The Ganga Shift Cover Reveal

The Ganga Shift

Publisher: Parliament House Press

COVER REVEAL MEDIA KIT

Life hasn’t been easy for Isabella. She spent most of her childhood in the foster care system, and now at twenty-two she has landed herself in prison on drug charges. Her troubled past is what makes her a perfect candidate for the government’s latest scientific endeavor, Operation Gene Re-sequencing. No one will miss her. No one will question her absence. But, when it’s discovered Isabella is immune to their DNA-changing drugs, she is selected to be used as prey for those who aren’t.

Chase and Brayden couldn’t be more opposite; Chase is calm, reserved, and completely insistent that he will control the changes the virus is causing in his body. Brayden, on the other hand, has always been wild and uninhibited. He welcomes the new animalistic nature coming over him. The one thing they have in common? They both have a taste for the cute little Asian inmate who is now sharing their cell.

Find Out About Other Books by Mary Bernsen at http://mbernsen.blogspot.com/

About the Author

Mary Bernsen is a Florida native living in North Port with her two beautiful children and a third, much larger child whom she affectionately calls husband. She is the Amazon Best Selling Author of the Villain’s Love series and also writes young adult fiction under her pseudonym, M.E Rhines.

Contact Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marybernsen1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryBernsen

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8188329.Mary_Bernsen

Book Review: Lucy & Andy Neanderthal (Lucy & Andy Neanderthal #1) *mini review*

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

For fans of the New York Times bestselling Jedi Academy books comes a hilarious new graphic novel series about two young cave kids living 40,000 years ago.

The laugh-out-loud adventure features Lucy and her goofball brother Andy, as the duo take on a wandering baby sibling, bossy teens, cave paintings, and a mammoth hunt. But what will happen when they encounter a group of humans?

Humorous and entertaining, Jeffrey Brown’s signature comical touch enlivens the scientific and historical content, including a special paleontologist section that helps to dispel common Neanderthal myths.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

I expected to love this book as I just took a biological anthropology class but maybe that why I didn't enjoy it that much. I love graphic novels and I love Neanderthals so I am not sure where things went wrong. 

Lucy &. Andy Neandertal is a super cute graphic novel which makes aspects of evolution easier for kids to understand. I am not going to get into an evolution debate so don't worry. One of the biggest fears I had, when I jumped into this book when I got home from the library, was that it would have Neandertals show in an unfactual light. To my surprise, Author Jeffery Brown worked to prevent that. 

The graphic novel has little short stories from a couple of Neanderthals and actually has facts about how they lived, how the different from us humans, and other fun facts. I thought it was interesting how they were weaved into the storyline of the graphic novel. 

The illustrations are so good and fun. Which is so important in a graphic novel and why I am rating this four stars instead of just two. Now coming to the biggest issue I had with the novel which was the humanization images of Neanderthals. I struggled with that all throughout the book. I just couldn't get past that. I do like that Brown told of the differences but I don't think that made up for the images for me. 

Book Review: Love Bomb

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Betty Plum has never been in love. She's never even kissed a boy. But when Toby starts school it's like Betty has been hit with a thousand of Cupid's arrows. A bomb has exploded-a love bomb.

More than ever Betty wishes her mom didn't die when Betty was a baby. 

She really needs her mom here to ask her advice. And just when she misses her most, that's when she finds hidden letters for just these moments. 

Letters about what your first kiss should feel like and what real love truly is. Although her mom isn't really there, Betty feels closer to her more than ever.

Love Bomb, book two in the Ladybirds series and the follow-up to Flirty Dancing by Jenny Mclachlan, will have you in both fits of laughter and tears. 

Check it out on Amazon

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

"Betty Plum has never been in love. She's never even kissed a boy. But when Toby starts school it's like Betty has been hit with a thousand of Cupid's arrows. A bomb has exploded-a love bomb." She has never been in love because they are still young, in high school, and she still has years to go. 

I honestly think I missed something with all these 5-star reviews of this book. Or perhaps my reading tastes have changed, and this isn't the kind of book that I like anymore. It was too cheesy and instant-lovey for my tastes. This is in no way a badly written book and it if you liked it then that is great. 

In Love Bomb, the Ladybirds are back. I can't believe I decided to continue on with this series.  This installment follows Betty Plum's adventures through high school. We also get to see her go boy crazy and more of her annoying unique personality come out. We also get to see her dad's new girlfriend which I found interesting.

I did enjoy seeing Betty have to confront emotional pain from the loss of her mother. That part was so well done. That gave the book a deeper emotional connection with me. Having to cope with the loss of her mother, during her high school years made her so much stronger. This was the only redeeming quality in the book in my opinion.  

For a book targeted for high schoolers I felt this was a bit immature, it read for like 10-13-year-olds but I am not even sure I would have read this at that age. I felt like the romance was forced, awkward, puppy love and I really didn't enjoy reading it. I disliked how she made the choices to blow off her best friend for the school hottie, I wouldn't have done that even at 1o. I just disliked how forced everything felt. 

I picked this up at the library, and I am so glad I didn't spend money on it. 

Book Review: Displacement: A Travelogue

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

In her graphic memoirs, New York Times-best selling cartoonist Lucy Knisley paints a warts-and-all portrait of contemporary, twentysomething womanhood, like writer Lena Dunham (Girls). In the next installment of her graphic travelogue series, Displacement, Knisley volunteers to watch over her ailing grandparents on a cruise. 

(The book s watercolors evoke the ocean that surrounds them.) In a book that is part graphic memoir, part travelogue, and part family history, Knisley not only tries to connect with her grandparents, but to reconcile their younger and older selves. 

She is aided in her quest by her grandfather s WWII memoir, which is excerpted. Readers will identify with Knisley s frustration, her fears, her compassion, and her attempts to come to terms with mortality, as she copes with the stress of travel complicated by her grandparents frailty."

Check out the book here: Link to Amazon.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

This book reminded me of the last few years with my grandma and grandpa. It was really bittersweet to see another declining situation. My grandmother had dementia that turned into Alzheimer's so seeing here grandmothers reactions brought back some painful times. With all that said I am happy I read this comic. 

Displacement follows a cruise she agrees to take with her ninety-year-old parents, which are slowly declining in their health. I thought it was such an incredibly selfless act to do so. Unfortunately, she misunderstood how much work caring for them was, and the whole time she just seems miserable and tired. She reflects on mortality, aging, grumpiness, and also family in this comic collection. 

What I loved about this is that Knisley brings along her Grandfathers World War II memoir that he wrote about his service. This is something I wish I had from my grandfather's service so this part was the most interesting to me. Some of these pieces were hard to read but gave you a reason for his grouchiness and strong personality. He was a very good man according to the pages of that memoir.

The art in this book is so well done. It is so vibrant and beautiful. You can tell great craft and time was taken in creating this book and it really shows. I would describe the art as illustrated comic-book style. It was light and fun! 

I picked this up on a quim from the library and I am so glad I did. I hope you like it as much as I did. 

Book Review: Today Will Be Different

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

A genius novel from the author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette, about a day in the life of Eleanor Flood, forced to abandon her small ambitions when she awakes to a strange, new future unfolding. 

Eleanor knows she's a mess. But today, she will tackle the little things. She will shower and get dressed. She will have her poetry and yoga lessons after dropping off her son, Timby. She won't swear. She will initiate sex with her husband, Joe. But before she can put her modest plan into action-life happens. Today, it turns out, is the day Timby has decided to fake sick to weasel his way into his mother's company. It's also the day Joe has chosen to tell his office-but not Eleanor-that he's on vacation. Just when it seems like things can't go more awry, an encounter with a former colleague produces a graphic memoir whose dramatic tale threatens to reveal a buried family secret.

TODAY WILL BE DIFFERENT is a hilarious, heart-filled story about reinvention, sisterhood, and how sometimes it takes facing up to our former selves to truly begin living. 

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

I find it interesting that only 9 percent of Goodreads reviewers agree with me on this book. I loved Where'd You Go, Bernadette? And rated it 5 stars and only 27 percent of people on Goodreads agree with me. So perhaps Maria Semple is an author for a specific audience. 

I enjoyed this book so much I read it physically and also listen to it in the form of an audiobook.  I enjoyed it more on audio, but it was great either way in my humble opinion. The writing is fun and engaging in a way I have only seen Semple do in literature. This book is truly incredible, and I don't use that word lightly. I just don't understand why people dislike this book so much. I am left wondering if I read a different book than everyone else. 

In this novel, we follow the hilarious and witty Eleanor Flood. She is such a brilliant and original character. Eleanor was snarky and frank, almost always in a justifiable way. Although so many reviews disagree with what I said and believe her to be mean. The main character is an author, and she gives a real insight into the world of publishing, which can be cutthroat and hard. 

The book is filled with real current day's dilemmas whether it be a child who is experiencing bullying, a woman missing her husband, then a husband going missing, a woman suspecting an affair, meeting old coworkers in awkward situations, or even past childhood issues. I found the main character's comments on these stressful life situations funny and quite entertaining.

The only thing I disliked was the cringe-worthy situation with a former co-worker a bit off-putting, and I felt like the encounter went on far too long. The author spent a little too much time forcing the overachiever status on him.

Today Will Be Different is one of those books that will stick with you. It is easy to read and over before you can blink. I can't wait for the next book to come out. I love Maria Semple, and she has officially become an auto-read for me. 

Book Review: Looking For Me

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

One of 12 siblings growing up in Depression-era Baltimore, Edith isn't quite sure of who she is. Between working at her father’s dinner, taking care of her younger siblings, and living in the shadow of her more mature sisters, Edith feels lost in a sea of siblings. When a kind teacher encourages Edith to be a teacher herself one day, Edith sees prospects for a future all her own. 

Full of joy, pain, humor, and sadness, this novel in verse is a wonderful look at the life of Edith Paul, the author's mother, and is an enduring portrait (complete with family photos and an author's note at the end) of one family's pursuit of the American dream. 


Link to check it out on Amazon. 

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

Looking for me, is one of my favorite junior books and may become my favorite book I have read in 2018, but is quite early to give a book that award.

This book is truly a gem and a must for every young child's bookshelf.

In this story, we follow young and cute Edith. I felt like I connected with her right away. She made this adorable story such a great one. So Edith is a kid with a ton of siblings. It is the depression and while the story doesn't go into detail about hunger and other stuff surrounding the era we do get glimpses into how the time affected our young Edith. I enjoyed that part.

This book would be great as supplemental information for an Immigration and Depression topics in both school and homeschool curriculum.

At the end of the story, there are family photos in the back. Finding out what happened to each one of them made the story really sweet. It also brought in some reality to the story, since it is based on the author mothers life. She did her mother's story justice for sure.

I want to talk about the structure of this book. It is a book written in verse, although it is not exactly a poem. It is set up in various stanzas and they are so beautiful I cried at times. It is gorgeous, captivating, and completely heartbreaking. This book is short and sweet, even a slow reader can whip through this book in a day. I encourage you to take time with this book though and savor it. 

I am so glad I picked up this book at the library. You should check it out yourself!

Book Review: Sacred Rest

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Staying busy is easy. Staying well rested- there's a challenge.

How can you keep your energy, happiness, creativity, and relationships fresh and thriving in the midst of never-ending family demands, career pressures, and the stress of everyday life? In SacredRest, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a board-certified internal medicine doctor, reveals why rest can no longer remain optional.

Dr. Dalton-Smith shares seven types of rest she has found lacking in the lives of those she encounters in her clinical practice and research-physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, sensory, social, creative and why a deficiency in any one of these types of rest can have unfavorable effects on your health, happiness, relationships, creativity, and productivity. Sacred Rest combines the science of rest, the spirituality of rest, the gifts of rest, and the resulting fruit of rest. It shows rest as something sacred, valuable, and worthy of our respect.

By combining scientific research with personal stories, spiritual insight, and practical next steps, Sacred Rest gives the weary permission to embrace rest, set boundaries, and seek sanctuary without any guilt, shame, or fear.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

There should be a "Get Out of Your Responsibilities" card you can play on those days when life is just too difficult, days when everything within you wants a moment to simply be still. 

When i first read this quote I knew I was going to love this book, it has been such a blessing to read. This is the book for the weary and tired people. Or even those who just want to experience life on a deeper level. There is so much truth in this book. With it is easy to read style, it will be a favorite of mine for years to come. The writing is engaging yet completely informative. 

I found the most powerful concept in this book was her assertion that sleep is not the same thing as rest. Which makes total sense to me, because so many times I find myself sleeping but not feeling rested. This book explains how in order to find true rest we need to work on refreshing our souls. 

This book is for the burned out, the tired, the stressed. This book will teach you how to truly rest and be still. This is a book everyone needs to read. regardless of the spiritual elements of this book. We all need to step back from life and rest more. 

Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

                                                                                  AUTHOR  INFORMATION:                                                                  

Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is an author, speaker, and board-certified physician. She has an active medical practice in Alabama (near the Birmingham area). She received her B.S. in Biochemistry at the University of Georgia, and graduated with honors from Meharry Medical College in Nashville. She has been an adjunct faculty member at Baker College and Davenport University in Michigan teaching courses on health, nutrition, and disease progression. Dr. Dalton-Smith is a national and international media resource on the mind, body, spirit connection and has been featured in Women's Day, Redbook, and First For Women magazine. She is the author of "Set Free to Live" and "Come Empty" (winner 2016 Golden Scroll Nonfiction Book of the Year and 2016 Illumination Award Gold medalist). She is a member of the Christian Medical and Dental Association and a repeat keynote speaker at their annual gathering. She has shared her tips on merging faith and medicine with over 16,000 health care professionals to encourage the current and next generation of doctors to treat the whole person.

Find out more about Saundra at http://ichoosemybestlife.com.

Book Review: Little & Lion

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

When Suzette comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are (along with her crush, Emil). And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support.

But as she settles into her old life, Suzette finds herself falling for someone new...the same girl her brother is in love with. When Lionel's disorder spirals out of control, Suzette is forced to confront her past mistakes and find a way to help her brother before he hurts himself--or worse.

Check out the book on Amazon. 

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

I know how easy it is to believe you're doing the right thing if you say it to yourself often enough

Little & Lion, is a moving novel about a beautiful story that can't be anything but incredibly marvelous. At first, the book seems like a typical book about a sixteen-year-old girl who is home from school to be with her loving family.

The complicated relationship was probably one of my favorite parts of this story. As a person who has a sibling that has a severe mental illness, I could genuinely feel for Suzette. They obviously love each other despite their issues.The story has a bipolar representation inside of it. Lionel shares his true feelings about his mental illness. He also shares about the meds he has to take. The way he describes it is raw and honest. You can see his emotions just flowing off the pages. These are feelings that I have had and can relate to. I believe many people could really relate to him and his issues. It was really nice to see actual mental illness representation in young adult literature, 

“I hate that I feel like nothing good is ever going to happen to me again. And that sometimes I don’t really feel like anything at all.”

The writing was so moving and powerful. The author Brandy Colbert handles tough topics like racism, bisexuality, mental illness, and blended family without being offensive, stereotypical or demonizing. This is something that almost never happens in literature. Authors mean well of course but rarely actually succeed in this area.

 My only complaint about this book is that it was a bit predictable and slow at times. I mean I guessed everything that happened before it happened. Which took away the enjoyment of it a little bit. That is still a good book regardless of the pace of this book.  

Little & Lion is a contemporary young adult novel that is very mature and far from the manipulative drama filled typical nonsense out there today. It is a story that builds relationships that are true and honest. It is a dynamic story filled with authentic diversity. Please check this book out! You need it. 

Book Review: The Only Road

                                                                 BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

Jaime is sitting on his bed drawing when he hears a scream. Instantly, he knows: Miguel, his cousin and best friend, is dead.

Everyone in Jaime’s small town in Guatemala knows someone who has been killed by the Alphas, a powerful gang that’s known for violence and drug trafficking. Anyone who refuses to work for them is hurt or killed—like Miguel. With Miguel gone, Jaime fears that he is next. There’s only one choice: accompanied by his cousin Ángela, Jaime must flee his home to live with his older brother in New Mexico.

Inspired by true events, The Only Road is an individual story of a boy who feels that leaving his home and risking everything is his only chance for a better life.

Check out the book on Amazon.  

                                                                        MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

The Only Road is one of the best middle-grade novels I have read in 2017. 

This book follows the story of twelve-year-old Jamie and his teenage cousin Angela who are forced to flee their village in Guatemala. The reason is due to a gang that has killed a family member for failing to join their gang. They are forced to set out on a dangerous and terrifying journey to the United States where his brother lives. This is a timely story about migration and the dangers that surround that issue. It was compelling and emotionally heartbreaking. It is filled with exciting action and shows the power of humans and the will to survive.

After reading this novel, you can see why countless children are trying to make it to the United States for safety, a future, and hope for a better life. This book will challenge belief systems and explain things in ways that children can understand. As an issue that can no longer be ignored this is a book that needs to be read by all. The Only Road is a book that demonstrates the harsh reality that many people face. The diversity in this book is great of course, without being just a story only about how they are diverse. 

With the fact that this does have some mature themes and subjects I would recommend this book for readers in fifth grade and up. The book is engaging depsite the serious subject matter. The characters have depth, have senses of humor, and are really relatable for kids. The action is appropriate but intense at times. The ending is good for young readers because it is satisfactory without being unrealistic. 

I am really glad this was my school's book club chose this book to read for October. I hope you will check this book out.







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Book Review: Falling over sideways

                                                                                   BOOK INFORMATION:                                                                  

It’s not easy being Claire. (Really.)


Claire’s life is a joke…but she’s not laughing. While her friends seem to be leaping forward, she’s dancing in the same place. The mean girls at school are living up to their mean name, and there’s a boy, Ryder, who’s just as bad, if not worse. And at home, nobody’s really listening to her—if anything, they seem to be more in on the joke than she is.

Then into all of this (not-very-funny-to-Claire) comedy comes something intense and tragic—while her dad is talking to her at the kitchen table, he falls over with a medical emergency. Suddenly the joke has become very serious—and the only way Claire, her family, and her friends are going to get through it is if they can find a way to make it funny again.

Check out the book here.

                                                         MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK                                                              

Another disappointing read for me. I feel like books have really disappointed me lately. 

 I thought the storyline was a great idea. At times this was an emotional read that was very touching and other points, it was a bit over the top and dramatic. This is a book that is set in the eighth grade. We all remember what eighth grade was like. It involved mean girls, friends that are changing, liking boys, and trying to navigate a changing time in your childhood. 

This story follows a girl named Claire, who is already struggling with school when her world comes tumbling down. Her father has had a stroke. This stroke ends up changing everything for her. She must learn to cope with this, figure out how to make it through high school. 

I can't really say anymore without giving away the storyline. I hope you check it out.  It was a fun read. 

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