Nightmares

Nightmares!  has been a very good series so far.  I am NOT a fan of nightmares themselves, who is? Which is why I think this series works so well.  The Last Lullaby is the third book and it does a nice job of reminding the reader of the backstory without being overly repetitive, if one has just read one and two.  Good stuff!  Easy series to recommend!  I had read the second one, Sleepwalker Tonic during the year I wasn't writing about a lot of books, but I swear, it was great, too!

Peg Kerhert

is one of those authors that I never got around to reading, but I always wanted to, just because she has so many books!  And the other thing is, I never knew how to pronounce Kerhert.  I mean, Peg, sure, I can pronounce that.  In fact, this was a great song!

The Ghost's Grave was very, very good and what's more, I listened to it, so now I know how to pronounce Kerhert.  It is kinda like "carrot."

It is realistic, but of course, there is a ghost and all...but the character of Josh is likable and real and dealing with a new step-father and feeling bad his mom and step-dad have left him with his step-dad's great aunt in a town so small and remote that there isn't even any internet while they have gone to another country for his step-father's job.

The ghost is pretty cool, too!

A Nightmare

Nightmares was not a nightmare.  It was actually a really, really good book!   It did feel a little long for me round about 3/4 of the way so I didn't give it 5 stars, but I still would recommend it.
It kinda reminded me of A Monster Calls, but not as intense.  Nor was it supposed to be, I think, so that isn't a criticism.  A really good book.

My Heart Skipped a Beat or Two

Reading Heartbeat was a painful, beautiful experience.  Once again, Elizabeth Scott has written a beautiful, poignant novel.  I was thankful to receive this egalley from netgalley.com and can't wait until it is published so that I can talk about it with people! 
Emma's mother is dead.  But her body is being kept alive until the child within her can be born.  Emma resents her stepfather for making the decision to keep her mother on life support until her brother can be born.  Once they were a close, loving family and she never doubted that Dan loved her as if she were his natural child.  Now Emma can't study, can't hardly function.  She meets Caleb Harrison, a bad dude with a reputation for all kinds of terrible things, but it turns out he is the one person who can help her get through the hurt, and maybe she can help him as well, for he is hurting, too.  Great characters.  Great story.  Heartbreaking and wonderful. 

Never Had a Blender...

Is that weird?  That I never had a blender?  I don't think I ever used one, not even in Home Ec.  Weird or not?
Notes from the Blender is one of the best books I've ever read.  It deals with tough subjects and does so without falling into the usual YA trap of blaming God and abandoning God.  It also shows church folks in a positive light.  This is a rare book, indeed.
The story is told from two POVs, Neilly, a popular, pretty kid with divorced parents and a dad who is soon to be remarried (to a man) and Declan, a depressed, death-metal, death-obsessed sullen loner.  Declan's mom died when he was  young, in a car accident.
Declan has been lusting for Neilly from afar, but she never noticed him.  Well now she does.  Neilly's mom and Declan's dad are getting married.  Really good story.  Free of stereotyping.