Book picks similar to
Skateboard Blues by Sydell Voeller


action-and-adventure
author-requested-review
coming-of-age
inspirational

Don't Kiss Your Brother's Sworn Enemy (Don't Kiss! Series Book 1)


Elle Gonzales - 2020
    Well, according to her twin brother Cole, that is. Cole's resentment toward him has been there for as long as she can remember.So it goes without saying that she needs to stay away from Jake if she wants to keep the peace. That should be easy, right?Except there's one problem: Jake is assigned as her partner for a school paper. And as if that's not enough, she also needs his help to get back in her best friend's good graces.Callie knows that getting close to him is not a good idea. Too bad she's starting to like him...

Titanium Texicans


Alan Black - 2014
    He doesn’t want to leave the only home he’s ever known. He doesn’t want to be apprenticed on a space freighter crewed by Texas cowboys of Mexican descent. He certainly doesn’t want to be gone for so long that his home and inheritance are stolen. While trying to fit in and still get home he learns what it is like to live in space, what a cheerleader is, how spicy a taco can be, and that Texicans like a good fight as much as he does.

A Threat From The Past


Paul Cude - 2011
    Until you discover the TRUTH!Just like his friends, he is a... DRAGON!Thrust into a life away from the underground dragon domain, disguised in a new, awkward human form in an effort to guide and protect humanity just like the rest of his race, all he has to do is uncover the diabolical deeds playing out around him.With the help of his two young friends, a master mantra maker and a complete dragon stranger with more than a little history attached to him, will Peter manage to thwart the dark, devious scheme long in the planning?Ever wondered how dragons use their supernatural gift to travel below ground at almost the speed of sound?Want to know how they use magical mantras to transform their giant bodies into convincing human shapes?Learn the true story of George and the Dragon, see if a prehistoric grudge turns into murderous revenge, and find out what to do if you meet a giant arachnid grinning at you when you're wearing nothing but your smile.Lose yourself in this unputdownable fantasy adventure NOW!

The Potential Hazards of Hester Day


Mercedes Helnwein - 2008
    Apprehensive about spending the rest of her existence in a void of nothingness in Nowheresville, Florida, where she currently lives with her painfully intrusive family, she decides to tip her life over into any kind of surrealism she can lay her hands on. Shortly after graduation and a heated fight with her mother featuring an airborne toaster, Hester's life takes a turn for the better when she notices a billboard with two wide-eyed children and the catchy phrase "All they want for Christmas is a family." What better way to drive a chainsaw through her placid existence? But when the adoption agency rejects her application to adopt a child, she realizes she must do something more drastic to derail the mediocre life threatening to spread out before her. Having found herself stuck in a camper named Arlene with Fenton Flaherty, her nemesis from the library (who, through a series of interesting events is now also Hester's husband), Jethro, Hester's ten-year-old cousin, and Duncan Clyde, a.k.a. "Jesus Freak," who is traveling along the side of the road asking passersby to sign his life-sized cross, Hester is quickly freed from anything even remotely mediocre (or normal, for that matter) about her life. Preposterously dysfunctional, side-splittingly funny, and surprisingly touching, The Potential Hazards of Hester Day is an adventure that you'll want to experience again and again.

Joshua


Robert Fishell - 2019
    He's failing in school, his teachers pick on him, his classmates laugh at him, a relentless bully terrorizes him, his best friend has moved away, and he's hopelessly in love with the prettiest girl in his school. At home, his harsh and distant father has all but disinherited him, he worries his mother to tears, and he squabbles senselessly with his pretty, talented sister Anica, who seems to be everything he is not. Then adolescence comes along and really complicates things. A torrent of long-denied feelings for a sister who once adored him compel Joshua to repair the damage he's done to their relationship. His longtime babysitter helps him to understand things his mother doesn't know how to tell him and his father doesn't want him to know. Then, in a murky funeral home far away from home, he meets a distant cousin who changes his life in ways he could never have imagined. As Joshua starts to turn his life around, his father's tortured past catches up with him, and life at home begins to unravel. Joshua is faced with a decision that could imperil his very life. He will risk everything to protect his sister, and in the process, he learns the power of love and the meaning of courage.

Lord Deliver Me From Negative Self Talk 2: Unleash Your Power (Inspiration For Women)


Lynn R. Davis - 2014
    We have tremendous influence in the home; corporate world; the church; and society as a whole. But some how we have begun to lose sight of power and influence that we posses. God gave us the ability not only to birth life, but to speak life to every circumstance and situation that we face. It's time for us as women of God to embrace our purpose and power. Its time to stop bashing others and talking bad about ourselves. We have to take our words and communication more seriously. Just as Eve was a gift to Adam, we are a gift to the body of Christ. Its time for us to unleash the power of God's word in our lives.

I Know an Old Lady


Margaret Standafer - 2020
    Teenagers are celebrating the first taste of freedom as they line their pockets with newly printed driver’s licenses and long-awaited paychecks. Days off are spent at the town’s only lake, nights under the yellow lights of the drive-in restaurant.But Billy Tupper’s life is a far cry from that of other teenagers. One mistake too many lands him in front of a judge who sentences him to a summer working for Old Lady Baxter, the victim of his latest carelessness…and the rumored child killer of Munroe, Kansas. As Billy sweats his way through endless months of mowing her lawn, weeding her garden, and painting her house, he also searches for the evidence to prove she’s guilty, but what he finds, and what he learns about himself, will change his life forever.I Know an Old Lady is a touching coming-of-age story of loss and redemption, of understanding and compassion, and of a family torn apart and slowly put back together.I Know an Old Lady is Billy Tupper’s story.

The Magician's Workshop, Volume One


Christopher Hansen - 2016
    Whoever becomes a master over these powers is awarded the title of magician and given fame, power, riches, and glory. Journey with a group of kids as they strive to rise to the top and become members of the Magician’s Workshop.Layauna desperately wants to create beautiful things with her magical powers, but all she can seem to do is make horrible, savage monsters. For years she has tried to hide her creations, but when her power is at last discovered by a great magician, she realizes that what she’s tried to hide might actually be of tremendous value.Kai just wants to use his powers to have fun and play with his friends. Unfortunately, nearly everyone on his island sees him as a bad influence, so he’s forced to meet them in secret. When one of the creatures they create gets out of control and starts flinging fireballs at their town, Kai is tempted to believe that he is as nefarious as people say. However, his prospects change when two mysterious visitors arrive, praising his ability and making extraordinary promises about his future.Follow the adventures of Kai, Layauna, and a boatload of other characters as they struggle to grow up well in this fantastical world.This is an alternate cover edition for B01MQGHGBH

Lost in Los Angeles


Jenny Lynne - 2014
    Plagued by crippling anxiety attacks, Erin travels to Los Angeles, searching for a sign that life is still worth living.Shortly after she arrives in L.A., she meets Ben, a mysterious young man who captures both her curiosity and her heart. As they explore Los Angeles together, Ben reveals shocking secrets of his tragic childhood and helps Erin believe that she can heal from the wounds of her traumatic past.But Ben is hiding a horrible secret. A secret that could destroy her.What people are saying about LOST IN LOS ANGELES:"I have read many books and I don't think one has moved me as much as this one did. My eyes are welling up and my heart aches. I absolutely love this book." -- Elizabeth, The Bookish Way ★★★★★"Lynne made me feel like I was right there with Erin, feeling everything she was. Her pain was so real and it broke my heart. You have to read this book! Trust me. The ending will blow you away." -- Susan, Goodreads ★★★★★"A beautiful story about finding the will to live again. It has definitely won one of the slots for my favorite books." -- Tiffany, Goodreads ★★★★★"If you are looking for a story to make you believe in the magic of love, Lost in Los Angeles is it." -- Dianne, Tome Tender Book Blog ★★★★★LOST IN LOS ANGELES has captivated fans of IF I STAY (by Gayle Forman), TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN (by John Green), 180 SECONDS (by Jessica Park), THIRTEEN REASONS WHY (by Jay Asher), ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES (by Jennifer Niven), ELEANOR & PARK (by Rainbow Rowell), HOPELESS (by Colleen Hoover), and ONE OF US IS LYING (by Karen McManus). This compelling novel gives us an insider's Los Angeles travel guide wrapped in a coming-of-age story of healing and hope, with a shocking ending that you won't see coming.If you love emotional young adult romantic contemporary novels, don't miss this powerful read!

Silence Breaks


Ashlee Birk - 2014
    I am a victim of murder. Through a series of events and by two shots of a gun, I was made a widow at the age of 28, with my youngest child just six weeks old. I am a victim of infidelity. I have felt unlovable. I have felt rejected. I have had days in my life when I wasn’t sure if I would ever take a breath again, let alone be able to raise my five children by myself. I have lived in fear. I have felt much heartache. I have felt truly broken to my core. I have carried some heavy burdens...not only of my own, but burdens put upon my shoulders by the death of my husband. I have felt alone. I have felt humiliated. I have been humbled to my knees. I have searched my soul to find my worth in this world, and in the life that was left for me. My world has been totally shattered. I have faced realities I never knew were possible, and found strength within myself to keep up the fight and live every day as if it was on purpose. I have been carried by Angels...both earthly beings and those unseen. I have found that being a “victim” doesn’t mean we have an excuse to stop living. Being a victim means finding a reason for seeking a higher road. I have picked up the pieces left and carried on. I am a mother. We are survivors. In one way or another, we are all victims. There are times in our lives when we are forced to question who we are at our core. When we are presented with a path...we can go this way or we can choose that way. For some, this moment comes when the one person whom we love the most decides we are not enough. This person leave us—at a most vulnerable moment—alone to search within ourselves for who we really are. We are left trying to find who it is that was left behind. Sometimes the person we love dies. Sometimes it is merely an internal battle we are facing...all alone inside our minds. Whatever the situation and wherever you have been...you have been hurt. You have felt alone. You have been abandoned, either by your parents, your lover, your friends, complete strangers, or even yourself. We have all been at that crossroad where all we have left is ourselves. Sometimes these moments of lows have brought you to your knees and caused you to reflect and ponder your relationship with God...and other times they have made you question if He is even there, or if He knows you are alone. Whatever that moment has been for you, it is personal and real. It has defined and refined who you are, who you think you were, and who you want to become. This is my story...the defining moments that have truly brought me to my knees, the times when I’ve questioned to my core my very existence, and the experiences I’ve had that have shown me who I really am and who my Heavenly Father still needs me to become. The night of my husband’s death was my darkest hour, but also the very moment when I saw firsthand that my Heavenly Father sent Angels on errands for me. He carried me. It was the hour when all my fears and all the pain of this world collided together and He was there...putting back together all the pieces, one step at a time.

Falling


Shirley Miranda - 2011
    She’s sixteen, the daughter of immigrant parents, doesn’t fit in at home and hides in plain sight in school. She’s an outsider until she’s rescued by an unlikely friendship that changes her life.FALLING (first in the Bits and Pieces Series) is a coming of age friendship story about Liz that chronicles parts of her life during the fall of her junior year. She’s had a rough year and managed to get through it without anyone’s support, including her parents’. Her life changes when her physics teacher assigns new seats in class and Patrick, her new lab partner, befriends her. Unlike her past partners, Patrick challenges her to see the true meaning of teamwork and friendship. With him as her new best friend, she learns what friendship is really about and starts to find herself in the process.

Hex


Mackenzie McGuire - 2015
    A month ago I died along with my two best friends in a car crash. Obviously, my death didn't last long. Since then, I hear voices and the nightmares – don’t even get me started. I just wanted to be normal. That meant leaving my lux L.A. life for the gothic, and icy, Saxton Academy in the mountains of Vermont. Away from the tabloids, I had a plan to get my life together. But that just isn't possible. Thanks to hotties Eli McKinnon and Carden McDowell I discovered my life is a lie. They want to help me reach my potential. I just want to be a regular girl. But darkness is coming, and if I want to stay alive, I may not have a choice.

Diagrams for Living


Emmet Fox - 1968
    " Fox has inspired millions of people over the past forty years through his simple, practical guidelines. In Diagrams for Living he presents valuable keys to living a more fulfilled life drawn from the eloquent spiritual wisdom of the Bible.If we read the Bible literally, cautions Fox, we miss the eternal power and personal relevance found in its symbols, allegories, and parables. "Whether you realize it or not," he writes, "you are on every page from Genesis to Revelation." Fox shows how to read dramatic biblical stories as symbolic diagrams for living that can "show you how to overcome difficulties and problems, and how to give expression to the deep aspirations that lie hidden in your soul." This power to reveal, inspire, and guide makes the Bible's teachings adaptable to everyone at every stage of spiritual development.Sensible, contemporary, and full of reassurance, Diagrams for Living offers sage counsel from a gifted teacher.

Divergent: The Ultimate Interactive Quiz Book (Divergent Series Quiz Books 1)


Sarah Davids - 2014
    You're a genius in my book". Kathryn Cooper (KatherineCooperWrites.com) "This is my first Kindle formatted quiz book and I have to say I'm quite impressed with the author's ingenuity." Gerry Marrs "Very well done book- great gift for the Divergent fan" PookieGalore "It literally turned a book into an interactive quiz that readers/fans can indulge in! It's a great addition for those who are fans of the Divergent series!" Cassaundra Aunna "Well this series of book game quizzes will certainly round out your fan collection!" Samara Sant Divergent is the first book in the Divergent Series (Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant) by Veronica Roth. This truly unique interactive quiz book game is the perfect addition to your reading enjoyment of this dystopian classic. You may think you know all about the factions (Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity & Candor) including symbols, values & mottos? You may think you know the characteristics & what happens with of all of the characters? BUT, how much do you really know? For example, Which of the transfers has a soft spot for Tris? 1) Al 2) Caleb 3) Drew 4) Edward How does Tobias stop the program? 1) He removes the hard drive 2) He shoots out the processor 3) He throws water over it 4) He shuts down the power supply Where did the remaining Abnegation citizens go for safety during the war? 1) The Erudite compound 2) The Amity compound 3) The Dauntless compound 4) The Candor compound I know you'll like the quiz so much that I'm even offering another one absolutely free which you can access just by looking in the 'Look Inside' feature of Amazon. This amazing quiz book is really a must if you are a true fan of this spectacular post-apocalyptic novel - Divergent.

The Battle For Skandia / The Sorcerer of the North / The Siege of Macindaw / Erak's Ransom / The Kings of Clonmel / Halt's Peril / The Emperor of Nihon-Ja


John Flanagan
    Enjoy the first three Ranger's Apprentice books? Complete the paperback collection with volumes 4-10.