Kindle's not just for reading?

I'm wrapping presents of books, books and more books as youngest son hopes to own the ones he used to read of ours. Meanwhile my kindle's thoroughly loaded, the fridge is filling, the turkey's thawing, and plans for Christmas celebrations are growing to fruition. Oh, and I'm reading, of course. But I've been playing some other games on my kindle this week, and there's a neat set of Christmas puzzles I just might open on my computer's pseudo-kindle for everyone to look at after Christmas dinner...

As usual, these reviews should link to longer reviews on Gather, and the coffee recommendations are exactly what they say--coffee is good!

I've read / puzzled / played with three kindle puzzle books from Garabchuck recently and can definitely recommend them to anyone looking for puzzles to play with or share over Christmas. There's a short sweet set of twelve bright-colored mysteries for Christmas--how many toys will fit in the box... which star isn't the same... etc. Then there are 102 nicely graded brain-twisters in one great collection (it's a sequel to two other collections of 100 and 101). And finally Lets Tans is a set of kindle tangrams where you use the fiveway controller to move the pieces--kind of fun, and surprisingly easy to get used to. You'll want a 1-star light crisp coffee to inspire you as you share these with your family.

I read this next book on Kindle too, but the puzzle's in the mystery of what might have happened to the young protagonist, and why. Awareness, by Rowan Shannigan, tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who wakes from a two-week coma to find strange people (and more) talking all round her while nobody else knows they're there. The author creates a very convincing teen-girl voice, with likeable character, natural behavior, and a sudden, very strange skill. Good timing makes the curious revelations of worlds beyond worlds (angels, demons, elves?) quite pleasingly believable. First in a new series, the story's nicely complete, and the preview of what comes next is truly scary. Start with a 2-star bright lively coffee, but you might need something darker by the end.

And now for a book I read in real paper and print, a surprisingly intriguing view into the life of a schizophrenic young adult finding answers among the shadows that seem to haunt her. The start of Yamaya Cruz's When the Shadows Began to Dance is a little shaky, but once I got into the story I couldn't put it down. Even typos couldn't distract me. Drink a 4-star complex coffee with this--it's a complex tale where reality, mysticism and imagination are completely intertwined.

Comments

maryrussel said…
You do such a great job on book reviews. I love how you always share how they personally affect you. That personal note is what makes yours so unique. Wishing you a very blessed and merry Christmas!

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