Reading with CareerSage

The first thing a cult leader tells you is that nonbelievers are liars. And says that idea in many forms repeatedly. Moonbeam is a 17-year old survivor of a cult where she has been a member since she was five. The cult was destroyed in a fire with a few children as survivors. Told through Moonbeam's voice in Before and After perspectives, After the Fire is a story about power and corruption. How leaders who are charismatic figures can twist faith to serve their own ends. Ultimately, it’s a story about survival; more specifically, one girl’s way back after her world falls apart. I always wondered why cult followers weren't free thinkers, why they followed without hesitation their leader, like Father John, leader of Moonbeam's cult, Lord Legion. Learning about the cult is interesting but the plot follows Moonbeam's thoughts and feelings, her observations. With a mature perspective and the help and kindness of Dr. Hernandez and others, Moonbeam realizes the true n...

Teens think a lot about love. They talk about it, write about it, obsess about it. A Brief Chronicle does all three, especially the obsessing. Lu, the main character, is the portal of the obsession. This is her final summer before college, and her boyfriend just broke up with her.  Why? Because he didn't want to prolong the heartbreak. Lu accidentally meets Cal, and later his girlfriend, Iris. They are in the same situation as Lu but decided to love obsessively until the end of the summer. Lu is an online columnist writing about love. The column provides funds to make her college affordable. But Lu has trouble writing. Instead of writing, she eavesdrops - on the love story of Cal and Iris. And obsesses. If you enjoy reading the obsessive thoughts of a teen in love with the thought of love, you would like this novel. As Lu says, two teenagers "give that look to each other and no matter what kind of cynic you are, you start thinking only teenagers really understand lo...

This novel's setting is the dystopian United States where the Rule of One is ruthlessly enforced in Texas. According to Greek mythology,  humans were first created with 4 arms and legs each - and two heads but only one soul. Fearing too much power,  the gods split them in two, creating identical human beings. The identical twins, Ava and Mira, were mirror images but living one life - Ava's. Through a series of disastrous events,  both twins were forced to run, only aided by a map their father gave them right before he was imprisoned for treason. The Common, the resistance movement, is helping them when possible. This novel will appeal to teens, especially girls. The highly advanced technology and results of climate change are fascinating and foreshadowing. The authors, twins Ashley and Leslie Saunders, reveal their closeness through the actions of Ava and Mira. I highly recommend. Publication Date: October 1, 2018 Thanks to Skyscape Publishers and Amazon Prime for ...

Teen pregnancy. But Belly Up is not just about an accidental teen pregnancy but much more. Its journey through the pregnancy is very accurate, though somewhat idealistic, especially with Sara's family.  But the book delves into many identities that most teens aren't aware of, such as Romini (Gypsy, please don't use that term), Redneck, Swedish, Jewish,  Lesbian,  Transgender,  and Bisexual. Sara/Serendipity is a 17-year-old high school senior bound for Ivy League.  Until she gets accidentally pregnant,  both her and her partner's fault. Facing her consequences is something teens need. Despite her relatively idyllic family,  best friend, and boyfriend,  Sara has problems. This book explains them well. As Sara explains at the end, "It wasn’t the life I planned. It wasn’t the life anyone would have probably wanted for me, but it was a life, and it was good. And most importantly? It was mine. That’s all that mattered." I agree with  Sara. Tee...

Many of you have probably heard of Tommy Tomlinson,  a journalist highly regarded,  especially if you read about sports. I hadn't heard of him, primarily because I don't read much about sports. But I wanted to read his book because of his subtitle,  One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America.  Yes, I'm one of many Americans who is overweight. But Tomlinson's book is not a diet book, it's an exploration of the mind of an overweight man. At nearly 50, Tomlinson had a great career, a wonderful wife,  and weighed 460 pounds. He struggled with airplane seating, restaurant tables, chairs in general, and breathing exhaustion. His life was one of planning - getting to places early to find suitable seating, not rushing for his travel, and eating. Yes, eating. What the average two persons might eat, Tomlinson ate himself - and more. Fast food drive-throughs were his friends. But as his 50th birthday approached,  he wanted to live longer and lose w...

I  don't suggest you read Little Darlings if you are pregnant, especially close to the end. And.please wait until six weeks after your baby is born until you read this book. But read it you must. Especially if you don't believe in fantasy, like I did. Now I do. Lauren is exhausted. Being pregnant eight months with twins - well, of course she is. And when the twins, Riley and Morgan, a girl and a boy, are born, Lauren is relieved - that is until an old, ugly woman tries to take the tinwins and replace them with her creatures. Lauren manages to alert help, and the woman vanishes. But no one - security, Lauren's husband, not even the doctor - believe her. Postpartum illusions, they say. The horror continues at home. Another scare believed by no one but Lauren. As she gets more sleep-deprived and depressed,  her husband suggests she take the twins for a  walk. The walk seems to work when Lauren sits on a bench and dozes, only to wake up and find the twins missing. They a...