I think I was expecting this to be more along the lines of Stuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters, than this frantic nightmare dash from danger to hazard to disaster. I wasn't sure If I'd continue at first but it sucked me in and, like Copper, I needed to find the answers, be they good, or bad news.

Copper is an eleven year-old girl, homeless on the streets of a fictional town in Texas. It's a rough area, with gangs, addicts, prostitutes and homeless on every corner. She's lived in this area all her life and knows it like the back of her hand, but she's always had her mother at her side. When Mama disappears, Copper leaves no stone unturned in her efforts to find her, even though it seems to result in pain and injury from all sides. 
Her Mama (Corrine Daniels) has ingrained in her, to only trust herself, but it becomes evident that she is going to need a little help. Several people saw Corrine the night before she disappeared and Copper gets a confusing set of clues as to what happened. Meanwhile, Mama seems to have stolen something form someone who wants revenge on Copper, or $1,000. 
Further complication arises when a husband and wife TV evangelist team turns up in the town, with their 'Hail Marys' and 'Save the Lords'.

So, I ask myself, after all this, would I read the second book in the trilogy? And surprisingly, I find myself answering, Yes! Although the magical realism bits did stretch my imagination a bit and didn't really add anything.

 

 

Pennies for Elephants just reached my email and I can’t tell you how excited I was to read it because I knew Ramona was going to write a short story for Richard and Florence’s family. I needed that while I wait for the 5th book of Banished Saga, out sometimes next month. Once again, Ramona does an excellent job of not only giving us a glimpse of some of our favorite characters from the Saga but also incorporating a historical event with the storyline of the Saga quite seamlessly. Then again, because I’ve been a part of this journey since the beginning, I know she’s capable to doing just that. :D

 

Richard, the second (and the handsomest if I might add ;) ) McLeod brother had married the love of his life Florence Butler long before his brothers Gabriel or Jeremy could marry theirs. It seemed like these two had their HEA and that was all there is to it. They were seen on and off in the installments but never really been the focal point of any of the stories. Pennies for Elephants tells us all that and much more.

 

Richard and Florence have been very happy with their big, beautiful family. Their 5 rambunctious boys, Ian, Victor, Thomas, Gideon and Calvin are their world. But all wasn’t as it seemed; there indeed have been some tragedies that had cast a pall in the recent years. Even though life had thrown challenges at them, Richard and Florence knew they could weather anything as long as they stick together. Love and support each-other. So when their boys wanted to raise some funds for welcoming the first ever Elephants for the Franklin Park Zoo, Richard and Florence not only encouraged them, but also helped them to the best of their abilities.

 

Ramona, in the beginning of the story, explains how and why the idea of this story came to her so I will refrain from repeating it. It takes place in 1914, after book 4 Tenacious Love, so I’d suggest reading all the books from 1 through 4 to avoid any confusion and spoilers because this story is not a standalone. And if you’re already a fan of the Banished Saga, you should really read it ASAP!!

 

Interested in meeting the REAL Mollie, Waddy and Tony? Here they are!

 

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Pennies from Burger Heaven by Marcy McKay is the first book in the Burger Heaven Series. It's about eleven year old Copper Daniels. She and her mother are homeless, but she feels life is good until her mom comes up missing. This book was so well written, and Copper is such an alive character that I just couldn't put this book down. It is so full of mystery and intrigue that it is one book not to be missed. I won this book in a book giveaway, and all opinions are my own.

Tamsin is kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery to an abuser. Elder comes to make a deal with him and meets Tamsin who is known as Pim by that time. Both are attracted to each other. Elder always gets what he wants. Will he get Pim? This is not for the faint of heart. It is a dark story. I cannot say it is a romance because there is no romance so far. Pim has suffered abuse for two years at the hand of Alrick, the man who bought her. While some of the scenes verged on graphic, none was so graphic that I could not read it. The starkness of the prose brings home the abuse. The use of Pim's diary of the time does the same. Elder provides a contrast to Alrick by how he treats her but he is a hard man who has not crossed over the line. He may skirt it but he does not cross it in this book. He does what he must to survive. He also does what he must to ensure Pim's survival. I could walk away from this series at the end of this book. My questions are answered at the end of it. I'm not sure if I will because I want to know the ending of the story which is 5 books long. It will be a difficult journey but I suspect it will be worth it. I'll let you know.

This story takes place during WWII, but it isn’t the usual tale of that period. The main character is a German boy. He has been taught in school that Hitler is correct in his way of thinking and Jewish people are bad. He doesn’t realize what is happening in his country until someone finds a Jewish ancestor on his father’s side. His life is forever changed. Much of this book takes place in Australia. I don’t remember ever reading of what was happening in Australia during WWII. Sometimes I don’t think about the fact that this was a world war and affected everyone. The message is to love not hate. I enjoyed it and recommend it for young and adult readers.