Month: October 2018

REVIEW: The Christmas Remedy: An Amish Christmas Romance by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall

REVIEW: The Christmas Remedy: An Amish Christmas Romance by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and WaterBrook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lyle Greene’s pharmacy serves Raysburg and the Amish community in their region. It’s not a typical community when it comes to medical care. But Lyle knows and understands the Amish and works hard to help them.

When Holly’s dad passed away when she was a teen, it might have been prevented if her father – and the Amish community –  had a better understanding of medical care. That prompted Holly’s passion to educate her people and encourage them to show the same care to themselves that they do to their livestock. She gets permission from her bishop to go to school so she can work at the pharmacy. Sadly, her passion for her calling means she can’t ever marry an Amish man. She would have to give up her work and focus on a home and family instead. And she feels too strongly that God has given her this work to do to give it up.

Brandon Greene couldn’t wait to leave Raysburg as a young man. His relationship with his dad has been strained since his mom died, if not before.  And while Brandon’s road to becoming a pharmacist has hit some detours and roadblocks, he knows when he’s licensed, he’ll have his own store and run it the way his father has always discounted.

When Lyle has a health emergency, the future of Greene’s Pharmacy is in jeopardy. And Holly and Brandon may not be able to save it.

Review

This was a great book! The story takes place from October to Christmas, so it’s not quite the Christmas story I was expecting from the cover and the title. But there are some nice Christmas-related moments, and that is when everything finally comes together. If you are looking for a Christmas story to read as the season approaches, now is a perfect time to start this one because this is the time of year when the story kicks off. But really, you could read this at any time of year.

Lyle, Holly, Brandon, and Joshua (Holly’s potential love interest in the book) are delightful! I enjoyed watching Lyle and Holly together in almost a father-daughter relationship – and then watching Brandon’s reaction to that in light of his strained relationship with Lyle. Holly’s passion for her calling was inspiring. And she is willing to give up a lot personally to fill this role for her community. Joshua is a good sport, really hearing and understanding Holly even if it means he can’t pursue the relationship with her he wants.

This is a little bit mystery, and a little bit romance with a lot of solid Amish fiction at the center. And it’s terrific. I don’t usually read a lot of Amish fiction, but there have been some great books released this year in the genre. I highly recommend all of the ones I’ve reviewed this year, including this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Snazzy Cat Capers by Deanna Kent

REVIEW: Snazzy Cat Capers by Deanna Kent

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Ophelia Von Hairball V of Burglaria is the premiere cat burglar in the world. And she could prove it once again by winning the Furry Feline Burglary Institute’s (FFBI) 5th Annual Purr-fect Heist Competition – if she had any idea it was happening.

But Ophelia’s nemesis has gone all out to keep Ophelia out of the competition. Thanks to her new inventor/sidekick, Oscar F. Gold, though, Ophelia still has a chance. She just has to get all the way to Paris, sneak into the Belle Mew-seum, and steal the rare Himalayan Diamond without being seen by her nemesis. Then she has to get to Belgium with the diamond by the deadline which is in less than two days.

How hard could it be?

Review

This was fun! Lots of cat puns, but the overall story was solid. Ophelia is a bit of a diva when it comes to her cat burglaring (but she is still like-able). Her partner, Oscar, is earnest and clever. They make a great team when Ophelia deigns to let Oscar help.

The illustrations in the book – pictures, letters, comic panels – are integral to the story telling. You can’t skip past them. With the exception of a couple times when the integration or transition was clunky, this worked really nicely.

No worries that this book will turn readers into criminals. The cat burglars return the things they steal – at least, eventually. The heist is really more about the challenge than about the spoils.

The age range on this one is 7-10 which makes this either a transitional chapter book or a young middle grade. It’s over 200 pages, and while illustrated, there are fewer illustrations than say a Bad Kitty book. So I would lean towards a younger middle grade audience. (2nd-4th grade, and maybe higher) This fun book is the kick off of a new series. Book two – The Fast and the Furriest – will release in 2019.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: October 30, 2018

BOOK NEWS: October 30, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

If I was at Trick-or-Treating age, I think I would skip the candy and ask for books! Here are some treats that might interest you this week:

Books for Kids

Curious George Curious About Winter (Bd Book) – A tabbed board book celebrating winter
Horse Meets Dog – A book about perspective from one of the writers of The Daily Show. I can’t wait to read this one!
Teach Your Giraffe to Ski (November 1) – The giraffe wants to learn to ski, but not on the Bunny Hill. A book about courage. This looks fun!
Mount Rushmore’s Hidden Room and Other Monumental Secrets (Secrets of American History) – I adore this fascinating history series of Early Readers.
Unikitty’s Guide to Being Happy – Princess Unikitty from The LEGO Movie has her own show and toy line now, so it’s also time for her to share her tips for overcoming negativity and the forces of evil!
Escape from Egypt – Book 2 in the Time Jumpers series from Branches. This series has a Magic Tree House feel to it.
Louie – Puppy Place Book 51

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Blended – A girl feels pulled between two worlds as she negotiates life with divorced parents and their new families. There’s a racial piece to this as well as one parent is Black and the other is White. I have this one on my list – it sounds like a great exploration of identity which is a theme I love.
Let Sleeping Dragons Lie – Have Sword Will Travel Book 2 . Two knights and their talking swords are off on another epic adventure. I have book one on my library list.
The Meltdown – Diary of a Wimpy Kid Book 13
Seeing Red – Whatever After Book 12
What Goes Up – Robyn’s roof seems to be a magnet for anything and everything – paper airplanes, lost socks, a skydiver. And now a NASA satellite is about to fall from the sky, and Robyn is convinced it will land on her house. She’s afraid that people will then read about her and find out she shares the name of a fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. So Robyn decides what she needs is her absent father to come home, change her name and save her from the satellite. This sounds complicated and intriguing.
The Darkest Star – First in a new romantic YA science fiction series about a girl caught up in a world at war with aliens. I’ll be giving this one a try!
OtherEarth – Book 2 in the Last Reality series after OtherWorld about a deadly virtual reality system and two kids trying to save the world. I haven’t tried the first one yet, but fans of Ready Player One might enjoy this one.
You Are the Everything – A girl and her crush are the sole survivors of a plane crash on the side of a mountain.
Lego Micro Cities: Build Your Own Mini Metropolis – Another LEGO building book with instructions for creating the models pictured throughout the book.

Books for Adults

The Corner of Holly and Ivy (Mass Market Paperback) – A woman who has lost her dream comes face to face with her old flame. But instead of love, he’s in town to run for mayor – against her. This is on my Christmas book reading list.
Deadly News (Trade paperback) – In her new job at a small town news paper a woman stumbles across the body of a co-worker. First in the new Britton Bay Mystery series. I’ll be reviewing this one here next week.
Killed on Blueberry Hill (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Berry Basket Mystery series. This time the main character’s fiancé is accused of murder. I have the first book in this series on my TBR shelves.
Murder by the Book (Mass Market Paperback) – First in the new Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series. A woman haunted by the unsolved murder of her fiancé and the death of her father starts a new life thanks to an inheritance. But her new community is suddenly a hotbed of crime. This sounds like a great new series. I’ll be picking this one up!
Murder in Her Stocking (Hardcover) – First in the new Granny Reid Mystery series, a spin off of G. A. McKevett’s Savannah Reid/Moonlight Magnolia series. This one goes back to when Savannah was a kid and Granny looked into a murder at Christmas time. I adore the Moonlight Magnolia series – the characters are fantastic. I’ve already requested this one from the library!
Overkilt (Hardcover) – Book 12 in the Liss MacCrimmon Mystery series. When a struggling hotel decides to host a Thanksgiving holiday getaway for childless couples looking to avoid family entanglements, some of the locals take issue with this “affront to family values.” And someone winds up dead. This is not a series I have read, but this particular story sounds really interesting! I’ll have to check this one out.
Purls and Poison (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Black Sheep and Co. Mystery series.  This time the Black Sheep Knitters start sleuthing when one of their own is suspected of murder. I have book one of this series on my wish list.
Thread Herrings (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. An old embroidery of a coat of arms picked up at an auction is at the center of a 250+ year old mystery and a contemporary murder. This sounds terrific! I would read this one even without having read the other books in the series.
Yule Log Murder (Hardcover) – A collection of three holiday mysteries.
Star Wars Women of the Galaxy (Hardcover) – Profiles of 75 female characters from the Star Wars universe (film, fiction, comics, etc.). Includes art by Karen Hallion, one of our favorite artists.
Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves (Hardcover) – Essay collection about Black women finding themselves through literature.

REVIEW: The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher

REVIEW: The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak by Brian Katcher

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Zak is in trouble. Coasting through Health class and using too much Wikipedia for an assignment leave him in danger of not graduating. Zak doesn’t have big plans for his future. Or any plans, really. But not graduating would put him in an awful bind. So when the Health teacher says he can redeem himself by serving as an alternate for the Quiz Bowl Team’s next competition, he jumps at the chance. It’s only later that he realizes the competition is the same weekend as his favorite comic book/fandom convention.

Ana can’t believe they have to put up with Zak on the team. He’s a total slacker! He doesn’t take anything seriously, playing card and role playing games all the time. She needs their team to WIN. That’s why she talked the advisor into putting her 13-year-old genius brother, Clayton, on the team. Ana is desperate to do everything right, and make all the right choices. She saw what her parents did when her big sister didn’t follow their expectations.

But when Clayton sneaks off to the con after the Quiz Bowl, Ana will have to trust the “slacker,” Zak, to help her find her brother and get back before anyone finds out they were gone. Otherwise she could lose everything she’s tried to hard to hold onto.

Review

This he-said, she-said story was a lot of fun! I loved Ana and Zak. They think they know about the other person, but their adventure at the con while they try to find Clayton helps them open up to one another. With time, they each see the other a lot more clearly.

The con was a hoot! Our family loves comic book conventions, so parts of the setting were very familiar. In fact, that was the whole reason I read the book. I did a library search for books that take place at or around conventions and discovered this one. I’ve never had a con experience quite like Zak and Ana, thankfully. But I loved watching Ana work her way through her feelings as an “outsider,” especially as she watched Zak in his element.

There are many fun fandom references in the book as well as a sweet romance between the characters. There’s also cosplay, a gay wedding, a case of mistaken identity that turns ugly, and a kidnapping. It’s a WILD ride to the satisfying end. I loved how the author dealt with the parental issues as the story wrapped up. There are a lot of examples here of the problems that come when you assume things about others and the solutions you find when people communicate. Great fun!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Six Cats a Slayin' by Miranda James

REVIEW: Six Cats a Slayin’ by Miranda James

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

As Charlie and Diesel prepare for the holiday season, they have their hands – and paws – full.

Someone left five kittens on Charlie’s doorstep with a note saying someone would drown the cats if Charlie wasn’t able to take care of them. Diesel is all in for kitten-sitting while Charlie figures out what to do with the kittens.

Charlie’s new granddaughter is struggling with colic. Her mother, Charlie’s daughter-in-law, is beyond weary, but she is resistant to any offer of help. She seems to think it would mean she was a bad mother. Charlie longs to help them, but he also wants to respect their boundaries.

And finally, Charlie has a new neighbor – a pushy, flirtatious woman. Everything about her is the opposite of what Charlie would choose in a friend. And Gerry Albritton seems to want more than friendship. Hopefully, when Charlie brings Helen Louise to Gerry’s Christmas party, Gerry will get the hint that he’s not interested.

When Gerry dies at her own party, Charlie will have to add sleuthing to his busy to do list. He saw and heard too much at that party that could help lead the police to the killer.

Review

This was an absolute delight! I have been a fan of this series since the start. Charlie is a fantastic protagonist. He’s smart and personable and really cares about others. He recognizes his flaws and tries to learn from his past and the people he loves. Diesel is a hoot! I especially loved all the scenes with Diesel and the kittens. The author did a spectacular job with the descriptions for those scenes. That whole story line was precious.

I loved the family pieces, too. Not only did they expand on the characters from previous books, but they also showed the reader more about Charlie. The evolution of Charlie’s relationship with his son from the first book to this one, for example, has been so satisfying. And the things Charlie has learned helped out another character in this story.

The mystery was terrific. Lots of twists and unusual clues that had to be uncovered. The final solution didn’t come with a lot of punch this time – no last ditch effort to get away with murder or big showdown on the page. That might be disappointing to some readers, but I felt like it maintained the tone of the overall book. I was so charmed by the full story that I was satisfied with how all the pieces came together. This may be my new favorite book in this terrific series. You can read my review of other books from Miranda James/Dean James – including a couple Diesel stories – here.  This is book 10 in the Cat in the Stacks series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Ra the Mighty, Cat Detective by Amy Butler Greenfield

REVIEW: Ra the Mighty, Cat Detective by Amy Butler Greenfield

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Ra is the Pharaoh’s Cat. He lives a pampered life poolside with all the snacks he could want. Cats are revered in Egyptian culture. So Ra is living the good life!

When a stray kitchen cat named Miu asks Ra to help her prove a young servant didn’t steal a priceless amulet, Ra is not interested. He has the pool and snacks! Why would he want to do anything  but nap? Ra’s companion, Khepri the scarab (dung beetle) and Miu convince Ra to help them find the girl who is in hiding in the palace. When they find Tedimut, the servant girl pours her heart out to Miu about what happened (cats are great listeners), and Ra decides, after hearing her story, to help.

Ra and Khepri move about the palace, listening to the human occupants talk about the crime. But the animal occupants – Aar the leopard, Ini and Ibi the turtledoves, and Bebi the baboon – are helpful informants, too. But can a lazy, pampered cat and a dung beetle really  solve a mystery in the palace? And if they do, how will they get the humans to understand what really happened?

Review

I loved this book! It’s marketed to the early chapter book crowd, but I feel like it’s really more of a young middle grade book. I think this will work for any elementary school kiddo who can handle the length of the book. The mystery is solid. There are a few possible suspects, and Ra and Khepri are fun detectives. I love how they figured out the solution AND were able to clue the humans in.

There are some classic detective schemes used in this one, including the clueless “detective” and the clever “assistant” who really does a lot of the mystery solving. Ra and Khepri make a great team, though. Khepri is insightful, smart and observant even if he is obsessed with dung. Ra wants to live up to his title as Pharaoh’s Cat, and he uses his access to the palace and his position to get them into all the places they need to go to solve the case. Miu is devoted to Tedimut, and she’s committed to doing what she can to save her.  And she knows just how to work Ra to help make that happen.

I loved this! I hope there are many more to come. The Egyptian history pieces, including an author’s note, give this great story an added layer of awesome. Highly recommend.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BOOK NEWS: October 23, 2018

BOOK NEWS: October 23, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books scheduled to release this week!

Books for Kids

Bear Can’t Sleep – Bear should be hibernating, but he just can’t sleep. I adore this series of rhyming books with excellent illustrations!
The Epic Adventures of Huggie & Stick – From the author of the fantastic The Day the Crayons Quit comes this story of two unusual travelers and their adventures around the world. I can’t wait to read this one!!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows – Percy Jackson meets Hispanic folk lore. This sounds like a great new series for kids who want MORE stories where mythology meets kids of today!
Harry Potter Pop Up Guide to Hogwarts – A pop-up book focused on Hogwarts and surrounding areas. The pictures I have seen look amazing!
Lu – The fourth and final book in Jason Reynolds’ Track series. Lu has the skills – and swagger- to lead his team, but the literal and figurative hurdles in his path may derail him.
Two Roads – A boy is sent to a government sponsored Native American boarding school in 1932. Another good book for kids to explore a different culture (or their own culture in the case of kids of Native American heritage).
The Lego Christmas Ornaments Book 2 – Instructions for 16 Christmas ornaments made from LEGO bricks. Fun for the Master Builders in your life!
Love Does for Kids – From Bob Goff. The samples I have seen give me the impression that this is something like a devotional. It’s over 200 pages and geared to elementary aged kids.
Reach Higher: An Inspiring Photo Celebration of First Lady Michelle Obama – Several years ago my family went on a tour of the White House. It was an amazing experience. My favorite part was the display of photographs of the current occupants in various settings, both at work and at play. The White House photographers do stunning work. I’m eager to check out this photo collection of Michelle Obama for kids.
Unicorn Theater – Book 8 in the awesome Phoebe and her Unicorn graphic novel/comic strip series. I can’t wait to read this one!
The Light Between Worlds – I have had this book on my list since the cover was revealed months ago. Two girls return from a magic world to post-WWII England. One longs to go back to the magical world and the other just wants to move on. But then one of the girls goes missing.
One Giant Leap – Book 2 after Dare Mighty Things where a teen is chosen to be part of a mission to explore the universe. She expects it to be all about exploration but the team finds themselves in the middle of a war that’s got its sights set on Earth. I have book one on my library list. This sounds terrific!
That Night – Two teens deal with the repercussions of a neighborhood shooting that impacted both of them deeply.

Books for Adults

The Christmas Remedy (Hardcover) – An Amish story with mystery and romance elements. I’ll be reviewing this one next week, but I’ll tell you now, I really enjoyed it!
Mother Is Coming (Comic Collection) – The latest collection of Fox Trot comics. This is on my Christmas list.
The Reckoning (Hardcover) – Grisham returns to legal stories with this new novel set in 1946. A prominent man in the community of Clanton, Mississippi walks into a church and kills the pastor – his best friend. When questioned, he refuses to explain his motives. I’ve not enjoyed the last couple Grisham books I have read, but that plot is fascinating. I might try this one from the library.
Six Cats a Slayin’ (Hardcover) – This is the 10th book in the Cat in the Stacks mystery series, and it might just be my favorite of the lot! I’ll be reviewing this one on Wednesday.

REVIEW: Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

REVIEW: Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Michael is angry – annoyed – bitter. His dad takes a new job or promotion, and their whole family is uprooted. They’ve moved four times in ten years. And for the latest move Michael, a self-professed atheist, is enrolled in a Catholic high school.

Michael’s never had a faith system. At the school, he knows none of the “rules” – he crosses himself wrong, he’s never been to mass, and he has an uncanny ability to stick his foot in his mouth about anything religious.

But he finds his people – Lucy, the Catholic who wants to be a priest; Avi, the Jewish kid who’s also gay; Max, who likes to wear a cloak to school and is Unitarian; and Eden, who is a Celtic Reconstructionist Polytheist. Together, they are Heretics Anonymous.

It starts out as just a place to commiserate about all the things at the school that make them crazy. But Michael thinks they should do more – actually try to make a difference. But the best of intentions sometimes have a way of going horribly wrong.

Review

This was fascinating and funny! I loved Michael. He’s opinionated and sarcastic, and his anger at home comes out at school with various repercussions. I felt for him in his anger and hurt, but I also understood his faith questions and his struggles at school.

There’s an irreverence  to some of this that might turn off some readers. But I loved the honesty of it. It’s raw at times. I’m more comfortable with faith questions than I’ve ever been before in my life (I think it sometimes comes with age.). And I love that this book raises some hard questions. But Michael finds a safe place to raise his questions and fall apart and try to put the pieces back together. I loved all of it. I don’t embrace all of the faith systems and ideas expressed in the book, but I enjoyed the experience of watching the teens try to work through their own ideas. It would be fascinating to talk with some teens who’ve read this and hear their thoughts.

There’s some language and other mature moments in this. And there’s one Bible reference that’s inaccurate in some of the details, but the information and point is right on target.  I highly recommend this for readers who love books that make them laugh AND make them think.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: A Geek Girl's Guide series by Julie Anne Lindsey

REVIEW: A Geek Girl’s Guide series by Julie Anne Lindsey

Posted on by Jaymie

Book One – A Geek Girl’s Guide to Murder – When a friend is found dead in her IT office, “geek girl” Mia is the primary suspect for the new security guy. She’ll go to Comic Con and back to find the real killer.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

Book Two – A Geek Girl’s Guide to Arsenic – When an acquaintance at the Renaissance Faire/Craft Fair drops dead in her family’s booth of organic beauty products, Mia’s grandmother’s business is in jeopardy. Mia will have to prove it wasn’t one of their products that poisoned the man if they want to overcome the bad press. What better way to do that but to find the real killer?

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

Book Three – A Geek Girl’s Guide to Justice – Mia is barely over the stress of the last time she stumbled onto a murder when she finds an old friend of her grandparents dead. Jake would love nothing more than for Mia to leave this alone. She’s planning Bree’s baby shower and working three jobs. She has more than enough on her plate. But her grandmother wants to know the truth of what happened to her friend. Mia’s just going to ask some questions. How much trouble could that be?

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

Review

This series is a treat! I don’t even remember where I first heard of it, but the minute I finished the first one, I asked the local library to order the other two.

The characters are my favorite part of this. Mia has a fascinating family and great chemistry with the love interest. I love that Mia is quirky, smart and independent. She’s a fabulous, strong main character.

The mysteries are good. The second book was the strongest for me. Number three had a different feel because the reader doesn’t know the victim at all before he dies. This made it hard to establish strong suspects for the reader to puzzle through.

There’s lots to enjoy in this series – terrific characters, interesting settings (a gated community, the Ren Faire, etc.), fun mysteries, and plenty of “extra” plot pieces to keep the stories engaging. Check out the whole series!

REVIEW: Wish Upon a Sleepover by Suzanne Selfors

REVIEW: Wish Upon a Sleepover by Suzanne Selfors

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the author in a social media contest. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Leilani longs to be one of the Haileys. They are a clique of six girls named Hailey (all spelled differently). They always have themed sleepovers and fun conversations. And Leilani wants desperately to be a part of it all.

It’s not that Leilani doesn’t have friends. She has Autumn, her best friend since kindergarten. But every other week Autumn goes to her dad’s. Then Leilani is stuck at home with her mom and great-grandmother, Tutu.

Leilani is convinced that if the Haileys just knew how fun she was, they would welcome her in. And the best way to show them is to have her own awesome sleepover – with a Hawaiian theme – and invite them. On her “Do NOT Invite” list is her second cousin, Todd, who always has gas. Also on the list is her new neighbor, William, who never speaks when Leilani talks to him. And finally on the list is “Manga Girl,” a girl at school who is always drawing comics, including a mean one of Leilani.

But Leilani’s invitations go to her Do NOT Invite list instead of to the Haileys. It’s Leilani’s worst nightmare. But maybe there’s a way Leilani can redeem her plans and get in with the Haileys after all.

Review

This was delightful! I loved the rich characters in this book. I expected a typical friendship story, but this went deeper than I expected. There’s a lot of anxiety issues addressed in the story – from shyness to stage fright, to selective mutism. I loved the extra layers this added to the story.

To be honest, Leilani is probably the character I liked the least. Her obsession with the Haileys started to grate on my nerves. But the insightful kids at her sleepover called her out. It was great. And Leilani learns a lot from the sleepover experience.

The book uses the story of Stone Soup with a nice Hawaiian twist. It was a great method of introducing depth to the characters as they went around town to get their ingredients.

This book can be handed to kids who love a good friendship story as well as kids who enjoy digging into books and characters who are dealing with mental health issues like anxiety. While the mental health aspects aren’t the central focus of the book, it’s a great thread. If readers are interested in learning more about selective mutism, they might try After Zero which addresses that as a central part of the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½