Month: November 2018

REVIEW: Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm

REVIEW: Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Henry and Rosie first meet on their Chicago to Paris flight. They are both on their way to the École Denis Laurent, an exclusive cooking school. They are both excited about the opportunity, nervous about wanting to do well, and happy to have met someone who understands their love of cooking.

But things are a little more complicated than they seem at first blush. Henry’s mom wants him to go to a traditional college. She knows how hard it is to run a restaurant. She and Henry’s dad have done it for years. His mom meddles, convincing his academic teachers that he wants to do extra, more advanced work when he really just wants to cook. And if he doesn’t keep his grades up, she says he will have to come home.

Rosie’s true love is baking. But the École is all about cooking – tasks like breaking down a whole chicken and the uniform cutting of vegetables in fussy, precise ways. She’s the only student there who doesn’t have her own knife kit, and she starts to wonder if she even belongs there. If she can’t find a way to shine in the traditional areas of cooking, she may be sent home at Christmas.

The sparks between Henry and Rosie are undeniable, but their personal struggles might pull them apart before they even get a chance to see what they might be together.

Review

This was so sweet! (Pardon the pun.) I loved Henry and Rosie right from the start. They have terrific chemistry. As is often the case in romance stories, they have to learn to communicate if they’re going to have any chance at a future.

I didn’t understand a lot of the fancy cooking terms, but the love each of the kids has for his/her craft was obvious. I loved the scenes when Henry and Rosie – and the other characters – got to just enjoy and savor food together, either around Paris or at school. It was pure joy for them. They were in their element.

While Henry and Rosie are great characters, the ensemble around them is also terrific. The other kids come from a variety of backgrounds. There are the catty girls you would expect, some good friends, and a possible rival for Rosie’s affections.

This is a fun celebration of Paris, food and friendship – as well as friendship that could become something more. I’ve come to expect fun stories with endearing characters from Stephanie Kate Strohm (Prince in Disguise, It’s Not Me It’s You). And her latest book does not disappoint!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon

REVIEW: In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Callie Aspen is back in Heart’s Harbor, Maine to stay with her great-aunt Iphy for the holidays. Her great-aunt’s shop, Book Tea, has some holiday events to work, and Callie is happy to help out. Her first event is a tea at Haywood Hall. Callie grew up around the mansion and grounds with her friends. When handsome Stephen DuBouvrais proposed to her friend, Sheila, Callie decided to make herself scarce from Haywood Hall, thinking it might hurt less that way.

Haywood Hall is mostly as Callie remembers. The groundskeeper from her childhood – Leadenby – is still there as is Dorthea Finster, the owner of the home. Stephen and Sheila are back for the holidays, too, as Stephen is part of Dorthea’s extended family. In fact, Dorthea planned the party so her family, a few friends, and some prominent folks from town would be there when she shared the contents of her new will.

Sheila, though, has co-opted the event to turn it into a marriage proposal for her daughter, Amber. Except Amber doesn’t want to get married. When the ring, which was hidden in the cake, disappears, the party starts to fall apart. In the ensuing turmoil, Leadenby is murdered.

Who took the ring? Who killed the groundskeeper? Are the two cases related? What was Dorthea going to announce at the party? Does that have anything to do with what happened? Callie can’t help asking questions to get to the truth.

Review

Overall, this was enjoyable. I liked the characters, especially Callie, Falk the deputy, and his extended family. The side plots around the central mystery were great.

The mystery itself was good, too. There were plenty of suspects and secrets swirling around to keep me guessing. I liked that there were two crimes to sort out because they could be related or could be completely separate, adding some extra sleuthing for Callie.

This book doesn’t give a lot of setting description for the town. And for the whole book, Callie was just a guest in town. If the series wasn’t named for the aunt’s shop, it might have been a series with a changing location. But by the end of the book, though, Callie seems to be planning to make Heart’s Harbor her new home.

There were some little things that threw off my reading groove – a slow start (I almost gave up), some head jumping (where I found myself asking how Callie knew what other characters were thinking – the author might have intended this sort of omniscient point-of-view, but it threw me), Callie  sometimes had information it seemed odd for her to have (As a visitor to town, how did Callie know where the mayor lived?), and there were some other gaps. These are minor in the scheme of things, and may have been addressed before the final publication of the book. I was able to push past those questions and stalls and get through a satisfying mystery in the end. I will definitely be checking out book 2 in the series to see how things continue.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Knight's Club: The Bands of Bravery by Shuky

REVIEW: Knight’s Club: The Bands of Bravery by Shuky

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley and Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Three young men decide to leave their life of farming and manure and instead try to become knights. Each has different skills and deficits. Readers choose the path through this graphic novel for their knight-in-training. The character has five nights to find the most “bravery bracelets” to win.

Review

POSITIVES: This is a clever idea! It’s like a role playing game (RPG) in book mode. Solving puzzles can lead to rewards like weapons or bracelets. There are blank pages at the back of the book to track your character’s progress through the quest.  Readers could compete against themselves or against a friend.

NEGATIVES:

  • It’s disappointing that the author and publisher chose to make all of the characters male. I hope this gets fixed in the sequels. Girls are just as likely to want to try this and may be frustrated that there are no female characters.
  • Many page jumps in my trial run served no purpose except to send me to the opposite end of the book. For example, the first place where I could make a choice sent me to a page that sent me right back to the check in point. Then I went from 4 to 25 to 88 to 7 to find out how things worked in the game/book. THEN I was able to make another choice. That choice took me to three pages that were essentially blank except for the next page number – 299, 311 and 178 – before I had another choice. Usually in a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story there’s content on each page even if there isn’t a choice to make. And they usually move mostly forward through the book until you hit a dead end. This jumped me all around, back and forth for no purpose.
  • This jumping was especially frustrating because the electronic review copy didn’t have any page links. Every large page jump required a scroll to find just the right image number. In a paper book, that won’t be as frustrating, but I hope any e-books will have page links instead of all the scrolling.

VERDICT: I would try this in physical form and would feel comfortable giving it to a kid. As I said, it’s a really clever idea, which is why I rated it as highly as I did despite the issues in execution. In all the scrolling I saw several sections where I wanted to know more about a different path. I’m curious to talk with kids who use the book to see if they find the pages with only another page number and no other purpose frustrating or not. I’d hold off on getting an electronic version until you know if there are page links or if scrolling is required.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: November 27, 2018

BOOK NEWS: November 27, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the final week of November, and Christmas is less than a month away. There’s still plenty of reading time left in 2018. Here are some of the books out this week!

Books for Kids

Lulu & Rocky in Milwaukee (December 1) – Book 1 in a new Our City Adventures series which first explores Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
DIY Pet Shop – Book 5 in the Craftily Ever After early chapter book series. In this book, Emily finally convinces her parents to let her get a puppy only to discover she’s allergic.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Gamer Army – A kid is invited to an exclusive gaming tournament, but he and the other players start to think something much darker is going on.
The Incredibles 2 Cinestory Comic – We still haven’t seen the new Incredibles movie, but I am looking forward to checking it out!
Love à la Mode – The first cover pictured is the hardcover and the second is the Kindle, at least according to Amazon. That second cover is too spectacular to not show you! I am a huge Stephanie Kate Strohm fan, and I really enjoyed her latest book for teens about a group of kids in an exclusive cooking program. You can read my full review here later this week.
The Devoted Life: A Creative Journal (December 1) – A guided journal for teen girls. I’ll be reviewing this one next week.

Books for Adults

The Coloring Crook (Paperback) – Book 2 in the Pen and Ink mystery series. This time, a woman is killed, possibly over a rare book – the first coloring book to ever be published. The adult coloring trend seems to be waning a little, but this cozy series still sounds like a lot of fun to read.
Cut to the Chaise (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 8 in the Caprice De Luca Home Staging mystery series. This time there’s a murder at a vineyard that could ruin Caprice’s wedding plans. I enjoyed the first book in this series.
Deceased and Desist (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Tallie Graver cozy series. A woman cleaning around a B&B about to open discovers a dead body. I haven’t tried this series yet, but it sounds great.
How to Knit a Murder (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Seaside Knitters series. A woman new to town seems like a great handywoman to have around until she becomes tangled up in a murder. I’m intrigued by the description of this one.
Just Plain Murder (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 6 in Laura Bradford’s Amish mystery series. A lawman’s mentor is killed when he comes to town.  I read one of the author’s other Amish stories this summer and enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to digging into this series; I have several of the books on my TBR shelves already.
A Midwinter’s Tail (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 4 in the Lucky Paws Petsitting Mystery series.  Daphne and her basset hound are sleuthing again when a pet store chain’s CEO is murdered and Daphne’s friend is the prime suspect.  You can read my review of book one from the series here.
The Novel Art of Murder (Paperback) – Book 3 in the Mystery Bookshop series about a mystery bookshop owner who also writes mysteries – and occasionally helps solve some local ones. This series looks so fun!
Slay in Character (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 4 in the Cat Latimer series about a writer’s retreat. This time Cat and her fellow writers are on a trip away from the Bed and Breakfast when they stumble across a murder. I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I’ve gotten behind since then.
Someone to Trust (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Wescott historical fiction series. In this book, a couple share an unexpected kiss at Christmas, but they know there can’t be a romance between them as she is so much older than he is. But they continue to be thrown together as they seek out more suitable matches, and it gets harder to deny the feelings they have for one another. I don’t read a ton of historic fiction, but this series includes some stories that sound intriguing.
Star Trek Prometheus: In the Heart of Chaos (Mass Market Paperback) – The latest Star Trek Prometheus novel focuses on the Prometheus and a Klingon ship investigating a series of terrorist attacks. This looks like the third book to focus on this part of the Star Trek Universe.
Violet Tendencies (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Rose City mystery series about a young woman starting over at her aunt’s floral shop. In this book, there’s a murder at the Rose Festival.
The Whispered Word (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Secret, Book and Scone Society series about a book shop owner and her friends who help their novice sheriff solve some murders. I’ve been waiting for the first book of this to come out in paperback so I could give it a try. That is out now and it’s on my list.
Yule Be Dead (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Victoria Square mystery series about the owner of an artisan’s co-op who solves murders on the side. I’ve enjoyed the early books in the series.
Life Lessons from Hebrews (Paperback) – The Life Lessons Bible study series from Max Lucado releases more studies from the New Testament this week, including this one on the book of Hebrews.

REVIEW: 2018 Christmas Books

REVIEW: 2018 Christmas Books

Posted on by Jaymie

Last year I did a list of Christmas book reviews, and that seems like a good idea for this year, too. I am pretty far backlogged on reviews, so unless a Christmas book is something I am reviewing for a publisher (like this one and this one and this one), I have a hard time squeezing in reviews. So here are the Christmas books I have read so far this season and what I thought of them! You can see last year’s post here.

 Santa Bruce – This is the only Christmas book I have read for kids so far. It was adorable! I love the Bruce books! Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 

 

 

 Catching Christmas – A first year law associate and a cab driver connect over a wheelchair-bound old lady who is on the hunt for a date for her granddaughter. Overall this was cute, but I didn’t click with the characters. Other readers, especially fans of the author’s other work, might enjoy this one more than I did. Rating: ♥♥♥½

 

 

 

The Christmas Remedy – A young Amish woman runs into issues when she tries to help her community recognize how important it is to value their health and wellness, and the pharmacy that serves the community comes under fire. You can read a full summary and review here. I will say that this book ends at Christmas, but a lot of the action happens in the months leading up to the holiday. Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

 

 

The Christmas Star – A girl in foster care plays matchmaker for an after-school program volunteer. This is a sweet Christmas story with lots of heart. There’s not a lot of conflict or suspense in this one – just a touching Christmas tale. I read one of the other books in this series a couple years ago and loved it. Now I make a habit of looking for a new Christmas book from this author. You can read my review of the other book here.  Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

Dear Santa –  You’ve Got Mail with a Christmas twist. A woman running her family’s Christmas shop writes to Santa through an app about the national chain that has come to town, not knowing that the guy from the chain is the one answering the Dear Santa letters. This is another story without a ton of conflict or tension – just a nice holiday story to help you enjoy the season! Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

Deck the Hounds – The first Andy Carpenter book I ever read was a Christmas one – The Twelve Dogs of Christmas – and it launched me into a frantic  quest to read every book in the series. The second Christmas tale in the series is just as enjoyable. Everything I love about the series as a whole. In this book, Andy and his wife get more than they bargained for when they reach out at the holidays to help a homeless man and his dog.  Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

In Peppermint Peril – A woman home for the holidays finds murder at a stately manor where she played as a child. This is the first in a new mystery series. You can read a full summary and review here next Wednesday. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

 

Lark! The Herald Angels Sing –  Meg’s brother, Rob, is named as the father of an unknown baby left in the manger at their church’s live Nativity. For me, this was the quintessential Meg Langslow mystery – it has all the family and town antics that I love as well as a first rate mystery. (This time the mystery focuses less on a murder, which happens off the page, and more on the fall out from it. It’s a fascinating story!) Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 

 

 

 

Murder in Her Stocking – 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 loved seeing Savannah as a 12 year old and see how the personalities of her siblings were already on display at a young age. I think readers will enjoy this more if they are already familiar with the characters from the original series. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

The Peppermint Mocha Murder – A chocolatier/”chocolate whisperer” heads out on vacation for the holidays and finds murder at a holiday musical production. I’ve only read the first book in this series, and then this one, so the relationships aren’t quite solid in my head for this series, yet,  but the mystery was good.  Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

 

Premeditated Peppermint – Another chocolatier finds herself investigating a murder when her ex comes to town to do a show on her family candy shop and his producer winds up dead. I enjoyed the mystery in this one, and the characters are always a treat for me in this series. I’ll be writing up a more detailed review of this in December. Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

 

 

 

Six Cats a Slayin’ – Someone leaves a set of kittens on Charlie’s door and a murderer hits the neighborhood as well. You can read a full summary  and review here. This is probably my new favorite book in this delightful series. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 

 

 

 

 

‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas – In the midst of Christmas celebrations on the tree farm, a woman’s best friend is accused of killing a sleazy guy she dated one time. This is book 2 in this series and I have loved both of the books. The characters and the setting for this mystery series are first rate. You can read a full summary and review here. Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 

REVIEW: Death and Daisies by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Death and Daisies by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Fiona’s been in Scotland only for a couple months. It really should not have been enough time for her to have a nemesis already. But Reverend MacCullen has made his dislike clear since day one. And if he was difficult early on, he’s become almost hateful now. He has had a grudge against the MacCallister family for ages, although Fiona has no idea why. She knows he thinks the rumored magic of the Duncreigan garden is evil. He wouldn’t even allow Fiona to attend services at the church he pastors! He blocked her at the door in front of half the congregation. When the Reverend is found dead, of course Fiona is a murder suspect once again.

The Reverend was a hard man to like, so there are other suspects, too. And Fiona is determined to find them before her new business is ruined by the whispers about her and the Reverend’s murder.

Review

This was a solid cozy mystery with a few paranormal elements (magical garden, mysterious visions, reincarnation). It was nice to spend time again with Fiona and the people of Aberdeenshire. Fiona’s sister, Isla, added a nice dimension to the story – a companion for Fiona and a means to round out the mystery with some more character details. The romantic side plot for Fiona continues to slowly develop.

The mystery was good. After book one I figured it was just a matter of time until the Reverend was murdered. He was a hateful person when it came to Fiona, although his attitude was explained to a degree in this book. The suspects were good -and dangerous. Fiona really had her hands full with this case.

The side stories focused on Isla more than the garden this time around, although there was one big reveal in the book regarding Fiona’s inheritance. The epilogue sets up book three to deal with that plot point.

This was a solid mystery, and fans of book one should not miss this one. I am finding, though, that I am not clicking with the characters in this series as much as I have with Flower’s Amish Candyshop series, for example. While this was good, I’m not sure I will definitely pick up book three, although the reveal in this book could drive me to the third just to see what happens.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm

REVIEW: The Third Mushroom by Jennifer L. Holm

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Ellie, the star of The Fourteenth Goldfish, is back. In that book, Ellie discovered her grandfather, Melvin, had found a way to get younger. He was on his second trip through adolescence.

In this book, Melvin is back, and Ellie is glad to have him around. She asks him to help her with an experiment for the science fair. They decide to use an axolotl Melvin found that had two extra legs. They use wingless fruit flies to see if the axolotl cells would cause any structural changes in the fruit flies. And some of the wingless fruit flies grow wings! On its own, that’s astonishing. But not nearly as stunning as Melvin regrowing his appendix when he injects some cells from the axolotl into himself!

In the middle of all the amazing science, there are some relationship things happening for both Melvin and Ellie, but they are complicated. Why can’t everything just get better, like with the axolotl experiment?

Review

This was an absolute delight! It took a little while for the two pieces – the science piece and the relationship piece – to tie together, but when they did, it was perfect. I love these characters!

If you haven’t read The Fourteenth Goldfish, I highly recommend it, but you don’t have to have read it to enjoy this. The only real reference to the first story is about Melvin’s age. If you accept that Melvin is a scientist who figured out how to get younger, that’s all you need to know for this book. But it’s a great story, so by all means, check it out.

I love the science emphasis in this! The end notes include additional details on the scientists mentioned throughout the book. There are great tie-ins for teachers and classrooms regarding the scientific method and science fairs.

My favorite part is the heart of this. The relationships between the characters, the emotions for different events in the book, and the delightful ending were perfect. It was all so fun to read.

Hand this to any upper elementary or middle school kid you know. There’s something here for kids who love science, kids who love science fiction, kids who love family stories, and more. Highly recommend.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: November 20, 2018

BOOK NEWS: November 20, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s Thanksgiving week here, and I’m looking forward to lots of rest and reading. Stay tuned for FRIDAY this week when I post my annual gift giving ideas for all ages – The Holiday Hint List. You can go HERE to see the list for the last two years.

Here are some books out this week – it’s a small week:

His Royal Dogness, Guy the Beagle: The Rebarkable True Story of Meghan Markle’s Rescue Dog (Picture Book) – I already have this one on hold through the library!
I Do Not Like Books Anymore! (Picture Book) – A little monster learning to read struggles to keep her love of books. I am looking forward to seeing this one in person!
Scarlett (Picture Book) – No one thinks Scarlett the sloth can solve a mystery in the forest, and while she would like to prove them wrong, she’s afraid they might be right.
Sophie Johnson, Unicorn Expert (Picture Book) – A girl is so busy teaching everyone around her about unicorns, she misses the magic right near by. This looks darling! I have to check this one out.
Snow Place Like Home – Book 17 in the fun Galaxy Zack series. Zack and his family head to a new planet for winter fun. 
The Once and Future Geek – (Middle Grade) – A young Arthur of Camelot time travels to the 21st century and Googles himself. Seeing the unfortunate turns his future will take, he decides to stay right here. I will be reviewing this one in a few weeks.
Big Damn Hero (Adult) – An original novel from the Firefly Universe! Captain Malcolm Reynolds is kidnapped and put on trial for his life while his crew tries to track him down.
Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids (Professional Development for Teachers – Paperback) – Donalyn Miller (The Book Whisperer) and Colby Sharp (The Creativity Project) are big names in education circles, especially when it comes to kids and reading. Their new collaboration focuses on tools and resources for teachers and administrators to launch reading/book initiatives in their schools and communities. I might not be teaching these days, but this one is still on my Christmas list!

Book Shopping Suggestions - The 2018 Holiday Hint List Is Here!

Book Shopping Suggestions – The 2018 Holiday Hint List Is Here!

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s that time of year again. Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and the scramble to find holiday gifts for friends and family kicks in to high gear. This is the third year of the Holiday Hint List. You can access the lists from the last two years here.

For 2018 I have a brand new list that you can access here: 2018 Neverending TBR Holiday Shopping Hint List

I hope this helps you find some great gift ideas for the readers of all ages in your life. Happy Holidays!