A Flag for the Flying Dragon by Carole P. Roman

-April

It's business as usual on the Flying Dragon.  Their mission is to find a flag for the ship.  Capatin No Beard sighs, "Being a captain is hard work," as he watches the busy crew preparing the vessel for their next adventure.  Polly is giving out pretzels; Linus is polishing a lamp.  Matie is cracking coconuts, Cayla is stuffing holes and Hallie is swabbing the deck.  High overhead, trouble is brewing, and it is not the weather.  Mongo does not want any help from the newest crew member, and it is creating a hurricane of a mess on board.  The team must come together and find a task that will fit Zachary without interfering with their own fun.  On the way, they acquire a flag that will unite them as both friends and crew.  Join the problem-solving crew of the Flying Dragon as they find a flag for their ship and a job for Zach.  (taken from the back of the book)

I enjoyed this book.  I love the pictures.  They're bright and cheery.  The words are simple and easy to read.  I enjoy the message that you get in these books.  I also like how you don't realize this is a child's imagination until you get to the end of the book.  I think this book works well for the age group it is intended for, which is about 5-8.

Unclaimed by Laurie Wetzel

- April

Abandoned by her birth parents and ignored by her adoptive family, Maddy Page believes she is unlovable.  She only allows herself to dream of falling in love.  That changes when she meets MJ; handsome and kind, MJ penetrates Maddy's defensees.  Maddy soon finds herself confiding in MJ like she has with no one else, revealing secrets even her closest friends don't know.  He makes her feel safe--a feeling she's never experienced except in her dreams.


When Maddy witnesses MJ disappear and reappear in thin air, she realizes she might have been wrong about him.  He could be dangerous--maybe even a killer.  Determined to uncover the truth of who--or what--MJ is, Maddy ignores her instinct to run.  But she soon realizes that getting close to MJ could cost more than a broken heart--it could cost Maddy her soul. (taken from Amazon description)


I really enjoyed reading this book.  The story was easy to get lost in very early on.  The details were enough to be able to visualize the landscape and characters.  Maddy is a likable character even with all of her internal struggles.  While trying to help Maddy figure out who and what she is, MJ manages to endear himself to the reader.  The love story is very surprising and sweet in this book.

My only issue was that Maddy's history and parentage is a huge mystery.  I found myself constantly wondering what her adoption had to do with all the secrets MJ and she try to uncover.

Pokergeist by Michael Phillip Cash

- Carrie Anne

Sometimes life, as well as death, is about second chances.  Luckless Telly Martin doesn't have a clue.  An awful gambler trying to scrape by as a professional poker player, he becomes the protege of world famous poker champion Clutch Henderson.  The only catch...Clutch is a ghost.  Telly and Clutch must navigate the seedy gambling underbelly of Las Vegas learning to trust each other in order to win the elusive International Series of Poker, repair their shattered personal relationships and find redemption in this life and the hereafter.  (taken from the back of the book)

If I had just gone by the back of the book, I might not have picked it up.  Who wants to read about a loser or the seedy underbelly of anything?  And the few times I've watched professional poker, I was bored to tears.

I never should've doubted Cash.  Once again, he gives us characters we really care about.  Telly isn't a loser, he's a good guy that's had a string of bad luck...maybe not the bet time to start gambling professionally?  He has a sweet girlfriend, Gretchen, who supports him but thinks maybe it's time to settle into a steady job again.  He has great friends and parents that love him.  And he has a ghost.

Clutch Henderson has played poker all his life, following in his grandfather's footsteps.  In fact, his desire to win the championship (and its prize gold bracelet)  stems from the fact his grandfather won sixty years ago, and he felt he had to prove he could do it, too.  Unfortunately, Clutch has a heart attack before he can claim the bracelet as his own.  But as a ghost, he can see everything...every hand.  Maybe he can help Telly win the championship this year?

Turns out, Cash makes it as much fun to read about poker as it is to play (my grandfather taught me, too, at an early age.)  There are several funny episodes in the book, and I was never quite sure what would happen next.  The poker games are described so well, I felt as if I was right there at the table with them.  I read Cash has been playing for twenty years himself, and his love of the game shines through.  Ultimately, though, it's a story of relationships, one anyone can relate to.

We Are the Entombed by Steve Kuhn

After traveling into the Midwest, the crew deal with an increasing amount of pressure as the true scale of the plague becomes clear.  The dead have permeated every square inch of the country leaving the few remaining survivors desperate for commodities that were once commonplace.  Roving bands of raiders and small, independent communities pose serious threats to one another amongst the ever increasing numbers of ravenous, shambling corpses.  The group, having suffered difficult losses and few victories, cope with the catatonic state of their friend Kylee; it's a recipe for disaster.

On the military side, Colonel Lang and Chalmers continue to pursue their goals and Dr. Morofsky is making progress of a different sort-the Colonel may be a worse threat than the dead.

As Dext and his band of survivors push further, they  meet many new people and not all of them are trustworthy.  Whether they  make it to the coast, and ultimately their salvations, or continue to perish, is yet to be seen.  (taken from Amazon description)


So here I am, more than halfway through this series.  This book is the third and I've already begun the fourth.  I have to say, it's the best series I've read in a long while.  If you're going to read any of these, buy them all at once so that you can read them back-to-back.  You won't want to wait in between!  All of these books could be read as a stand-alone, but you won't want to.  Each book adds a new investment in character development that you won't want to miss.

In this book, things start off with a bit more lightness.  The first two books are so action-packed and suspenseful, that a short break from it is welcome.  Dext's humor really shines through in this one.  Once again, I found myself laughing out loud and snorting.  Now, that doesn't mean the danger has let up at all.  It means that they characters are finding ways to cope and they finally have a lucky break, even if for a short time.

There's also something I'd really like to discuss, that pertains more to the series than this book.  When I'm reading something that I really enjoy, I share it with everyone I'm in contact with.  I can't help it.  Great books are my passion!  So!  I was gushing about this series and how much I adored it, and the other person went to read the reviews they were able to find.  They came back and questioned whether or not this is Walking Dead fan-fiction.  IT IS NOT!  Do I need to say that more violently?  Yes, there are zombies.  Yes, I've likened it to The Walking Dead.  However, this takes place in an alternate universe.  Even though my brain sees metaphors that include The Walking Dead, it's my brain.  The author isn't in control of what metaphors my brain sees.  Now!  There is ONE paragraph in ONE book that I've found so far that Walking Dead fans will recognize.  If anything, it's poking fun at The Walking Dead.  So, if you're passing this series up because you think it's fan-fiction, you're making a huge mistake and missing out on a great read.

So!  Back to this book!  We do have some losses again, which is inevitable.  Most of them I was alright with, but one struck me as hard as a Harry Potter death.  We also have a couple of additions to the group, and I'm still making up my mind about them.  Though there's a lot of action in this one, it's much more of a continuation of the character study of each.  Most of the characters are figuring out where their moral lines are painted at.  How far is too far to go to survive?  What are they willing to sacrifice for each other?  How bonded are they really?

As I've said before, so far this is an incredible series.  I can't stop reading!  Moving on to book four!  And...I might have already read the first few pages...In book four, we learn more about the beginnings of the zombies, as well as scientific findings and there's a buuunch of craziness that has just started!  Gotta get back to it!

We Are the Infected by Steve Kuhn

Dext and his crew are reeling from the losses incurred during their stay at The Haven and are on the run.  A military unit known as Kilo Company appears to be the group's best bet for survival, but they are miles ahead and the gap is widening.  Mounting tensions within the group strain relationships and affect all involved.

As they push ever forward in their pursuit of survival and sustainability, they find themselves stalled by the growing hordes of the undead...and very real, human threats.  Everything is not what it seems.  The line between friends and enemies is getting thinner with every passing second.  (taken from Amazon description)

I was a huge Walking Dead fan until I started reading this series.  Now, I'm not sure if I can keep watching.  I'm concerned that it might be a letdown after what I'm experiencing here.

So, this is book two in the Dext of the Dead series.  It holds journal entries 51-81 as well as some correspondence between military staff.  If you read the first book, then you probably aren't reading this review because you've already gobbled up the entire series.  I'm anxious to get this written so I can move on to the third book.

We still have Dext's sense of humor and a little comedy relief, but this book really delves into the darkness.  It's actually heart-wrenching to read.  There were two spots when I actually had to stop reading because the tears falling were just too much.  Then at other times, I was laughing out loud and getting funny looks from people.  I'm really surprised at the range of emotion that this book pulled from me.

Twists and turns and more twists, oh my!  I can't tell you how many OMG  moments I had while reading this!  I'm a bright girl.  A lot of times, I figure things out in books before it happens.  Years and years of practice have made most plots predictable for me.  This is not the case here!  Kuhn really caught me off guard!  I tell you, I had so many 'Oh no he di'n't!' moments!

So, the good news is that we're greeted by an old friend.  The bad news is that we have some really heavy losses.  I don't mean just high in number, but losses that really begin to destroy both the group and the reader.  Kuhn isn't afraid to kill off a beloved character.  It's not done gratuitously, but in this world that he's built, anything can happen.  I'm left at the end of this book feeling such a genuine sense of loss.  Some of my friends died in the last few hours.  I was there for the funeral, but there was no one to comfort me.

Honestly, I can't even review anything else on this book because I flat out don't remember it.  I was so engrossed in the story that I forgot to look for plot holes or description or if everything meshed.  Obvious to me, all of this must have been just fine because I found nothing that pulled me out of the world of Dext.

OK!  Enough talkie talkie!  On to book three!  Oh I can't wait!  Oh!  There's also a great Walking Dead easter egg in this book for those of you that can find it ;)

We Are the Plague by Steve Kuhn

The undead plague has decimated the population, but pockets of survivors still remain.  A battered military search for survivors while scientists work frantically to control the spread.

When a rescue team on the west coast discovers a mutilated body holding a journal that documents one man's journey across the country, they begin transmitting the information to the mysterious colonel Lang.  They discover that the journal may not only contain valuable information, but also the cause, and a possible cure, for the epidemic.

Dext is a regular man in a very irregular situation.  The friends and enemies he meets in this new world will either make him a hero or a monster.  The clock is ticking and salvation is only a mile up the road...if he can keep running.  (taken from Amazon description)

This one is a little tough for me to review.  I first read this book over a year ago and was absolutely struck by Dext's sense of humor.  I had to pick it up and read it again before reviewing and then finishing the series.  Since my first read, the book has been edited.  Some of the initial humor that I fell in love with is no longer there.  That isn't to say that the editing changes weren't necessary.  I understand why they were made, but I miss the book I read the first time.

So we have this military crew going over the book that they found.  Instead of chapters, we have a compilation of entries in the journal as they decipher them.  Mixed in with that, we have mysterious letters between military personnel.  I like that it's set up this way because the story is unfolding to all of them at the same time it is me.  Not only that, but if I have to put the book down and get up to do something, it's really easy to remember where I was.  I can stop at the end of an entry without having to go a few more pages to the end of a chapter.

I previously commented on Dext's humor.  The thing is, he's a brilliant character.  He's your average Joe, stuck in a crazy world.  He's tossed amidst strangers and expected to bond with them almost immediately.  There's no choice if he wants to survive.  I can't even imagine the struggle he goes through trying to figure out relationships, but thankfully he gives me a bit of an insight into what he's thinking and feeling.  Not only that, he doesn't have the talents and skills of the people surrounding him.  So here, we have this average human, in a non-average setting, with average feelings of inadequacy and now to cope with life.  It's actually really fascinating.  But I digress!  Dext's humor is what really pulls me in to this book.  I like him.  He's a really likable fellow.  He's funny and bright.  Since he's writing in a journal, he doesn't have to worry about being politically correct.  He just writes things down how they happen and however he happens to be thinking it.  Given his character and the way he writes, everything just has this wonderfully natural flow.

I've seen several people liken this to The Walking Dead.  When I read the first copy, I didn't really see that.  I'm a Dead fan.  But in Dead, it's about the group.  Sure there are characters you enjoy, but they start as a group and keep building and strengthening that group.  Dext was too large of a character for it to be a group story.  Sure, I'm being critical.  That's my job.  However!  The second time reading through, I don't feel the same way.  This time it is much more about the group and their survival than revolving around Dext.  He's still the main character, but in the beginning at least, the focus on him is gone.  We still have his great character and humor, but it's tamed down by how much he talks about the others.

Now!  This is important!  This book is not for the faint of heart!  'Oh!  I love gore!'  Yeah...yeah...I hear you.  That's not what I'm talking about.  While this is certainly a gratifying and gruesome read, there's so much more to it.  Entry 7.  If you feel like you can read anything, read Entry 7.  I had to skip it the second time reading because I just couldn't handle it.  I'll admit, it hits me harder than it does most people, but the first time I read it, I spent hours crying.  The second time...I started skipping pages.  It takes a lot for me to be at that point.  It's not that it's gruesome or gross or bloody.  It's the fact that it's a real ...the word I want to use here isn't acceptable in polite society.  It really messes with our psyche.  Those of you that are anxious for the zombies to arrive...this could change your mind.

I suppose the best way to describe this book, for those of you Walking Dead fans, imagine that somewhere down the line, the military finds a journal that Glenn has been keeping.  Yep.  Glenn.  The pizza man.  Now!  Think of everything Glenn has endured so far...and then double the trauma.  That's what this book is.  A lovable character telling things how they are as they're happening.  What happens next?  I have no idea!  I need to stop writing this so I can pick up the next book and find out!

Print Version? Yes! Please!

As a reviewer, books are offered to me in a variety of formats.  I think most reviewers and readers these days are opting towards electronic versions.  I think most authors prefer that as well.  As an author, it takes more time and money to send a print version than it does to send an e-version.  I'm aware of this.  The nice thing to do would be to happily accept an electronic copy of any book I want to review.  I don't!  Does that make me a 'not nice' person?  Perhaps!

For me, reading is an old friend.  I started at such a young age that I can't remember I time I didn't have a book in my hand.  The feeling, the smell, become comforting.  I suppose books are my security blanket.  Now, yes, I can just as easily read a copy on my Kindle.  It just isn't the same.  For me, it's the difference between holding my daddy's hand and seeing a picture of us holding hands.  Sure, it elicits a reaction, but a huge chunk of the experience is missing.

Now, if a print version isn't available, I opt for a pdf version.  Why?  Well, it's quite simple.  I like my computer chair.  I find it comforting to sit in my computer chair and stare at my computer screen for hours on end.  There's nothing fancy about it, but it's mine, and that makes it special.  It's brown and leather and you can twirl for hours in it!  There are most likely some Dorito crumbs nestled in the seams.

Print version preferred!  Pdf version is backup!

Perhaps I'm still living in a bygone era.  I know a lot of people prefer to keep a handy spandy library they can tote around on their e-reader.  I own a Kindle.  It probably has a hundred books or more on it.  I think it's currently in my son's room crammed beneath a pile of Legos.  He uses it for great things like train apps where he can practice his engineering skills.  I use it for...nothing.  It's an amazing invention.  It just isn't for me.  It smells like plastic.  It feels like plastic.  It's a cold machine.  A book is a living thing.

I'd like to apologize to those authors out there who would much rather send me an electronic version and end up spending more time and money than they'd like to send me a print version.  The fact is, I'll review your book before I will an e-copy that I have.  It may not seem worth your time to you, but it's a great deal to me.  I appreciate every single stamp you've licked and every penny you've spent on that copy.  Thank you to each of you who enables my book-sniffing and loving habit.