its own, and also a piece in the puzzle of a master narrative.

From Elsewhere by Sarah Baethge 

When space alien Nysol runs to Earth to escape his enemies, the lives of the humans he encounters are changed forever. After unintentional mistakes are made, will these people even have any desire to keep him safe from those who pursue him?
Have Nysol’s rushed decisions only created a trap that will ensnare everyone he tries to get close to?

The Blade Witch ( Songs of Eldrin Book 1) by Nygel Oglesby 

How can one decide between allowing the slaughter of countless innocents or becoming a murderer themselves? How can they choose when both options will destroy them?

Estra lived a sheltered life until her convent is burned down by a band of heretics led by a rogue sorceress, exposing her to a plot large enough to start a new cataclysm. Torn from her home and forced to fight for her life in a world of murder, monsters, and worse, Estra must survive and learn to use her newfound powers if she hopes to prevent a catastrophe. But first, she’ll have to deal with hatred growing inside of her for the people that took everything she loved.

When she’s finally given the assignment of executing those responsible for her suffering, Estra embarks on a journey that reveals things aren’t as black and white as she’d been led to believe.

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River Rising ( Book 1 of 4 in the Carson Chronicles) by John A. Heldt

Weeks after his parents disappear on a hike, Arizona engineer Adam Carson, 27, searches for answers. Then he discovers a secret web site and learns that his mother and father are time travelers stuck in the past. Armed with the information he needs to find them, Adam convinces his younger siblings to join him on a rescue mission to the 1880s.

While Greg, the adventurous middle brother, follows leads in the Wild West, Adam, journalist Natalie, and high school seniors Cody and Caitlin do the same in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Like the residents of the bustling steel community, all are unaware of a flood that will destroy the city on May 31, 1889.

In RIVER RISING, the first novel in the five-book Carson Chronicles series, five young adults find love, danger, and adventure as they experience America in the age of bustle dresses, gunslingers, and robber barons.

  The Young Widow’s Supper Club by IJ Sarlon

Beth is too young to be a widow. As she begins to piece her life back together, trying to focus on her work at the art museum and life in her small and lonely apartment, she follows the advice of others and finds herself in a support group for widows. But whatever it is supposed to do isn’t working. As she begins to lose both patience and hope, Beth is swept up in a group of other young widows who aren’t content to sit in a circle and eat stale cookies and talk about their sadness. The women begin to form new and profound friendships over vibrant meals, lots of wine, and the kind of laughter that comes from the heart. Cheers to new beginnings!

And look for the Young Widows Supper Club Cookbook, coming soon!

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  The Silence of the Kings (Book 1 – The end of the Beginning) by Sam Perin

A young man named Leo Gryffl rediscovers an old family heirloom that goes on to change his world forever. The heirloom that he discovers sends him down a dark, whimsical, and sinister rabbit hole that leads him on a path of adventure, self-discovery, and insanity.

On his journey, he meets a cast of colorful and unique characters that all have a story to tell or a past to run away from. As the story progresses, Leo goes on to find out that their world is not what it seems, and that someone (or something) is somehow influencing political events in almost every country that exists.

Things take a dark turn when entire governments begin to collapse all around our “heroes.” Strange occurrences begin to happen at every corner, and terrifying people that hold mysterious “magical” powers start popping up as the world tears apart at its seams. Rumor in the “Shadow” is that a great beast has awoken beneath the bowels of society. A hydra that cannot be defeated. One that has extended its poisonous heads into the farthest depths of world affairs. But what happens next extends far beyond the reach of politics. Buy the book to find out more.

Proceed cautiously; the hydra is always watching…

Punishment & Good Deeds by Andrew C. McDonald

Recently retired Air Force commando Thomas Mazuko was looking forward to a quiet future spent teaching karate in his small Tampa, Florida, studio. His dreams were of little more than days on the sandy beaches and nights in the company of his wife and children. Little did he know that his instinctive reaction to witnessing the mugging of an elderly woman would set in motion a chain of events that would drastically alter the course of his life. By sheer accident, Mazuko becomes a primary target for the wrath of a powerfully connected local syndicate figure.

When the wealthy and egomaniacal Martin DeValdez sends out wise guys to “teach this upstart a lesson” ,Mazuko’s foster son and a young student are caught up the maelstrom of uncontrolled chaos. As the level of violence escalates, Mazuko realizes that he has become the target of vengeance of a man who will stop at nothing to right what he perceives as personal wrongs. With the body count rising and the lives of his ten-year-old daughter and two-year-old son, as well as the lives of friends, new and old, hanging in the balance, Mazuko must set aside his plans for a quiet retirement and return to the skills of his past in order to fight for his life and the lives of his children.

More book recommendations for August 2019

Man Mission: Four Men, Fifteen Years, One Epic Journey by Eytan Uliel

In college, a group of four young men establishes a tradition: every year, they come together for a week-long trip in search of adventure and distraction. They travel around the world to go hiking, biking, or kayaking. They call it their Man Mission, a sacred ritual dedicated to new experiences and friendship.

In the course of their travels, they hitch a ride with drug dealers in New Zealand, down kava shots on Fijian beaches, come face-to-face with a roaring lion in South Africa. They luxuriate in a resort intended only for Vietnamese Communist officials, trek to Machu Picchu, and go ice climbing in Iceland.

The Fiery Salamander: A Tale of Pre-Revolution Carolina (Backcountry novels Book 1) by Will Robinson

The last gasps of the French and Indian War wreak havoc on a tight-knit group of families settled on the Carolina frontier. A lone boy, James Kirkpatrick, finds himself facing the wrath of a Shawnee war party looking for revenge against their Catawba enemy. That fateful day shapes the next four years of his life as he strives to survive in a land filled with fire, broken men, restless tribes, and rebellion.

  Lingering by Melissa Simonson 

Death doesn’t have to be the end.
With Lingering, your departed loved ones are only ever a text message or phone call away.*
Say all those things you should have said. Get their advice, hear their comforting words, Tell them of your struggles, triumphs, and problems. Let them celebrate your achievements and soothe your fears like they used to. Everyone is welcome, and consultations are always free.
*Some conditions may apply. Please call for further details.

The Timekeeper’s Daughter (The Timekeeper’s Daughter Trilogy Book 1) by C.J.M. Naylor

On her eighteenth birthday, Abigail Jordan foresees the death of a woman, and then it comes true. From there, she goes on an incredible journey of self-discovery in which she uncovers the secrets of her past and her heritage as a timekeeper—people chosen to record and measure time, but not change it. But timekeeping isn’t the important aspect for Abigail. For her, it’s finding out what happened to her biological mother, Elisabeth. Her mother’s death was deemed a suicide, but Abigail knows that this isn’t true.

In the midst of an ongoing war, Abigail must battle both literal war in the world as well as battle the ongoing war within herself. Her biological father, Mathias, wants her to learn about his world while other mysterious figures want her dead. She has to decide who to trust in order to determine where she belongs.

Set in 1940s era London, The Timekeeper’s Daughter follows Abigail as she goes on a journey of self-discovery all while battling issues dealing with love, family, tragedy, and trust.

  Quests and Quandaries (The Floating Isles Book 1) by Alda Yuan

A quest. A princess. She’ll be doing the saving. If she can stop rolling her eyes.

The Floating Isles were created millions of years ago when a beetle the size of a continent churned up mud from the seabed for a perch. And things have only gotten weirder since.

This is a tongue in cheek account of a princess forced to go on a quest, very much against her will. With the proverbial band of sidekicks at her side, Rahni leaves the familiar comforts of home for the mysterious Eigen States, a place where, of course, nothing is as it seems. Or else it wouldn’t be much of a quest.

Rahni is determined not to let the laws of the land dictate anything, least of all how seriously she has to take the whole matter. Her dearest wish is to get through the quest with as few near scrapes and mortal enemies as possible. If she has to go on a quest, she wants it to be bland, with no nonsense about holding the fate of the world in her hands. Naturally, nothing goes quite as she plans. But what else is new?

Book recommendations for August 2019 — Non-fiction

Bedrolls, Bushes and Beaches: The Hippie Years

Against the backdrop of the Vietnam War—with the ongoing saga of his draft status and other historical events of the time—Ron White’s adventures, at home and in numerous locations around the world, began with a schoolboy yearning to travel. His quest was to explore the world as well as to escape. With the tragic loss of several of his best friends, and being the victim of endless abuse at home, it was travel and music that kept him sane.

If you lived during this era, the pages of this inspirational book drip with nostalgia; if you’re too young, then you can be wonderfully entertained as you learn about the world of the 1960s. The hippie era was one of peace and love, but for Ron at times, the opposite was also true. However, his friends, his travels and music galvanized him, until he finally achieved his dream of circumnavigating the world at age 22.

From Awful to Awe-full: What Happens When IT Happens to You by Mark Smith 

Here’s How You Can Rediscover Yourself & Face Life’s Obstacles With Hope and Courage.

Am I the only one who hates the term “self-help” and all those “self-help books”?

If you have ever picked up a self-help book, then you already know that reading general advice and generic clichés will not help you. You are a real person, with real problems, with real fears and real tears.

What you need is a real story. A life transformation story that will allow you to understand, learn, and create real and lasting change in your own life.

From Awful To Awe-full: What Happens When IT Happens To You.

What’s IT? IT is a moment that changes your life. A crisis that leaves you devastated and emotionally drained. A tragic loss, an accident, a natural disaster. IT is something that throws you in the ocean without a life jacket.

And yet, here you are!

    Prosperity in the Eyes of God: Keys to a Prosperous Life by Laura Quirino Castro

A Christian guide on prosperity that is based on the word of God and my experience with God blessing my life. In this book, I teach that prosperity is not only in the financial sense but also, in family and in health. I show how to achieve all three of these prosperities based on events that have happened in my life and scripture lifted directly from the bible.

  Financial Freedom: Breaking the Chains to Independence and Creating Massive Wealth by Chase Lawson

Why is personal finance so important, yet not widely taught in school? Why do you need a financial advisor to tell you what to do with your money? What if there was a simple roadmap you could follow that would set you down the path to achieving your financial dreams?

With the average American having $5,700 in credit card debt and less than $1,000 in savings, it’s time for a change! You no longer have to feel frustrated, defeated and alone. It’s time to tackle your fears head-on and achieve the life you never thought possible.

Whether you are a financial guru or someone just deciding to walk down this path, this book is meant for you and has lessons for everyone to implement.

In this engaging, action-oriented book, Chase Lawson presents proven tips and strategies that will take you from where you are today to where you only ever imagined you could be.

Children’s book recommendations for August 2019

Fool’s Errand (The Beat Street Series Book 2) by Jenna Zark

When her best friend Sophie goes missing, 12-year-old Ruby Tabeata has a choice: wait for her friend to come home or defy her parents and find Sophie.

Set during the 1950s Blacklist era when writers like Sophie’s mom were being jailed or fired, Fool’s Errand sends Ruby out of her city and her comfort zone.

With nothing to rely on but her grit and determination, Ruby has to outsmart the men chasing Sophie and her mom—discovering that whether or not you succeed, trying to save a friend is never a fool’s errand.

Read part one of this middle-grade Beat Street Series, The Beat on Ruby’s Street, to learn how Ruby’s story begins.

Jake, Lucid Dreamer by David J. Naiman 

• 2018 Purple Dragonfly Book Award First Place winner for Middle-Grade fiction
• Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards Gold Medal Winner for Pre-teen fiction – Mature Issues – 2018
• 2018 International Book Award Silver Medal Winner Readers’ Favorite for Coming of Age

12-year-old Jake has been suppressing his heartbreak over the loss of his mother for the past four years. But his emotions have a way of haunting his dreams and bubbling to the surface when he least expects it. When Jake learns how to take control in his dreams, he becomes a lucid dreamer, and that’s when the battle really heats up.

Using his wits to dodge bullies by day and a nefarious kangaroo hopping ever closer by night, Jake learns about loss, bravery, the power of love, and how you cannot fully heal until you face your greatest fear. This uncompromising novel is a magical yet honest exploration of emotional healing after a devastating loss.

  The Adventures of Bluemont by Sasa Garnett

Join a young girl named Bluemont as she embarks on a series of adventures with her animal friends in 1920s America! In this first episode, there is a dilemma: she is about to fail science class. Luckily with the help of her trusty dachshund and a rat named Mildred, there might be a solution.

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That’s it for the book recommendations for August 2019.

I am sure you’ll find a gem or two that intrigue you enough to pick up a copy. I plan to write reviews of several of these in the upcoming months. You will always find my reviews listed on the Book Review Page.