From a Distant Star

 Fiction by Karen McQuestion

https://www.amazon.com

Seventeen-year-old Emma is sitting by her boyfriend Lucas's bedside every night hoping for him to wake up. Lucas has been dying of cancer for months and his family has all but abandoned their hope, but Emma will not give up. She's even consulted a local "wise woman" who has given her a magic potion to revive Lucas. The reader knows that such a thing can't possibly work; however, there are other forces in play that Emma is unaware of. (Like ALIENS!!)

This was a fun and exciting book; I really enjoyed it. Also there was no inappropriate content; I note this because the story is meant for younger people.

I also read recently by this author: A Scattered Life

A Scattered Life

 Fiction by Karen McQuestion

https://www.amazon.com

Apparently this book was first released as a self-published book on amazon kindle, and the author has since written many books. A lot of her stories are exclusive to amazon, although I did get this one at my local library.

This novel centers on Skyla, a young woman who finds security in marrying and settling down in a smallish Wisconsin town after a lifetime of traveling around with her father. Skyla forms a strong friendship with her neighbor Roxanne, who has five children and embraces the chaos of life. I'm not sure if the title refers to Roxanne or Skyla, or both of them. Both of them are realistic characters and interesting to read about.

This was a very good book with some surprises.

I also read recently by this author: The Long Way Home

Children for Sale Trilogy

Fiction by JJ West

https://www.amazon.com

This is a set of three books available only through amazon.com with kindle unlimited, about a mass kidnapping of American kids by a foreign entity. 

It was an interesting idea, but the story was not well-executed. I didn't believe a lot of the plot, the characters were not realistic, and the ending left a lot of loose threads hanging. 

I'm not giving it a complete thumbs-down because I did finish all three (short) books, but I don't recommend this series.

Nameless Series

Fiction by Dean Koontz

https://www.amazon.com
This is a series of six novellas available only though Amazon Kindle. While I am not a fan of electronic readers (I strongly prefer paper books), I AM a fan of Mr. Koontz. So, I downloaded the Kindle app on my phone and read these stories.

(In the interest of full disclosure: I also was away from home without anything to read over Christmas break, AND this series was free with my Amazon prime membership. These factors completely persuaded me to put aside my distaste for e-readers.)

These stories were really good! The protagonist is a man called Nameless, who can't remember anything about his past, even his own identity. (That's why he's called Nameless; get it?) Anyways, he goes around finding people who have been victimized by those the law can't or won't rescue them from, and saving these poor souls in vigilante, butt-kicking style.