Month: January 2018

REVIEW: Dog Dish of Doom by E. J. Copperman

REVIEW: Dog Dish of Doom by E. J. Copperman

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Kay Powell just wants to get her client, Bruno, this role in Annie on Broadway. Bruno has the skills to be an excellent Sandy! Kay is an agent for animals for TV, stage, and movies. And this role could be the beginning of a big career for Bruce. But his owners are a bit of trouble.

Well, Louise is okay – almost to the point of disinterest. But Trent is worse than any stage mom. He thinks Bruno can “do more” and that director Les McMaster is a “hack” and a has been. It’s so bad that Les will only work with Bruno if Kay is the one to bring him to the theater. He doesn’t want Trent or Louise there at all.

Imagine Kay’s surprise to read of Trent’s murder the next day, or to find a detective on her door step. Since Kay understands the theater world, she may be the only one who can figure out what happened to Trent.

Review

This was a terrific mystery. I loved the premise – agent to the stars! Animal stars. And Kay’s relationship with Bruno and her own dogs was lovely. I enjoyed the full cast – the quirky parents, the potential love interest, and the business partner/assistant. I would happily read more books with this ensemble.

The mystery was great. There was a lot going on, even or especially after the murder. Lots of questions about motives and secrets kept me guessing all the way to the end.

This is great for cozy fans and fans of animal stories. Also for readers who enjoy a creative set up and interesting cast of characters, both human and animals.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Upside Down Magic: Dragon Overnight

REVIEW: Upside Down Magic: Dragon Overnight

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Nory and the Upside Down Magic (UDM) kids are taking a field trip to Dragon Haven, a sanctuary for injured and orphaned dragons. The only thing that can dampen their excitement is the fact that they aren’t the only school group at Dragon Haven. What if the other kids are snobby? What if they make fun of the UDM kids and their “wonky” magic?

Andres is getting weary of the struggles that come with his magic. He feels like the leash that keeps him from floating away is a punishment. The leash makes him feel like a baby. People forget about him – or the “brickpack” he needs to stay on the ground. When will he ever have a chance to be independent?

Nory is in for some surprises on this field trip, too. While everyone is feeling nervous about the other school of kids, Nory has extra pressure. The kids are from Sage Academy – her dad’s school! And her dad is on the field trip. How will he treat her? What does he think of her Upside Down Magic?

Review

Identity is one of my favorite themes in books. And the Upside Down Magic series does a great job exploring that theme for young readers. While Nory is the main character for the series, each of the other kids gets a book where their story is explored. This time it’s Andres’ turn. He’s a flyer but not in the usual way. He flies all the time. Only ceilings, a leash, and a backpack full of bricks protect him from floating away. But those things also make him dependent on others and limit his freedom. I was frustrated by how often the adults charged with Andres’ care neglected his needs or forgot about him. But at Dragon Haven, Andres gets to shine and it is so enjoyable.

The setting for this story was fantastic. Lots of creative dragon types for this world. And the setting also let the UDM kids interact with another group of kids. I enjoyed how things played out with the two groups.

In some ways this story is simple. But the setting and the identity pieces made it enjoyable for me. Fans of the series will enjoy this addition and getting Andres’ story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: January 30, 2018

BOOK NEWS: January 30, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the final week of January already! Here are some of the new books releasing this week:

Books for Kids

Apatosaurus Would Not Make a Good Spy (Feb 1) – Artie the Apatosaurus wants to be a secret agent. I am so excited to see this book in person!
The Word Collector – The latest from Peter H. Reynolds, The Word Collector is a celebration of words. I am looking forward to this one, too!
Chill of the Ice Dragon – Book 9 in the Dragon Masters series from Branches
D-Day: Battle on the Beach – Ranger in Time book 7. I describe this series as Magic Tree House with a dog. This is a great series!
Super Rabbit Boy vs Super Rabbit Boss – Book 4 in the Press Start series from Branches
Two’s a Crowd – Book one in the new Pug Pals series. In this book it’s two pugs but one toy. This looks like a sweet sibling story.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

 

A Girl Named Hillary AND A Girl Named Rosa – New biographies from the folks at American Girl.
Bitsy – Book 48 in this long-running animal series
Dark Wyng – Book 2 in the Erth Dragons series. I still haven’t gotten to book one, but it is on my list! I love a good dragon story.
The Journey of Little Charlie – A boy cuts a deal to cover his dead father’s debt, but it forces him to decide what actions his conscience can abide.
The Problim Children – First in a trilogy. Seven strange siblings move into their grandfather’s old mansion where the neighbors are trying to uncover secrets and treasures. The premise of this reminds me a little of the Sisters Eight series. I am eager to try this one out.
Smart Cookie – A girl posts a secret profile of her dad on a dating site, hoping to find him a wife so they can have the sort of family they did before her mom died. Twitter has been talking about this book for a year. This is on the top of my list for the week.
Upside Down Magic: Dragon Overnight – Book 4 in this fun fantasy series for kids. I will be reviewing this one tomorrow.
Marley Dias Gets It Done – Explores how kids can get involved in activism in their own communities
American Heart – In a world where America registers and detains Muslim-Americans, a southern teen who never questioned the way things are finds herself helping a Muslim fugitive trying to escape to Canada. Interesting premise.
Losing Brave – A teen haunted by the disappearance of her twin battles to unlock her memories of what happened. Sounds like a great suspense story.
Purple Hearts – The final book in the Front Lines alternate history series. I have this whole series on my TBR list.
Say You’ll Remember Me – A teen wrongly accused of a crime enters a rehab program which is the governor’s pet project so he can try to get his life back on track. The governor’s daughter longs for the freedom to chart her own course. Together maybe they can both find what they are looking for. This sounds great. Looking forward to reading this one.
S.T.A.G.S. – A weekend retreat at an exclusive school turns deadly. I’ll be reviewing this one later this week.
Winner Take All – Academic rivals want to win at all cost. Is their love real or just another game to win? This is on my TBR for this week.
Wires and Nerve: Gone Rogue – Book 2 in the graphic novel series set in the world of the Lunar Chronicles. I’d love to check this series out.

Books for Adults

Arrow: Fatal Legacies – This original story is set between season 5 and 6 of this great show based on the DC Comics universe. This is the third Arrow novel in the series. Great for fans of the show.
Biscuits and Slashed Browns – Book 4 in the Country Store mystery series, this book focuses on a death at a breakfast-themed cook off. This sounds like a series I would enjoy.
Class Reunions Are Murder – Book 1 in the new Poppy McAllister mystery series centered around a class reunion. I can never pass up a class reunion story! This is on my list.
Curses, Boiled Again – Book 1 in the new Lobster Shack mystery series starring an injured dancer who comes home to help her aunt launch her business. I love checking out a new mystery series.
Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake – First book in the Death by Chocolate Mystery series. That title is promising!
Murder Borrowed, Murder Blue – Book 3 in the Wedding Planner mystery series.
Survival of the Fritters – Book 1 in the Deputy Donut mystery series. This series stars a 911 operator and her retired police chief father-in-law. The premise sounds great!
The Art of Screen Time: How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life – An issue on many parents’ hearts and minds. Includes research as well as advice of parents putting ideas into practice with their own kids.
No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, Compassionate Girls – Psychotherapist offers advice for combating “mean girl” behaviors, which are no longer primarily a high school phenomenon. I hear so many stories from friends with daughters about the social pressures and issues their girls face every day. A timely book.
Set Free to Choose Right: Equipping Today’s Kids to Make Right Moral Choices for Life – A guide for parents in helping kids see that God has standards and that “right” and “wrong” are not arbitrary distinctions.

REVIEW: Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno

REVIEW: Everything All at Once by Katrina Leno

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Helen Reaves is a beloved author. Her Alvin and Margo Hatter series is the most popular set of children’s books of all time. When she passes away at 40, the world mourns.

To Lottie, though, Helen Reaves is so much more than a favorite author. She’s Aunt Helen. And Lottie and her family are devastated by their loss.

Even though her aunt is dead, Helen still has something to say to Lottie. She leaves her 24 letters to be opened one at a time. When Lottie completes a letter’s challenge (do something risky, celebrate life at a party, get angry), she opens another.

Each letter pushes Lottie. The anxiety and panic attacks she experiences threaten to overwhelm her, but she still tackles each challenge out of love for her aunt. But one letter may push her too far. And what will Lottie do when the letters are finished but her grief remains?

Review

From the opening scene (which some might find horrifying, but I found funny, having had a cremains issue once myself), I was hooked. I loved the relationship between Helen and Lottie, even though we only know about it from the letters. I loved Lottie’s family. Each person is grieving in his/her own way, and they give each other space for that while still being supportive.

The glimpses into Helen’s famous series invoke hints of a Harry Potter-like popularity and also reminded me of the structure of Fangirl. They were fun interludes that eventually tie into Lottie’s story.

There’s an interesting twist to the story. I have mixed feelings about it. I saw it coming, and it changed how I felt about the whole book. It shifted where I thought things were going. It all came together in the end in a satisfying way. But it changed what I thought the story was going to be. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Scone Cold Killer by Lena Gregory

REVIEW: Scone Cold Killer by Lena Gregory

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Gia is starting fresh in Florida with a new business – the All-Day Breakfast Café. She set everything up while commuting from New York, so she doesn’t have everything 100% in place. The cook she hired actually has no restaurant experience and can only prep one thing at a time. Gia has no idea what grits are, but her customers are asking for them so she needs to figure that out soon. But those things are easily fixed. What really matters is that she has left her crook of an ex-husband – and all of his legal issues – behind her.

Gia never expected Bradley to follow her. But she knew when she saw the arm hanging out of her dumpster that it was her ex. And Bradley’s presence – even though he is dead – means vandalism and threats will follow. Gia can’t seem to catch a break. She’s either going to have to give up and head back to New York, or she’s going to have to find out what Bradley was up to if she wants to save her business.

Gia has a couple suspects to check out right off the bat. And new questions are popping up all the time. She isn’t used to trusting others, but Gia is not sure she can sort this thing out on her own. Could her new community help her solve this mystery and salvage her fresh start?

Review

I really enjoyed this mystery. This is a great start to a new series. The characters are fun. There’s depth to Gia and her best friend Savannah. The cast of characters was big enough to keep things interesting but not so big that you need a cheat sheet to keep track. The potential love interest is terrific. There’s nice chemistry between them. I enjoyed the time I spent with the characters, and I would love to read more books in this series.

We had only the smallest introduction to the setting, both the town and the restaurant. That leaves some fun directions for future stories as the series grows.

The mystery was good. Everyone tied to Bradley’s crimes thinks Gia knew about his schemes, so there are a lot of questions to explore there. Then the murder adds another layer to the mystery. The details of the mystery build at a nice pace through at least 2/3 of the book, so there isn’t an excessive amount of deliberation over suspects. It all comes together perfectly. I didn’t feel rushed or that the wrap up took forever. A terrific first mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Lyrical Underground/Kensington for an electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Ban this Book by Alan Gratz

REVIEW: Ban this Book by Alan Gratz

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Amy Anne is a quiet girl. A reader. She’s bright and articulate, but people don’t always know that. Amy Anne has a comeback and a response for everything that happens around her – from obnoxious sisters, to unfair expectations at home, to things that happen at school. But Amy Anne keeps all those thoughts on the inside.

When Amy’s favorite book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is removed from the school library by Mrs. Spencer, an overzealous parent, and an acquiescing school board, Amy Anne has a lot to say. She even prepares a speech for the school board. But when it comes time for her to speak, Amy Anne keeps her seat, keeps her speech, and keeps quiet.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Spencer isn’t done “protecting students” from the books in the library. So Amy Anne gets an idea. She’ll start her own library and run it out of her locker. And she’ll stock as many of the banned books as she can get her hands on!

Review

This is a fantastic book! I loved Amy Anne from the first page! I longed to speak up for her and rescue her, but it’s so much more satisfying to watch her find her own voice along the way.

There are three main things going on in this story. First,  this is a love letter to the power of books. Books can teach us about things we don’t know, they can entertain us, and they can help us understand ourselves and others. There’s a guest appearance by author Dav Pilkey that is terrific.

Another big piece is the free speech/censorship issue the school goes through. The author does a great job of helping Amy Anne see the “villain” as more than a book-hating monster. It’s fantastic.

Finally this is the story of Amy Anne finding her voice. Her thoughts and feelings about things around her are often right on target. But she doesn’t say them so nothing can change. The evolution of THIS part of the story was my favorite.

I highly recommend this book to parents and librarians and teachers. This would be fantastic to read aloud with a class or for a kid’s book club. There are questions in the back for discussion or writing as well as common core standards references for teachers.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: January 23, 2018

BOOK NEWS: January 23, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s Monday again and that means it is time to look at some of the books that are releasing this week!

Books for Kids

Alabama Spitfire: The Story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird – Picture book biography of Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery – Picture book biography of Ernie Barnes, athlete and artist.
Free as a Bird: The Story of Malala – Picture book biography of Malala Yousafzai focusing on Malala’s relationship with her father.
The Great Dictionary Caper – From the author of Wild About Books comes this tale of words escaping the dictionary and Noah Webster putting things right again.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Race for Space – Picture book biography of the three women highlighted in the movie Hidden Figures as well as a fourth woman, Christine Darden.
Ordinary Extraordinary Jane Austen: The Story of Six Novels, Three Notebooks, a Writing Box, and One Clever Girl – Picture book biography of Jane Austen
Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World – Picture book collection of biographies of women such as Mary Anning, Ruby Bridges and Maya Lin. Of all the picture book biographies out this week, this one would be at the top of my list because it covers so many young women, several of whom I have not heard of before. Looking forward to this one.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

A Problematic Paradox – Described as Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, this is the story of a brilliant girl whose adventures in space kick off when her father is kidnapped by aliens. This one had me at “Hitchhiker’s Guide.”
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle – The story of a boy with social and learning issues who is also grieving the loss of his best friend. Since the friend died on the Buttle property, Mason has been questioned about that day a lot. When Mason’s new friend goes missing, Mason is desperate to find out what has happened to his friends. The middle grade community online has been buzzing about this book for months. I’m looking forward to reading this one.
Where Is Machu Picchu?
Where Is Our Solar System?
Whiskerella – Book 5 in the fun Hamster Princess series. This book takes a twisted view of the Cinderella story. I love this whole series of fractured fairy tales. This is on my list for certain.

Books for Adults

Scone Cold Killer – Book 1 in the All-Day Breakfast Cafe mystery series. I’ll be reviewing this one later this week.
View from Rainshadow Bay – The latest from Christian author, Colleen Coble, this story is the first in a new Lavender Tides series about a woman who loses her husband and then her business partner. She fears she is also in danger.
Dream of You: Let Go of Broken Identities and Live the Life You Were Made For – I have loved Jo Saxton’s work since I first saw her speak as part of an IF: Gathering experience. I’ve said before that identity is one of my favorite themes in books, both fiction and nonfiction. I have an early copy of this book  in my TBR pile already.
Still Evangelical?: Insiders Reconsider Political, Social and Theological Meaning – In the past couple years the word “evangelical” has taken on new meaning and connotations. And many of them are negative. I am curious to read what these authors have to say about the matter.

REVIEW: The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

REVIEW: The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Briggs has an awesome job for the summer before he heads off to college to study law and business. He’s going to spend the summer at a house on the beach in South Haven, Michigan helping an elderly woman with household projects and transportation. He has no idea that so much of his summer will be spent at funerals, carting Mrs. B to one after another after another.

While Briggs is enjoying his summer at the Lake, he starts to see things in his life from a new perspective – his family’s money trouble, his relationship with his parents and grandmother, his friendships and his future plans. Neighbor, Abigail, intrigues him. South Haven locals razz him about his “tourist” status. And he will NEVER live down the cell phone incident at the funeral.

This summer is going to be different than anything Briggs imagined.

Review

Briggs was the highlight of this book for me. He’s extremely likable, even when he goofs up in memorable ways. He’s good natured about Mrs. B’s quirks (although some of that comes from how much he wants to keep his job). He’s let the hard ties in his life teach him skills and gratitude.

Briggs’ family dynamics were also very interesting. Even though most of the story takes place at the lake, the meat of the relationships are centered around Briggs’ relationships back at home. I enjoyed how all the pieces came together in the end. In fact, the last 100 pages are probably my favorites in the book.

A great summer read (or a reminder that summer will come again). A great teen story about family and relationships. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Searching for Billy Shakespeare by Crista McHugh

REVIEW: Searching for Billy Shakespeare by Crista McHugh

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Kate is a graduate student, studying Shakespeare and writing the dissertation for her PhD. When she catches her fiancé with another woman, her world is turned completely upside down.

Her friends come to her rescue, and she finds an amazing, rent-controlled apartment with “Princess Barbie,” Ari. In exchange for some cooking and cleaning, Kate gets a great apartment and a rent she can swing while she nurses the wounds of her broken relationship and finish her degree.

Kate was not counting on Ari’s brother, Gabe, to be part of her new life. At first, his middle of the night phone calls for his absent sister are an annoyance. But over time, Kate looks forward to talking to Gabe. His voice is sexy, and he truly seems to listen to her. He takes her work on Shakespeare seriously. As an actor, Gabe can use Kate’s help preparing an audition monologue. Gabe quickly becomes a bigger part of Kate’s life than she ever imagined.

Review

This was so fun! It’s a quick, romantic story of Kate’s evolution with a backdrop of Shakespearean references. Readers don’t have to know the references to enjoy the story.

Kate’s transformation is my favorite part of the story. She’s so unsure of herself at the start of the book that she’s in a long term relationship she doesn’t even enjoy. While she is devastated by her fiancé’s unfaithfulness, it is exactly what she needs to course-correct her own life. Throughout the book, people try to change Kate, usually for her own good. But Kate has to find her own way, her own style, and her own voice if she is going to feel confident in her own life.

We don’t get a lot from the other characters in this except Gabe. The rest generally serve to move Kate and Gabe forward. And I was satisfied with that. I really enjoyed this and would read other things from this author (some language, trigger warning for suicide).

Thanks to Netgalley and Season Publishing for an electronic review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Loser's Club by Andrew Clements

REVIEW: The Loser’s Club by Andrew Clements

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Alec is a reader. He loves getting lost in a story. He reads his favorite books over and over – and he has LOTS of favorites! You would think that Alec’s teachers would love Alec’s affinity for books.

They don’t.

Alec tends to read all the time and everywhere. Including in the middle of class. Like when he’s supposed to be doing an art project or listening to the teacher’s lesson. So Alec is in trouble at school. For reading. If he wants out of trouble, he has to pay attention all the time in every class.

Fortunately, Alec goes to an after school program every day for 3 hours. This is a perfect block of time for reading. But he has to choose an activity from an approved list. Reading alone is not one of them. So Alec starts a reading club. Not a book club to talk about books but a club for reading. For sitting quietly, all afternoon, to read. Alec figures if he calls it the Loser’s Club, kids won’t want to join. Because lots of kids usually means lots of noise and distractions. SO, if he can find one other reader to join his Loser’s Club, he’ll have his after school reading sanctuary. But who would want to join “the Loser’s Club?”

Review

I adored this book. The last few Clements books haven’t clicked for me like my old favorites – Frindle, No Talking, The Last Holiday Concert, etc. But this one fits in perfectly with those older treasures.

Alec is a fantastic character. His description of comfort books could have been written by me (actually, all of chapter 7 is delightful). I loved him as a young man trying to navigate middle school, and I loved him as a reader.

The family Star Wars obsession was icing on the cake for me. SO many fun moments in the story centered around that. Alec’s own “Jedi mind trick” was outstanding fun.

While this is primarily about books and reading, it is also about friendship, dealing with bullies, responsibilities at school, growing up and dealing with reality outside of your favorite fiction. For me, this book was perfect. I highly recommend this for a family purchase, a library purchase and for all middle grade classrooms!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥