Losing Austin is a great novel of mystery and intrigue. Austin was not autistic, but he had similar characteristics: he did not speak and communicating with him was complicated. Colton, Austin's younger brother, faced teasing at school due to Austin's condition. Although they loved each other, one rainy day, Colton was frustrated and yelled at Austin. Soon after, his brother disappeared without a trace. Their parents and the authorities tried to search for him without success. Theories soon surfaced that Colton was a murderer or that this situation was a case of alien abduction.
When Darksome Falls by M.C. Ryder is the story of Melia Weber, a woman who tries to adjust to being human again while grieving her late husband. Melia had been a vampire, but she and her vampire family chose to turn mortal when a cure for vampirism was found. While the other former vampires are able to find purpose and joy in their lives, Melia feels lost without her husband. She tries to work through her grief on her own and gets involved with a dangerous man in the process.
Vicky and her father live in the Switzerland mountains among the beauty that surrounds them. One day, an older woman and her entourage pass through Vicky’s very small village. They decide to stop and find lodging. Vicky is drawn to this older woman because she notices she appears very sad. If anyone knows sadness, it’s Vicky because she lost her beloved mother, who she was very close to. Vicky gets the opportunity to meet the woman and learns that she is the Countess of Kent. Vicky wants to cheer the countess up, so she decides to make her a floral bouquet.
It’s the first day of kindergarten and both Mateo and Penny are really nervous. Mateo tells his mom that he feels like he has butterflies in his stomach. He further explains he feels excited, scared, and sad. Another child, Penny, tells her dad that she’s excited and worried because she thinks no one will like her. She further explains to him that she’s curious and nervous. Both parents reassure their child that it’s okay to be feeling all these mixed emotions on the first day of kindergarten.
Under Brambles by Margaretta James is a collection of short stories that all seem to end in an overall realization of inner trauma that is healed through amazing imagery built within the vocabulary of each story. Whether you are reliving memories from a very young age, religious turmoil within oneself, or trying to see through the eyes of the characters, you come to a very real and almost emotional epiphany that has a sense of calm and validation that everything will be okay.
When Orbit decides to go visit some of his young friends in the park, they are so excited to see him again. They love the stories Orbit tells them and the lessons he helps them learn. This visit he wants to talk to the children about empathy. He explains that empathy is a superpower that you have and you should use with all the people you meet. You should be empathetic to others as you hope they would be to you.
Under Brambles is a collection of very short stories and a few poems that explore little snippets of a character's life. A wide range of situations are covered, and each story is unique and examines situations from the point of view of very different characters.
It is summer vacation and Maddy, Grace, and Mia are together trying to figure out what short trips they can take to have fun over break. Mia suggests they visit the Parkland Zoo for a day trip. The following Saturday, Maddy’s parents take the three girls for a day of fun at the zoo. When they arrive there, something doesn’t look right. The parking lot is empty, and there aren’t any animals to be found. They see a zookeeper and head over to speak with him.
Financial Dignity by Andreas Jones offers a roadmap to success when it comes to one’s finances. This book endeavors to teach you how to remove the moment of panic when you login to your bank account and are waiting for the balance to load. It offers practical one step at a time methods regarding saving, budgeting, creating an emergency/rainy day fund, and even investing. The book focuses on getting rid of debt and expanding one’s own wealth. Are you ready to stop worrying about what your bank balance will be when you log into your bank?
