THE GRANDEST GAME by Jennifer Lynn Barnes The most recent installment (for just a couple more days . Newest release is about to hit the market) in Barnes' Inheritance Games series is slightly tamer than its predecessors. Avery and the Hawthorne brothers turn their sights from troubles at home to running a game on their private island for 7 lucky golden ticket holders. That is until an unexpected 8th joins in. The game? The solving of multiple puzzles that test the players in numerous ways. Only one person can win the prize - $27 million dollars. All bets are off when the stakes are that high! Little by little bits of the past creep into this story. (We knew this couldn't be just a straight forward read, right?!) Nothing is what it seems. After all, this is the infamous Hawthorne family that has affected so many people. Some in positive ways, but some in negative ways. Those people haven't forgotten, and they're not about to let the past stay buried. Game on! HEADS UP- This book does have some language. There are uses of a**hole, d***, and h***. There are no f-bombs. There is passionate kissing that occurs while one of the participants is in their towel.

GARDENING FOR MOTHS by Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried It's National Moth Week! (July 19-27) Go outside and see what you can find! Live in town? Check your streetlights! Live in the country? Hang a white sheet and put a spotlight on it and see what comes! Use this beautiful guide to help you identify and learn more about what you find! Gardening for Moths is a comprehensive guide for the moths in the midwest region. This wonderful resource will help you dig in deeper on topics such as what plants attract the moths for their life cycle, times of year to find different species, are they endangered, etc.

MERLIN (BOOK 2 OF THE PENDRAGON CYCLE) by Stephen R. Lawhead I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying this series which is why it is in my TOP PICKS category! Stephen Lawhead is a genius in his storytelling capabilities. From building deep characters and rich settings to creating a story that envelopes you in its artistry and beauty, Lawhead leaves nothing to be desired. The layering that occurs from one book to the next is unparalleled. Pass me a harp and I will sing of its magnificence like the bards of old did. MERLIN is the coming of age story and adulthood of the familiar character from the King Arthur stories. Not portrayed as a wizard but as a druid/bard who is discovering the true Lord, Jesu, this series brings us a whole new perspective and depth on the medieval story that eventually leads to King Arthur. Blessed with unbelievable talents, knowledge, strength, and leadership, Merlin seems destined for all things great and good, but not all future things are visible even to the eyes of a druid. Through his wise council and character, the stage is set for the one that will be coming to unite all the outlying kingdoms into a respectable army that will meet the challenges of the invaders now that the Romans have pulled out and returned home. Book III will be ordered very soon and then shuffled towards the top of my TBR pile, so I can immerse myself once again in the tales of glory from days gone by.

MY FIRST DAY FISHING by Will Millard. Illustrated by Joanna Lisowiec. People of all ages can benefit from this meaty picture book about learning how to fish. Packed with tons of information about every subject you might need to know about how to start your journey into fishing, this wonderful book is written by a well known BBC television host of fishing documentaries and a regular contributor to Fallon's Angler magazine. Will Millard's sage advice and tips and tricks are just as applicable on our side of the pond as they are on his! My First Day Fishing is the type of book that you can read cover to cover or flip through and only chose the topics that you are interested in. (I'll include a picture of the table of contents in the comments, so you can get an idea what this book covers.) Delightful illustrations fill the pages in cool blues and greens that give you a feeling of stepping into the depths you are reading about. It is very refreshing! If fishing is on the schedule for this summer and you have a newbie fisherman, this is a great book to go through in preparation for your big day! Highly recommend!!

DON'T TRUST FIST by Neil Sharpson. Illustrated by Dan Santat Are you looking for a hilarious picture book to share with your kids? If so, you'll want to check out Don't Trust Fish. Who knew that fish were such schemers? You will never look at fish the same way again, and Heaven help you if you have a fish tank in your home! Dan Santat 's illustrations are perfect for this book! If you think the text is funny, the pictures double the experience! Oh, by the way! Make sure you don't stop reading the book at the page with "THE END." Make sure you turn the page one more time to see who is sitting at the computer authoring this book! Too Funny!

WILL'S RACE FOR HOME by Jewell Parker Rhodes It's post Civil War during the time of sharecropping. Will's father, grandfather, and mother are discovering that life as sharecroppers isn't much different than the life they led as slaves. They're still working someone else's land and when settling day comes (the day when they cash the crops they've grown in for money), they never get ahead. The dreams of freedom and working their own land are quickly dying until they hear about the Oklahoma Land Race. If they can just get there, and if they can just have a chance at staking a claim before someone else does just maybe those dreams they've been dreaming will come true. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised when I opened this book and began reading. I was quickly caught up in the story line. This is a story about dreaming, hard work, tenacity, dedication, caring about others more than yourself, friendship, and leaving something better for your family. Jewell Parker Rhodes writes a very engaging story that keeps you hooked until you close the cover. Highly Recommend!!

A PIGLET CALLED TRUFFLE (BOOK 1 IN THE JASMINE GREEN RESCUES SERIES) by Helen Peters. Illustrated by Ellie Snowdon. How fun is it that today is E.B. White's birthday, and I have a book about a runt piglet to share?! Do you have child that loves animals? If so, this book might be a great win for you! Jasmine is an animal lover. When she goes a vet call with her mother to a neighboring farm and discovers a neglected runt piglet, she takes the piglet without permission and sneaks it home. Needless to say, it isn't long before she is discovered. How realistic is it to keep a PIGLET hidden away from your parents, especially one that is in a life and death situation? When she is discovered, her parents make her call the farmer and admit her wrong doing. The gruff farmer has no plans for the piglet, so he allows her to keep it. Thus begins the adventures of Truffle and Jasmine. However, Jasmine's father is a farmer, and animals, like pigs, earn their keep. Jasmine's going to have to come up with a good plan for Truffle, or she won't last real long on the farm. HEADS UP- As mentioned above, Jasmine does steal the piglet from the farm and lies repeatedly about what is going on until she is caught and has to own up to what she's done. Her parents make her call the farmer and admit that she stole a piglet. She doesn't apologize to the farmer or her parents and that is the extent of the discipline.

THE HEALER'S APPRENTICE by Melanie Dickerson I enjoyed Melanie Dickerson's The Warrior Maiden so much that when I was at a bookstore and came upon some more of her books, I selected The Healer's Apprentice to read. The Healer's Apprentice is not a fairytale retelling. However, it definitely checks the fairytale genre box requirements. Rose has the rare opportunity to be an apprentice to the local healer in town. By way of a serious accident, the Duke's son, Lord Hamlin, needs immediate attention, and Rose's mentor/master is out on other calls. (Surprise! Surprise!) Enter fireworks on both people's parts! The problem? Social class separation between the star-crossed lovers and both have been promised to other people. What makes this book surprising is that despite the feelings that are developing, both Rose and Lord Hamlin decide to follow the plan that God has for them even if it means parting ways. This is something we don't run into in normal romance novels. So what ends up happening? You'll have to read the story to find out what the end result is! HEADS UP- There is passionate kissing in the story. There is a briefly mentioned rape attempt. Details are very light and the attempt is thwarted.

THE WEDNESDAY WARS by Gary D. Schmidt In a perfect house, with the perfect lawn, with the perfect flowers lining the walkway dwells a perfect family, right? Holling Hoodhood is a seventh grader that lives in the perfect house, and he's convinced his teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates him. After all, he messed up her perfect plans for Wednesday afternoons off each week, and now she is making him suffer through the works of Shakespeare as punishment. But is he really suffering when he reads Shakespeare (he sure seems to know an awful lot about life), and does Mrs. Baker really hate him, or is she actually investing in him? Throw in the Vietnam War (Mrs. Baker's husband is MIA) and a couple of horrid escaped classroom pets, rats, and you have a pretty clear understanding of the circumstances surrounding all of this. Oh wait! I forgot one...the perfect house. Holling 's father is the local architect who is bent on winning every possible bid for his company in their small town and becoming Businessman of the Year, again, at the expense of his family (especially his kids). It really doesn't matter what they think or what they're going through, they must be perfect so they win bids. Schmidt is a master writer. His ability to craft an amazing story that wrenches you in the guts and pair Shakespeare with it to provide clarity to situations is unmatched. PARTIAL SPOILER ALERT All of this was amazing, but it was his metaphorical picture of when the perfect house's ceiling in the perfect room crashes in due to mold that has obviously been growing there for a while

THE BEAR ATE YOUR SANDWICH by Julia Sarcone-Roach Here is in Ohio, surrounding our county, we are seeing a major uptick in reported black bear sightings. Because of this, I had to dedicate some space to black bear picture books! I'm going to single out a book on this post, but then I'm going to follow it up with a post of much loved bear books! THE BEAR ATE YOUR SANDWICH is not a new release. However, this humourous picture book is new to me. Through a series of events involving berries, a black bear ends up finding himself in the mysterious forest of the big city. Replicating all of his favorite things in a slightly different way since he is in new surroundings, the bear finds his way through the steel structures of the "woods." Stumbling upon a park, he finds an open lunchbox on a bench with a delicious sandwich inside. He makes short work of the sandwich, and with the last bite in his mouth, realizes he's being watched by,,,,dogs. He skedaddles out of the park and makes his way back home leaving the dog to explain the happenings to its owner. However, the book ends in such a way that leaves the reader wondering was there ever really a bear, or did the dog have something to do with the disappearing sandwich? Your child can decide!

BOYS SHOULD BE BOYS: 7 SECRETS TO RAISING HEALTHY SONS by Meg Meeker, M.D. UPDATED The floor is open to you to comment on Chapters 1-2. I want to let each of you have the opportunity to share first about what struck you in these chapters, what your take aways were, encouragements, etc. I will add my own thoughts later on today. MY THOUGHTS - Recently, one of you who is reading this, told me they cried as they read the first two chapters. I get that. The disappearance of boyhood is serious. Reading this week's chapters, I kept getting a picture of Arliss from the old Disney classic, Swiss Family Robinson. Remember that great movie? Arliss is constantly running and tumbling with animals, covered in mud, blowing coconut bombs up, and digging a tiger pit. He's adventurous, conquering the world around him (notice I didn't say the people- he's not ruling his parents), processing everything around him. Let's take that thought and move into current day. How many of us have heard the older generation mourn the fact that there are no sweaty, sun-kissed/freckle faced kids outside anymore when they drive past houses? I have. More times than I can count. I am all in on the 3 foundational parts needed for a boy's life- God, parents, siblings/friends. God- the one who has created him, who has placed the priceless value on his life. PARENTS- the ones sheltering, navigating, training, loving him day in and day out. Sibs and friends - the ones he'll grow up with, who wrestle and explore the world with him, who stand alongside him when the going gets tough, who know him inside and out. I have seen the "Boys will do virtually anything their father wants them to do" in action in my own home with my son. Why? Because that is the role that he will someday fill. He is learning alongside and desires the respect of the very one that he will become some day in his own home. I try and teach way too much. There are those that believe every moment is a teachable moment, and I get that. However, there are moments that we just need to be still with each other, laugh with each other, etc. "Television is a dumping ground where callous advertisers and pop culture pimps pour their trash..." I loved that quote, but that expands so much beyond TV now. Can anyone say social media? Oh, it can be used for productivity, but the majority of it is worthless content designed to just keep us occupied and addicted and not just our sons! This Momma's preaching to the choir right now! Did the statistics surprise you? Remember, they're 17 years old. Do you think they've improved? Not a chance! The morality hasn't increased in those years, so why would those numbers be moving in more positive directions? We live in a world that tells us to find our own truth and to search inside ourselves. Folks, if we're lost, and I believe those numbers reinforce the idea that many are, you're not going to find the truth in yourself. This may seem like a downer place to stop, but know there is an answer to all of this! I'd love to hear from you!

BOYS SHOULD BE BOYS: 7 SECRETS TO RAISING HEALTHY SONS by Meg Meeker, M.D. Oh my goodness! Did you not love the stories in this week's chapter?! I completely understand the desire to sleep outside. My grandparents had a sleeping porch off the second level of their house. They lived next to the Juniata River in Pennsylvania, and it was a delight to sleep out there in the warm weather. I don't know what I would have done as a child if a face would have appeared over the edge though! What struck me about the whole situation was how honorably Eli treated the young man. That could have been handled a million different ways, and he chose gentle confrontation with a nonverbal understanding. Then, there's the story of the boys and their fort. All necessities were included including the pipe for the bathroom. I laughed out loud How different from when my sister and I played in the woods and made forts. We were more concerned about the kitchen area for making mud pies then having a bathroom. After reading this, I am convinced the spirit of Tom Sawyer lives on in boys when nature and good friends are thrown together. Seriously, the backpack, the clip, the use of margarine, and the moment that all eyes landed on the smallest in the group as the "test pilot" are proof. I did some crazy things in my younger years but hearing my brother and cousins' stories about the things they did continually is hilarious. Each day was an adventure and the goal was to live life to the fullest and conquer. A couple of topics that really stuck out to me in this chapter: the parental desire to micromanage and the realization of power. Micromanaging is a real issue in today's world. Our world is a different place from when my parents grew up and when we grew up. My parents talk often about how they ran and biked around their neighborhoods as kids. My mom lived in a small town: my dad grew up in a suburb of Detroit. My mom loved when all the kids got together and played neighborhood baseball. No parents were involved, rules had to be agreed on at the start, and it was the kids' responsibilities to work out problems/issues. Now, we cart our kids from one organized event to another. We're losing the development of learning to work together in the formative years. Everything has to be intense instead of the lazy, summer day atmosphere of fun. The last thing I'm going to touch on is the reference to power. The discovery of power, the refinement and learning to control it, and then learning to use it in the blessing of others are valuable lessons for young men. This chapter definitely challenged me to have my son focus more on serving others. It is so important that we help them learn to use their power not in selfish pursuits (often at the expense of others) but at the lifting of others up. Can't wait to hear your thoughts! Comment away!