About the Book
There are people everywhere who need help, who might seem okay on the outside but aren’t on the inside. People whose whole entire day can be changed …
Josh wants a friend but he doesn’t know how to find somewhere to belong …
Ollie wants to express herself but doesn’t want to be noticed …
Small Acts introduces two kids with great hearts who know that helping others can start with one small act of kindness. Josh has a plan to start with just that. So does Ollie. What Josh and Ollie don’t know yet is that they need each other to make their plans work.
My Thoughts:
This is a fabulous and sweet book about friendship, caring about people in different ways, autism and small acts of kindness. Enough to inspire you to small acts of kindness yourself.
Josh loves lists. He writes lists of what he wants to do. He wants to join a school club. In class, he is inspired by a video his teacher shows them – a video about kindness. He writes a new list. Acts of kindness.
Ollie doesn’t like to be centre of attention and doesn’t think she deserves friendship after a bad experience. She does love art. She is also inspired by the class video to do small acts of kindness.
These two very different children, through their acts of kindness and ideas for a Kindness club, inspire and change their whole school as well as their own lives. This is a gentle, uplifting book about a topic that could do with a little more hype. Small acts of kindness. This is a must have for reading to smaller children (or reading with slightly older ones – or even having your children read to you) and parents will get a little something out of it too. I have a feeling this book can and will inspire a new generation of kindness givers. Beautifully written by the two Kates – Kate Gordon and Kate Foster. I thoroughly recommend this book for all. Marvellous.
PHOTO PROMPT © Robbie Cheadle
“Do you think they’ll share?”
“With us, yeah I don’t think so, they don’t look like the sharing type.”
“What type would that be?”
“Ah, monkeys, like earth ones. These ones talk. Remember?”
“Right, right. Still, I mean. They talk. We could just ask.”
“Go on then.”
“… Ah, well. I mean, you read what happened the other day.”
“The body? You don’t think …?”
“I’m sure not. But it was an alien body and we’re aliens.”
“So you just assume they did it?”
“No, no. That would be alienist, wouldn’t it?”
“Let’s just go back to the hotel.”
“… Sure.”
This is a Friday Fictioneers Prompt
You can read more FF prompt responses here
Word count: 100
© Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. All Rights to the works and publications on this blog are owned and copyrighted by Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. The Owner of this site reserves all permissions for access and use of all documents on this site. NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s [and publisher’s] exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A distress signal on the edge of inhabited space. Two very different soldiers with one common goal: survival. When a distress signal is received from a black-ops space station on the edge of inhabited space, Captain Saul Harris of the UNF Aurora is called in from leave to respond. But the mission is not what it seems. Information is thin on the ground and three new recruits have been added to the Aurora crew. For Corporal Carrie Welles, one of the Aurora’s new recruits, her first mission in space seems like a dream come true. Determined to achieve the success of her father before her, and suddenly thrust into a terrifying mission, she must work with her new captain and the strained Aurora crew to make it home alive. When the Aurora arrives at the station Harris and Welles soon find themselves caught up in a desperate fight for survival. Station Darwin is not what they expected. The lights are off, but somebody is home…
My Thoughts:
What a novel and a fantastic book one of a series I will be reading immediately. I seem to be on a science fiction horror mash at the moment and this one ticks all the boxes. Amanda Bridgeman has a way with science fiction that leaves you wanting more but also leaves you unable to stop thinking about it.
A gripping, easy to read, emotion filled drama with horror and tech concepts that will stay with you long after you put the book down. This book has a plot that flows effortlessly yet rapidly, with layers and a depth that belies the no doubt lengthy legwork done by the author. Full of clear, visual descriptions and tense heart-pounding action, it has a subtle build of tension that has you gripping the pages tightly as you read – a sign of a truly delightful book. I love a good space opera and this one has everything. Internal crew squabbles, spaceships, haunted space stations, military inequity and gender bias, as well as trained professionals, super humans, genetic manipulation, secrets, hidden agendas, and advanced tech it’s all there and I love it. Can’t wait to read more, though I will be looking over my shoulder at shadows and squinting suspiciously around corners from here on out. Creepy and compelling. A great read.
ABOUT THE BOOK
In the vast, unforgiving expanse of space, Kate, now living under the alias Grace, is on a desperate mission—disguised as a Space Corp employee, she’s determined to uncover the truth behind her brother’s mysterious disappearance.
On a routine debris collection mission, her world is shattered when she discovers a clue that could expose Space Corp’s darkest secrets.
Thrust into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Grace must navigate the treacherous void, facing not only the perils of space but also the haunting memories of her past captivity.
With her crewmates’ lives hanging in the balance, she must decide who she can trust as she races against time to unravel the conspiracy threatening to consume her.
A pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller that delves deep into the human spirit, exploring themes of identity, betrayal, and resilience.
The intricate plot and breathtaking depiction of space will captivate you from the first page to the last.
Perfect for fans of intense, character-driven narratives and gripping science fiction, promising a journey that is as emotionally compelling as it is thrilling.
MY THOUGHTS:
Okay, I’ll start with the fact that I should not have read this on an airplane. I was extremely conscious of being enclosed in a small tin can flying through the air with no safe way to get out. (Yes, I know airplanes are a little more technical than a “tin can” but while reading a novella like this one that was all I could think about.) That being said, it might also be the best place to read something like Shattered, especially if you love creepy science fiction and horror. Though, I now have a number of new nightmares to wake me from in the middle of the night. And perhaps don’t read this one if you have arachnophobia. Being an Australian… this one pressed all the “fear” buttons for me. BUT what a brilliant story. I couldn’t put it down. It’s a short read that flies along at a ripping pace. All the best bits of Sci-fi are here – including traveling through space on a spaceship that is falling apart while surrounded by people you cannot trust despite knowing you already have justifiable trust issues. It’s like a horror version of Star Trek mashed with the grit and despair of Star Wars and the fear from the Alien franchise. Throw in an unstoppable invasion of deadly critters, body horror, hidden agendas, secret identities, this one is a MUST READ for sci fi fans who love a scare. Pauline Yates once again knocks it out of the park. Weeks later I am still thinking about it.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Dazzler, rock ‘n’ roll, and the children of Cyclops and Magneto launch into space and beyond in this electrifying trans-dimensional adventure from Marvel’s School of X
When rock star Dazzler walked out on S.H.I.E.L.D., she hoped she’d seen the last of the clandestine organization. But when a rogue agent drops in after a sold-out gig, she must decide whether to work with them again or stick to her solo career. The agent links Mutant Growth Hormone – a dangerous biochemical that wildly enhances mutant powers – with the disappearance of Magneto and Cyclops. Reluctantly, Dazzler takes the case and unfolds a mystery greater than she anticipated. In need of a new team, she recruits the extraordinary mutants Emma Frost, Polaris, and Rachel Grey on a mission to foil a plot to remove mutantkind forever, which blasts them from Earth into a whole new dimension.
MY THOUGHTS:
This is everything you could want from a X-Men novel. Great action, compelling emotional hooks, concepts that keeping you thinking long after you stop turning the pages and bright sparkly mutants trying to exist in a world that doesn’t want them. And this one has music. I almost wanted a soundtrack to go with this novel as I could hear a beat and music in my head at every turn. A fast paced, easy read – I finished it in two days. As always with Amanda Bridgeman’s novels, concepts of biochemical manipulation are explored in very human ways but with an underlying horror of “what if”. Of course, with any X-Men novel – explorations of who we are and who we should be proud to be are front of mind. Identity, politics, female friendships and relationships with father figures are all explored and Amanda Bridgeman handles it all with great aplomb. This has an all star female cast and the connections and interactions between the women are thought provoking as well as a joy to read – exploring age, gender, relation to family, politics, leadership, bias, power, control, and the subtleties between the various personalities, and their drives and desires are deftly woven into the plot. I love being able to delve deeper into the lives of “ordinary mutants” and the novel form gives us more time to spend with the primary characters, telling us “their” story. A terrific novel about Dazzler. A must read in the School of X ‘verse.
ABOUT THE BOOK
“Magic might be this city’s first currency, but blood is its second.”
They survived mancers. They survived monsters. They survived the Storm.
With the mountains behind them and Illredus on the horizon, they thought the hardest part of the journey over.
They were wrong.
Outlawed and on the run, Lyss struggles to control her new and volatile magic. A magic that will destroy her.
Her only hope: Find the last remaining witch to tame it.
Her only clue: Buried in Illredus. City of mancers. Capital of the Empire.
Together, she and Skaar descend into Illredus’ underbelly and discover a warren of illegal magics and the monstrous legacy Lyss’ father left behind.
As truth, loyalties, and magic clash, Lyss must decide how far she’ll go to exact justice in her father’s name…
And how far she’ll fall to rule the power inside her once and for all.
My Thoughts:
Lyss and Skaar are locked in a blood pact and determined to break it – to save both of their lives. Their journey takes them into the dangerous heart of Illredus… the capital of the Empire and the one place neither Lyss or Skaar can afford to be caught. Hunted at every turn, they discover new allies they are not sure they can trust and new enemies they are absolutely sure they can’t trust. Transformations abound. Honour and truth are tested. Magic brings out the best and the worst in all of them. Betrayal haunts their footsteps and the past holds the present captive as Lyss and her friends are tortured by the choices that were made by those that came long before.
As with the first book in this series, book two held me captivated until the end. Nikky Lee’s writing style is engaging and encapsulating, allowing for a speedy read yet is detailed and descriptive enough to fully immerse the reader in this strange new world. The worldbuilding in this series is spectacular. Such an original and complex concept is explained clearly and is easy to follow, making it a joy to get sucked into the drama and action of the plot without being bogged down with wordy descriptions or lengthy explanations. The plot of this second book, like the first, rips along at a cracking pace. The action is excellent. Visual and visceral. The horror elements are deftly layered throughout but are not overdone, as are the action sequences and emotion drama that keeps the pages turning. Character arcs fully drive the plot points, decisions that are entirely logical and do not take a reader out of their immersion in the story yet still allows for some shocking twists you do not see coming.
Monsters, magic, body horror and action galore, oh my!
A fantastic book two… I eagerly await the finale.
You can read my review of Book One – The Rarkyn’s Familiar here
PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox
“It looks just like outside. Upside. Oh, whatever you call it here. Like how it was before … How …?”
“Artificial light. You can’t see it from here, but the ‘sky’ is an illusion. Pretty, isn’t it?”
“It’s wonderful.”
“We offer your kind sanctuary for as long as the surface is uninhabitable. It is not the first time.”
“Thank you, yes this is … wait. First time?”
“We have sheltered surface dwellers before. Over the eons.”
He watched the underworlders speak with his staff, his mind furiously plotting. This place lies deep beneath OUR land. It should belong to us.
This is a Friday Fictioneers Prompt
You can read more FF prompt responses here
Word count: 100
© Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. All Rights to the works and publications on this blog are owned and copyrighted by Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. The Owner of this site reserves all permissions for access and use of all documents on this site. NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s [and publisher’s] exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.
PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
So many years had passed after the first flood that it felt more like a dream than a memory.
Or perhaps a nightmare.
Of course, we flood every year now.
Since the Moon shifted orbit.
Since the alien incursion.
We won.
But we are still dealing with the consequences of the changes wrought. Apparently, the poles have flipped. I mean, how does that even happen? Aliens. Monsters more like. The world is just different now and we are still adjusting to our new “regular.”
At times like this. Watching the waters rise. I wonder if we really won at all.
This is a Friday Fictioneers prompt
You can read more FF prompt responses here
Word count: 100
© Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. All Rights to the works and publications on this blog are owned and copyrighted by Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. The Owner of this site reserves all permissions for access and use of all documents on this site. NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s [and publisher’s] exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.
PHOTO PROMPT © Jennifer Pendergast
It shouldn’t be snowing.
Not in Australia.
Not in Summer.
Not at Christmas.
But these days are not what they were.
It’s not snow. Not entirely.
Since the alien bomb… the redirected asteroid … the one we tracked passing us that changed course in an instant to wipe us out.
The drones were our warning.
We didn’t understand.
As usual, anything that hits the northern hemisphere takes a while to get here. A blessing and a curse. So the snow that is not snow is killing us.
If we want to live, we must accept slavery.
It’s not a choice.
This is a Friday Fictioneers Prompt
You can read more FF prompt responses here
Word count: 100
Sorry… it’s a little darker than I intended. And a bit late this week… I’ve been unwell over Xmas. Of all the times to get tonsillitis!
© Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. All Rights to the works and publications on this blog are owned and copyrighted by Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. The Owner of this site reserves all permissions for access and use of all documents on this site. NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s [and publisher’s] exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.
PHOTO PROMPT ©Sandra Crook
The event was touted across the planet as a “meet and greet” with the new arrivals. In reality it was very much a chance for both sides to size the other up in a neutral setting. The biggest concern was whether unintentional offence would occur. To either side. Knowing the person in charge would bluster, lie and pontificate “insult” was practically guaranteed. Security was tight and tensions were high. Easy for something to kick off. Enthusiastic music announced their entry. All the guards clenched everything, waiting, breath held.
“Welcome to our world. I love green. Green is a great color.”
This is a Friday Fictioneers prompt
You can read more FF prompt responses here
Word count: 100
© Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. All Rights to the works and publications on this blog are owned and copyrighted by Solothefirst & Laurie Bell. The Owner of this site reserves all permissions for access and use of all documents on this site. NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s [and publisher’s] exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models.
Rambles, writing and amusing musings 