The Thieves of Heaven by Richard Doetsch

To start off, this is probably one of the best books I've read in quite a while.

Michael St. Pierre is a reformed thief who now has a legitimate life, business, and small circle of friends. But when his loving wife, Mary, who stood by him through thick and thin - including jail - is diagnosed with cancer, Michael is offered a chance to pay for her treatments...by pulling off one more heist. Morally torn between the promise he made to Mary never to steal again and the one opportunity to save her life, Michael chooses the latter and heads off to Vatican City to steal a pair of keys. What he doesn't know, however, that these keys open - and close - the gates of Heaven, and the man who hired Michael to do the job is the Devil himself. He completes the job, but money can't save Mary's life now. The only thing she has left is her soul, and her faith, and with the Devil in possession of the keys, Michael knows he must steal them back to save her soul, and maybe his faith too. But how do you beat Satan at his own game? Throw into the mix a parole violation, a sociopath serial killer, a priest who will stop at no end to protect that in which he believes, and a cop (who just happens to be Michael's best friend) whose values are always on the side of the law, and you've got a thriller you're not soon to forget!

Doetsch's writing style is superb, with a great variety of sentence structure, a wide vocabulary, and a well-crafted plot filled with ingenuity that is hard to come by these days. I was originally expecting something along the lines of The da Vinci Code, but was excited and enchanted with a story far from the adventures of Robert Langdon. The book is riddled with curses, some sexual references, and several fairly graphic scenes. This book is not for the weak-hearted - or the weak-stomached.

Happy readings!

Help to Increase Funding for Children's Cancer Research

Hey, there, Bookenders! I'm going to stray from reviewing a book or really anything book-related today, but this is something extremely important for which I, and many others, need your help.

Children's cancer affects thousands of families each year, including mine. Below you can find a link to sign a petition to help increase funding to find a cure for children's cancer. Children with brain cancer, for example, have a survival rate of less than 10%. I personally know someone who, last year, was part of the 90% who didn't survive from this horrible disease.

This petition requires 25,000 signatures. It's a lofty goal, I know, but every signature counts. That even means yours. Right now there are only 1,137 signatures, which means that another 23,863 are still required to meet our goal. It may seem like a Sisyphean task, but every signature will help bring another child closer to surviving and becoming part of the 10% who do.

So now I humbly ask you to please copy and paste the link below into your browsing bar, briefly make an account, and sign this petition. It takes under 10 minutes to do this, and it's probably taken you more time to read this post than it will for you to sign the petition. In that case, I will end this post by thanking you very much for your support and signatures. Your signature could be the one that saves a child's life.

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/increase-funding-childhood-cancer-2013-budget-submitted-congress/8dxHqYQY

Once you create an account, click on the link again, sign back in, then press the "back" button to get the "Sign This Petition" box to light up. Once it is a green box, you can click it, and that's all there is to it.

Thank you again for your time, support, and consideration.

Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle

Hannah Carlisle is your normal, everyday girl - except for the fact that her parents are both famous movie stars. But she still finds reasons to be happy, which she writes down whenever she thinks of a new one. Lately, though, Hannah's been having trouble finding new reasons, seeing as her mom is dying of cancer and Hannah feels that she wants to look "beautiful" for her mother before she dies. The stress of all that plus transferring to a new school for children of elite people (business executives, movie stars, etc.) is building up, and Hannah discovers a new outlet that helps her feel better: throwing up. Known as her "Secret Remedy" or "SR," Hannah begins to rely on it more and more, especially after her mother dies. Her world is falling apart around her with her mother dying, her not-so-friendly friends, and being sentenced to work in the school cafeteria after she's caught stealing cookies. The only people Hannah feels she can turn to - though hesitantly - are the school's social outcast Jasper and her Oscar-winning aunt. Aunt Izzy, recognizing Hannah's bulimia and her brother-in-law's return to alcohol, whisks Hannah off to Ghana with her to encourage Hannah to try to get her life back in order. The trip changes Hannah as she changes the lives of the people she meets. Slowly but surely, Hannah begins to find reasons to be happy once again.

There are few words to adequately describe how wonderful and poignantly written this book is. I can honestly say the book made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. Kittle weaves an excellent story while encompassing real problems real people face every single day. I could not put the book down and stayed up far past my bedtime reading it! (Don't tell my mom! ; ) ) Reasons to Be Happy is a refreshing read that puts a spin on the pressures of everyday society. It covers so many problems and carries the reader on Hannah's journey so perfectly that it became challenging at times to remember that the book is just a work of fiction.

As for content, I would recommend it for ages fifteen and up. Hannah's bulimia gets fairly graphic (even I felt queasy at a few points), the emotions penetrated and portrayed from her mother's death are for more mature teens, and her father's alcoholism can get a little rough for readers. Also, in one scene one boy tries to "feel up" Hannah at a pool party, though she quickly pushes him away. The book deals a lot with body image and being able to be comfortable with who you are and what you look like. There are very few, if any, swear words in Reasons to Be Happy.

Ms. Kittle has even inspired me to keep a little list of reasons to be happy, though the list is currently transcribed only in my head, not on paper!

If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, there is help out there for you and you are not alone. There are many teen hotlines available, as well as talking to a trusted adult. The National Crisis Line for Anorexia and Bulimia phone number is 1.800.233.4357. The National Eating Disorder Hotline phone number is 1.800.248.3285. More information and hotlines can be found by a simple Google search or on the extensive http://www.myjellybean.com/teen-hotlines/teen-hotlines. Eating disorders are serious diseases and can be fatal. The life you save could be one you love.

Happy readings!

On the Shelf: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

As I Wake is a short novel by Elizabeth Scott about a society in which people can travel to other times and alternate societies. One young girl is haunted by memories of a past society she lived in and the young man she came to love. Ava, the main character, is surrounded by friends and family who are entirely different than she remembers and in a different environment. Before long, Morgan, the boy she loves, keeps appearing to her, if only for a few minutes. Ava must decipher the truth and what really happened to her and how she woke up in a hospital bed in this society so different from the one in which she remembered living.

This was a very confusing book. It opened with Ava waking up in a hospital bed with very little or no back story. Though some of it becomes clearer throughout the book, Scott never gives her readers a clear answer as to the rhyme and reason of this multiple-worlds-like society. I found it very frustrating, disjointed, and rather boring. However, Scott does deserve some credit as I simply had to know what happened at the end of the book so I did continue to read it.

Overall, it was a pretty depressing book with some twisted characters. The ending was especially unsatisfying, but I won't ruin it for you!

There were some scenes of violence, some other thematic elements, but very little or no cursing and no sexual content. I would probably say ages twelve and up could read this book based on maturity levels.

On the Shelf: Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle

I Am More Than Just a Girl. Empowered. Informed. Equal. by Leah Oviedo

If any of you ladies out there are looking for a feel-good, self-empowerment book, this just may be the one for you! This self-help-like book challenges young women between the ages of 14-21 (though it is appropriate for older ages) to recognize themselves as the special people they are. Filled with tips for self-defense, to help you feel better about yourself, and various hotlines if needed, I Am More Than Just a Girl is quite the motivational read. Interspersed with some blank pages for doodling and reminding ourselves that we are more than "just girls," this book is sure to brighten up any low self-esteem day!

Though the book is recommended for ages 14-21, I would say ages 12 and up would be appropriate. The book does have some parts about sexual abuse that are probably not suitable for audiences younger than 12. It also touches on sexual orientation, suicidal thoughts, and eating disorders. But one of the (many) great things about I Am More Than Just a Girl is that is provides a list of hotlines for young women who my be dealing with any of the aforementioned subjects.

This books is an excellent confidence booster and even reminded me of what makes me special and why I -and all the other women in the world - deserve to be treated as such.

Happy Readings!

On the Shelf: As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

I'm Back...!

Well...it's been a while. The world seemed to catch up with me and take me for quite a roller coaster ride! As you can obviously tell, I have not reviewed books in a long time. But that doesn't mean I have stopped reading!

I hope everyone has enjoyed his or her summer and is looking forward to the holidays. I (finally) have some downtime, so I will try to continue blogging about more books. No promises, just very good intentions.

Please feel free to join Bookend's Facebook page, too! So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, New Year's, and everything and anything in between! Happy readings!

Looks by Madeleine George

Looks is the tale of two very different girls who wind up sharing something in common: a hatred of a third girl. Meghan is obese and will binge on food. Aimee, on the other hand, is anorexic and will only binge on a single bite of a carrot. Meghan prides herself on being invisible to the rest of the school while Aimee prides herself on her poetry. But when Cara, the seemingly "nice girl", rewrites Aimee's poetry as her own, Aimee decides to get revenge. And with whose help? Meghan's. Meghan is thrilled to join in as she and Cara have a nasty past together. Together, their revenge is perhaps far meaner than the things Cara has done to them...

I can't say I enjoyed this book. Many topics were left unresolved at the end of the book, such as the girls' eating disorders, and there was no concrete moral. Or perhaps the lack of moral is the moral itself. Anyway, the book was frustrating to get through, and the only reason I wound up finishing it is because I was curious about Meghan's past with Cara. None of the characters learned any lessons, and life wound up continuing normally only a day or two after the plot for revenge was executed. Looks was annoyingly left open, leaving the reader looking for some descending action and a resolution. But it was as invisible as Meghan!

I do have to say, however, that Madeleine George presented an interesting idea to explore. I was curious to read it (seeing as I did), and there was obviously some gripping component because I wound up finishing it (after returning it to the library and taking it out again a few weeks later).

So, if you're dying to read this book, I would say it's age appropriate for anyone 13 and older. Thematic elements include eating disorders, bullying, family issues, and some sexually-charged dialogue.

And if you or anyone you know suffers from an eating disorder, please seek help, because it is out there for you. National Eating Disorders Association has some great information out there (http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/), and the biggest step to getting better is admitting you have an issue. I thought it was important to add this information in here because the book does deal with these topics quite heavily. Remember, help is out there, and you are not alone.

Happy Readings!

On the Shelf: Under the Banyan Tree by Toni DiPalma