Chrissie's Run

                Chrissie’s Run is one of the best young adult books I’ve read all year. It fits in with the new popularity of dystopian based novels where the young must fight to survive. In Chrissie’s futuristic world, she becomes pregnant by her boyfriend, Jason, and when forced to plan for an abortion because her baby is shown to have abnormalities on the scans, Chrissie makes a run for it. She hopes to find a place called Haven, a mysterious area where things are much better than her current world. On her journey she finds out that her baby is very special and therefore protectors are sent to help her reach safety as well as save her from the Closers who are basically government assassins. This is a fast paced book that will keep readers constantly turning the pages. Chrissie starts as a typical sixteen year old (as typical as someone living in that world could be) but she grows up quickly and learns to become a warrior in order to protect her son. All of the characters are very well written and enjoyable, even if it’s to enjoy hating them. There are a few twists and turns that will teach the reader not to trust any of the characters in the book. The book read perfectly on my ereader and the cover, with its picture of a jackrabbit, will make sense once you start reading. I truly hope there will be more books telling the rest of Chrissie’s and her son, Daniel’s, story.

Ellen's Submission by James and Lydia Keane

                The first thing I need to point out about Ellen’s Submission: Intrigue Next Door, a fairly short erotic tale at around eighty nine pages on my ereader, is that it is extremely explicit. It’s not meant for someone who is just looking for the typical romance novel. After all, it is in the genre of erotica and the two authors who wrote this lovely tale bring it all to the table. This is a sexually charged, chemistry laden story that is well written and fun to read. The authors are a man and a woman which is quite easy to tell as both view points, male and female, in the story are quite accurately portrayed. Ellen is a grad student who is caught in a four year relationship that is quickly going nowhere. She meets her next door neighbour one day in a rather unusual way and sparks fly. As she gets to know him, she must decide if she is willing to submit to his unorthodox tastes in intimacy. This book is easily read in one session because it does keep the reader entertained. It’s basically one long seduction but written tastefully and in a way that will provide maximum erotica for lovers of this genre. The cover is very tempting and it read well on my ereader. I enjoyed it although the whole submissive idea, so popular in today’s erotic books, makes me laugh. It’s not really my cup of tea but this book will be enjoyed by those who have interests in that area.

The Dog Boy by Noel Anenberg

                The Dog Boy is an emotionally entertaining novel set just at the end of WWII in Los Angeles. It follows Phosie, an African-American maid who moves to Los Angeles to be with her son who was wounded in the war and is in the hospital recovering. She works as a maid for Lucille Goldberg as a means to making a living during her son’s recovery and encounters Jakie, Lucille’s brother, and Lucille’s son who believes he is a dog and acts and lives like one at all times, thus the title of the book. Racial issues are at the forefront of this book as care for Phosie’s son is not what it should be due to his color. Also explored quite beautifully is the relationship Phosie has with Lucille to whom she becomes somewhat of a mother figure, albeit one who knows her place. The key relationship is between Phosie and the little dog boy to whom she also becomes somewhat of a mother as well. The author does a brilliant job of exploring the life of an African-American maid during this time in post war Los Angeles without making it the main point of the book. Instead, the focal point is Phosie herself, a strong woman who only wants the best for her son. I really enjoyed this book and found myself completely taken in by the story. I read this on my ereader which formatted it to digital form perfectly and the cover was intriguing as to how it correlated to the book title. This is definitely worth the read.