All the Small Things by Sharon Noble

June 17, 2025 By Leave a Comment


All the Small Things by Sharon Noble
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tilda Asquith-Hyde has it all, or so it seems. An apartment overlooking the Thames, a flash car, designer clothes and money. Plenty of it. But Tilda’s world is crumbling. The death of her mother and the breakup of her long-term relationship opens a void in her life that pushes alcohol from being reliable friend, to dangerous partner.

After a chance encounter with a friend and her baby, Tilda seizes upon the idea that motherhood will be the missing piece in her lonely life.

Lana Edwards and her partner Joel are scraping along in life. Lana is desperate for a child, but age and deteriorating health are against her. In one final effort, Lana and Joel agree to divert the only money they have into private IVF treatment – seemingly, their last realistic chance to have a child.

Unknown to each other, Tilda and Lana access IVF treatment, Tilda opting for a sperm donor and Lana and Joel using their own fertilised egg. Both women successfully deliver healthy babies. Their prayers surely answered.

Yet, within moments of birth Tilda emphatically rejects the child that is placed in her arms, whilst Lana is going through her own rollercoaster of emotions. Her joy visible to all, her doubts hidden from even those closest to her.

Lana and Tilda’s lives are about to intersect, setting off a devastating chain of events with far-reaching implications.

Will Lana and Tilda be able to ‘do the right thing’ for their children? And at what cost?

Parenthood is a privilege.

The ethical dilemma presented in this tale was suspenseful, complex, and thought provoking. Is it more important for a baby to remain with the parents who raised her or the ones who share her DNA? I had a strong opinion on this topic when I began reading, but I enjoyed listening to other perspectives and looking at the benefits and drawbacks of every possible solution to this problem. Mixing up the blastocysts was an error that never should have happened at the IVF clinic, but now that it had occurred someone was going to be hurt no matter what the judge decided.

I struggled to connect with the large cast of characters. While there were enough reminders sprinkled here and there for me to keep track of how everyone was connected to each other, there wasn’t much time to develop their personalities in the vast majority of cases. I could give a quick description of the two narrators, but everyone else was a blur. It would have been helpful for me as a reader to have a smaller cast to work with so I could know more about everyone’s flaws, strengths, interests, and other relevant information about them.

Addiction is a terrible disease that isn’t always easily understood by outsiders. I was intrigued by the passages that described how the overwhelming desire to drink can overshadow everything else in life, including things as important as looking after an infant. Having empathy for someone in this position without making excuses for the harmful things they do is a difficult but important task that must be completed in order to be immersed in this story. The author did a good job of exploring this issue while also holding that character responsible for their actions.

All the Small Things kept me guessing.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Movie Review: Pets

June 16, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Pets (a Documentary)
Director: Bryce Dallas Howard
Starring: Travis Ford, Adam Burke, and Sterling Davis
Publisher: Disney
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars (6 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

It explores the extraordinary relationship between animals and their people around the world. Highlighting dogs, cats, pigs, goats, and birds of prey, Pets takes us on a lovely journey that celebrates love, loss, and licks along the way.

Everyone needs unconditional love.

One of the cool things about this film had to do with how many different age groups it was created for. There were interviews with preschoolers, senior citizens, and everyone in-between those age groups, too. This mean that the storytelling worked on multiple levels depending on how closely a viewer could pay attention and how much they already knew about this world. It is not easy to create something that everyone can enjoy, so kudos to the director and crew for pulling it off!

This documentary bounced around quite a bit between various people and their pets. As much as I liked seeing so many different types of animals and people from a wide variety of backgrounds, it was tricky for me as a viewer to feel deeply connected to any of them due to how little screen time they all received. I would have loved to see a smaller number of folks be interviewed so more time could be spent exploring their connections with their furry – or sometimes not so furry – companions.

Every aspect of owning a pet was covered here, from the naughty things they sometimes do to how families help pets who are sick, injured, or elderly. I laughed and cried as I watched this as the people who were being interviewed talked about both the difficult and joyful parts of sharing their lives with one or more animals. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that explored the quirks certain pets had, from licking doorknobs to getting a little jealous if someone else received more attention than they did. It was a delightful exploration of what life is like when you live with animals.

Pets was heartwarming.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review Tagged With: , , ,

A Loser Like Me by Nathan Burton

June 9, 2025 By Leave a Comment


A Loser Like Me by Nathan Burton
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the distant future, an ordinary girl from Mars has an extraordinary dream: to be the greatest bank robber the Galaxy has ever known! Experience Beth’s exciting journey first hand as she recounts how she overcame various obstacles and inconceivable odds to finally achieve her unlikely ambition.

If a little planning goes a long way, what happens when there’s a lot of planning?

Beth’s character development was strong and unique. I especially liked her relationship with Rohxann, both of whom complemented each other’s strengths and weaknesses beautifully. No sooner did I think I had them figured out than a new side of their relationship would reveal itself. This kept my interest levels high and gave Beth plenty of opportunities to share every side of her personality with the audience.

I would have liked to see more world building. For example, how did the characters learn Ancient Martian? How had the various species learned that they weren’t alone in the universe? When did people figure out how to travel between Mars and Jupiter so rapidly? These are just a few of the many questions I wondered about as I read. Answering a few more of them would have rounded things out nicely and given Beth even more opportunities to show us how intelligent, resourceful, and cunning she was.

The thriller elements of the plot were exciting and well done. I liked the way Mr. Burton prolonged the mysteries surrounding Beth’s plans until they absolutely had to be revealed. This gave me plenty of opportunities to guess what she might have up her sleeves and why she made certain key career and relationships decisions that she did early on in the storyline. There were a few moments that didn’t quite make sense to me at first, so it was fun to suddenly realize why those events needed to take place later on once I knew more about the big picture.

A Loser Like Me kept me guessing until the end.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Spiral’s Edge by Michael Boss

June 3, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Spiral’s Edge by Michael Boss
Publisher: Schular Books
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Spiral’s Edge is more than poetry-it is a journey through unseen moments, a reflection on resilience, and homage to extraordinary individuals who navigate life’s complexities. I have witnessed in my 25 years of teaching, courage, creativity, and perseverance in ways that have shaped my perspective. This book is for those who exist on the margins, for voices often unheard. It captures the tension between fragility and strength, isolation and understanding. To the reader: may you find meaning, connection, and perhaps a reflection of yourself in these pages.

Some battles never end.

The metaphor of war was used in multiple ways, from describing cruel illnesses that gradually sap students of their strength to the never ending to-do lists teachers struggle with to non-educational stressors in life like a parent losing their job or a family not having enough food that can make it incredibly difficult for any child to pay attention to their lessons. I enjoyed taking note of the various ways in which this theme was explored as Mr. Boss talked about the difficult aspects of his profession. Teachers are on the front lines of all sorts of tragedies, both big and small, that often must be kept in mind no matter what else the class is studying that day.

Everyone has unconscious biases. “Her World of Touch and Sound” gently explored the narrator’s – or maybe the author’s – experience confronting their own assumptions about and unexamined biases against people who are blind. This was not a topic I was necessarily expecting to see covered, but it fit in perfectly and reminded me that we all have blind spots even on topics we might think we have all figured out. It takes a strong character to confront this, and the willingness to do so was one of the many reasons why this was an automatic five-star read for me.

I loved the level of detail that was included in this collection, especially in the poems that were shorter in length. If the right words are selected, it doesn’t take many of them to paint a vivid picture of what life can be like in special education classrooms. Some of my favourite moments included descriptions of students who rarely or maybe even never spoke but who still found all sorts of creative ways to communicate with other people. What beautiful and thought provoking scenes those were.

The Spiral’s Edge overflowed with compassion and joy for people who have special needs as well as for those who teach them.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Movie Review: Snow Angel of Revenge

June 2, 2025 By Leave a Comment

Snow Angel of Revenge (Kosten Enkeli)
Director: Keke Soikkeli
Producers: Marko Hartama and Keke Soikkeli
Starring: Vivi Wahlström, Karoliina Tuominen, Hannele Lauri, Konsta Hietanen
Publisher: Nordic Films
Genre: Horror, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars (8 Stars on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

Seeking solace and a break from her haunting past, Niina escapes to a remote, rural villa with her close friend Suvi. Their retreat, however, takes a sinister turn when they find themselves unwelcome, and through a series of unfortunate events, get entangled in the dark rituals of a mysterious ancient cult.

One fateful night, a ragged batch of locals, who worship an old pagan god, storm the villa demanding retribution for what the women have unknowingly done. Trapped in a nightmare of blood and brutality, only Niina survives the horrifying ordeal. Shattered but unbroken, she begins to rebuild her strength. With vengeance burning in her heart, Niina sets her sights on one and only one goal—revenge.

Not every god is easy to satisfy.

The plot twists were exciting and filled with moments that made me gasp and sometimes glance away from the scariest moments. Without sharing spoilers, some of my favorite ones involved Niina’s transformation from a terrified vacationer to someone who was determined to seek revenge for what had just happened to her and her friends. This is the kind of storytelling I love to find, and I only liked her more as I saw how she behaved as a result of every twist and turn that came her way.

I would have liked to have more information about the relationship between a character who was introduced early on in the storyline and the locals who worshipped an old god. This was something that intrigued me from the beginning, and I would have happily gone with a perfect rating if their connection was developed better. There was plenty of space there for explaining why that minor character offered a free vacation to Niina and how he knew about it in the first place, and the plot would have been stronger if that had occurred.

With that being said, the world building was otherwise well done and deliciously scary. I appreciated the way it played with the audience’s expectations as well as with common stereotypes about people who spend their lives in rural, isolated places. It can be difficult for many folks to understand why not everyone prefers their way of life, including the decision of where to live or which customs to follow. Horror can shine a light on the assumptions we make about each other and what that may say about us as human beings. This is one of the many reasons why I like that genre so much.

Snow Angel of Revenge made me shudder.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review, Television Show Tagged With: , , , ,

About Grace by Barbara Shoup

May 30, 2025 By Leave a Comment


About Grace by Barbara Shoup
Publisher: Querencia Press
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Grace Lowery is a typical Midwestern American teenager: pretty, smart, a good student from what is, to all appearances, an average, middle-class, single-parent home. There’s just one difference: A series of bad decisions involving her wealthy, charming-but-irresponsible boyfriend has landed her in the state juvenile correction facility for girls.

Thus begins About Grace, a unique coming-of-age story in which a young woman deals with the consequences of her actions-and sees how those consequences are different for people living more and less privileged lives. Grace is forced to reckon with the harsh reality of the juvenile carceral system, the people she meets there, and her complicated feelings for the boy whose influence led her to this place. More important-and challenging-Grace begins to remember and unpack a history of childhood abuse at the hands of a trusted adult. It’s a journey to self-awareness under harsh and unanticipated conditions, shocking revelations-and surprising friendships.

Second chances don’t come along every day.

Grace’s character development was well done. As the layers of trauma she had experienced since early childhood were slowly peeled back, I saw glimpses of the person she’d been as a little girl as well as hints about who she might become as an adult who had worked through the pain and hopefully built a beautiful life for herself. I admired her vivid imagination and empathy for others. She was a well-rounded and memorable protagonist whose flaws only make me more interested in reading about her.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to resolving the conflicts by the end of this book. In no way did I expect everything to be neatly wrapped up due to how serious Grace’s problems were and how much therapy she still needed to work through them, but I finished reading this feeling a little unsatisfied with how everything was left off. Even a postscript that explained what happened next with the most important relationships in her life would have been enough for me to bump this up by a star.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that explored how social class affects the way young offenders are treated. Grace and the other residents at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility for Girls came from a wide variety of backgrounds, most of which involved poverty and the various side effects of a family never having enough time or money to deal with the painful challenges they faced in life. This isn’t a topic that is covered in the young adult genre as often as I’d like to see it brought up, especially when it comes to how it intersects with youth correctional facilities. Kudos to Ms. Shoup for inviting her readers into this world!

About Grace made me yearn for more.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

The Gift From Aelius by Michael Colon

May 26, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Gift From Aelius by Michael Colon
Publisher: TWB Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the not-too distant future, A191, a Codex with artificial intelligence, feels like a misfit in Paradise, a walled city in the middle of an endless desert where humans imprisoned his race long ago. He’s not like the others of his kind; he longs to meet humans and make peace with them so man and Codexes can be reunited in the world. These thoughts and feelings are not allowed in Paradise; he risks banishment to the desert by the Overseer A. I. who rules by fear and force. Complicating matters, A191 has a glitch in his programming that conjures up a human boy named Aelius who tells him to go to Old Haven where he will find freedom. However, he’s drafted into a rebellion against the Overseer, and as Paradise enforcers close in with orders to terminate him, he escapes the city to wander the desert in search of humans. The journey reveals the truth about his existence, the Overseer’s lies, and the consequences of mankind’s untethered technology.

Freedom is a gift.

There were some great plot twists in this tale that kept my interest level high. I liked the way Mr. Colon foreshadowed them gently while also trusting his audience to take note of what was going on. Hints don’t need to be strong in order to be effective, and this was a good example of how to assume the best about one’s readers and what we’re capable of picking up by ourselves.

I found myself wishing for stronger character development. Characters made decisions that I didn’t always understand, and I would struggle to describe most of their personalities in detail. While I wouldn’t expect everyone to be as well developed as A191, it would have been nice to know more about the habits, beliefs, and quirks of the supporting cast. This was even more true in the final third of the book when decisions that were made earlier began to have serious consequences for the storyline.

The world building was strong and intriguing. I was especially interested in how Paradise monitored, repaired, and occasionally replaced the robots in its society. They had strict protocols for just about anything that could go wrong with one of their artificial intelligence units, and I was impressed by how quickly the system responded to anything that didn’t fit their parameters.

The Gift From Aelius made me wish for a sequel. This was my first experience reading this author, but I hope there will be plenty more to come in the future!

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , ,

Driving the Bugmobile by Alan Orloff

May 21, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Driving the Bugmobile by Alan Orloff
Publisher: Level Best Books
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Sometimes a pool noodle is just a pool noodle. Other times…

In two short weeks, Nick Carlin will be old enough to get his driver’s license, but there’s a catch—a huge one. His mom says he must first pass a swimming test, and Nick takes to the water as well as a flying fish pilots a jumbo jet. It’s one more challenge as the Summer From Hell comes to an August crescendo: his slacker friend Miller is worried about “failing life,” and the older girl Nick’s crushing on—his robo-hottie swimming instructor—is leaving for college. But the cherry on top of the stress sundae? His mom’s low-life moocher boyfriend has just moved in, and Nick is supposed to be happy about it!

As Nick struggles to get his life in shape (and master the freestyle), he learns that the best solutions aren’t always the easiest ones. If he wants to relieve his friend’s anxiety, shield his mom from heartache, find happiness with the right girl (hint: not the robo-hottie), and score the keys to the Bugmobile, he’ll have to step up his game, big-time.

Growing up isn’t always easy.

Mr. Orloff did an excellent job of showing both the upsides and the downsides of being a teenager, from the parties to dealing with the frustration of rules that don’t quite make sense. Nick was at the age when he was almost ready for bigger responsibilities in life like getting his driver’s license, and his impatience to grow up felt realistic and relatable to me. Time often seems to pass more slowly when you’re a teenager, so the thought of waiting even a few more weeks was exasperating to him. I smiled and nodded along as I read about everything he did to prove to his mom that he was responsible enough for this next step.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to the subplot involving the budding relationship between Nick’s mom, Tiffany, and her new boyfriend. She was such an attentive and cautious parent in other areas of life that I was a bit surprised by how quickly she not only introduced Jason to Nick but also invited him into their family traditions and routines. Having more details about her thought processes here would have made this a five-star read for me.

Some of the most interesting scenes were the ones that explored why Nick had never learned how to swim despite years of lessons. His reasons made perfect sense and gave extra layers of depth of this character. I also appreciated the way this storyline explored how childhood experiences can shape someone’s personality for years to come. Yes, I know that’s a little vague, but the big reveal isn’t something anyone should have spoiled for them, and figuring out what it was made this reader even more curious to discover what happened next.

Driving the Bugmobile was an absorbing read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Morgan’s Landing by Linda Griffin

May 19, 2025 By Leave a Comment



Morgan’s Landing by Linda Griffin
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the small town of Morgan’s Landing, fourteen-year-old Julie Morgan disappears on her way to school after a spat with her twin sister. Detective Jim Brady uncovers a few suspects—Is it fired school janitor Bear Wayans, paroled sex offender Raymond Ochner, Julie’s computer teacher David Hartwell…or his own teenage son Colin? Jim can’t believe his son could be involved, but his wife is convinced the boy is hiding something. He needs to find Julie before the worst happens—and keep the peace at home.

Not everything is as safe as it may first appear to be.

This tale did a good job of exploring what it’s like to live in a small community. I especially liked the scenes that showed the many different connections between various characters. While not everyone knew everyone else on a personal basis, they did see each other around regularly and had all sorts of loose ties to each other through school, work, and other activities that typically take up a lot of someone’s time. I enjoyed taking note of how everyone knew each other and, in some cases, what they thought of one another, too.

It would have been helpful to have more character development. As interested as I was in the plot, getting to know the characters wasn’t as easy as I would have preferred it to be because of how little time was spent describing their personalities. I could describe their physical appearances and occupations easily, but I would struggle if someone asked me if the major characters were shy, boisterous, serious, thoughtful, talkative, or some other adjective. If this hadn’t been the case, I would have happily gone for a higher rating as the storyline itself was attention grabbing.

The twist at the end was a wonderful surprise that I hadn’t seen coming. I enjoy it when mysteries play around with the rules of their genres and expect their readers to keep thinking of new possibilities from the first scene to the last one. Kudos to Ms. Griffin for her creativity here! It’s a big part of the reason why I get a thrill every time she comes out with a new book.

Morgan’s Landing kept me guessing.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Movie Review: Moana 2

May 19, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Moana 2

Directed by: David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller
Writers: Jared Bush, Dana Ledoux Miller, Bek Smith
Starring: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Hualalai Chung
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars (8 on IMDB)
Reviewed by Astilbe

After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.

Anything can happen in the middle of the ocean.

The pacing was strong and exciting without ever being too scary for younger viewers in my opinion. The few scarier scenes were brief and generally interrupted by a joke or a song to break the tension. I liked the way the characters worked together and kept the storyline going while bursting into song or dealing with the various problems – paranormal and otherwise – that can crop up when a group of friends decides to sail the ocean and save the world (or at least that corner of the world).

I would have liked to see more attention paid to the plot. Some of it reminded me a lot of Moana’s first adventure, and the sections of it that were new tended to be revealed close to the end. This is something I’m saying as someone who loves this universe and did enjoy the sequel overall. I simply needed extra time spent exploring the things that the main character learned this time around in order to go for a full five-star (ten on IMDB) rating.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed the characters in various humorous situations. For example, Heihei the pet rooster somehow managed to get into trouble every time Moana glanced away from him. If there wasn’t any trouble seeking him out, he looked for it instead by messing around with the wrong parts of the ocean or walking into places no sensible chicken should poke their beak into. I could watch a whole film about his antics and still not grow tired of the silly things he did.

Moana 2 was full of adventure.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous Musings, Movie Review, Television Show Tagged With: , ,
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