Month: May 2019

REVIEW: Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis

REVIEW: Extraordinary Birds by Sandy Stark-McGinnis

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

December is a walking, talking bird encyclopedia. She has memorized her copy of The Complete Guide to Birds, Vol. 1, one of the few personal items she takes from foster home to foster home. December believes that someday, she will transform into a bird herself. The scar on her back is the proof that one day she will have wings.

December’s belief often drives her into tall trees where she thinks she can launch herself into flight. And when she keeps trying, she’s sent to a new foster home and a new school.

Eleanor isn’t bad as foster parents go. She knows a lot about animals, and she’s good at giving December space to be the girl she is. And at school, December has the chance to befriend another student going through her own struggles. But December questions if any of these things – a new home, a new friend – can be counted on. Maybe she’d be better off if she just flew away.

Review

I have mixed feelings on this one. I wrestled through a good portion of the book trying to figure out if December’s bird/flying thing was the result of trauma or if it was psychosis. How much did she really believe she would fly? Also, I did not find it believable that the social service system would not be more alarmed about a child in care flinging herself out of trees. I think there would have been a much stronger reaction – maybe to the point of group home care or something more secure.

I liked Eleanor’s relationship with December. December noticed Eleanor’s effort to give her space, and ask her what she wanted. This relationship was my favorite part of the book. Even so, the story never fully connected with my heart. I didn’t click with December. And I realize because of her life experience she is protective and isolating and cautious. But usually with characters like that, there are other factors that allow me to connect emotionally. I didn’t find them in this case.

The other relationship I liked was December’s relationship with a transgender student at her new school, Cheryllynn. Cheryllynn was an advocate and support for December, and then December returned the favor. The issues with the mean girls weren’t resolved, nor did they escalate. They were just there – part of life. Maybe I needed more here, too.

For readers who like stories where characters overcome their past or wrestle through mental health or family issues, this might work. It wouldn’t be my first choice for kids looking for stories like that, but for kids who have worked through other examples, they might want to check out December’s story. Fans of animal books might enjoy the bird facts in this book.

Rating: ♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: May 14, 2019

BOOK NEWS: May 14, 2019

Posted on by Jaymie

I’m looking forward to checking out these new books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

I Am Kind AND I Am Unstoppable (Board Books) – A new format for the Ordinary People Change the World series.
How to Take Care of Your Dinosaur – Pet care goes to a whole new level. This looks delightful!
Never Trumpet with a Crumpet – What happens when zoo animals are invited to join the Queen for tea? The illustrations for this one are fantastic!
Girls with Guts: The Road to Breaking Barriers and Bashing Records – The history of women athletes and the road to Title IX.
Now What?: A Math Tale – A puppy wants to build a bed out of blocks. While he doesn’t have enough rectangles, he does have several triangles.
When Sue Found Sue: Sue Hendrickson Discovers Her T. Rex – Chronicles the discovery of Sue the T.Rex in South Dakota.
The Dragon’s Tale – Book 6 in the Princess Pulverizer transitional chapter book series. On their Quest for Kindness, Dribble the dragon has a chance to open his own restaurant, but trouble develops when someone is jealous of Dribble and Princess Pulverizer’s arrival.
Mia Mayhem vs the Super Bully – Book 3 in the Mia Mayhem series. Sometimes even superheroes have to deal with bullies.
The Unbelievable Oliver and the Four Jokers – Oliver, an amateur magician, discovers a super smart rabbit in an old magicians hat. At their first gig, Oliver is accused of stealing and he has to find the real culprit. I’m excited by the idea of a new mystery series for the chapter book crowd.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Freedom Fire – Book 2 in the Dactyl Hill Squad series that is an alternate history with dinosaurs. This book focuses on the Civil War.
Jada Sly, Artist and Spy – An illustrated spy book about a girl searching for her mother and tracking her adventures in her art journal. The cover for this is outstanding (except in this picture, Jada doesn’t look Black – maybe the colors in person are better), and I love kid-spy stories.
Odd Gods – Described as Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Percy Jackson. Oddonis is the brother of Adonis, but this son of Zeus doesn’t think he has any powers. This is a pun-filled story, based on the full description, that sounds like a TON of fun (although reading it aloud would be tricky with the Oddonis/Adonis homophones).
Planet Earth Is Blue – An autistic and nonverbal girl waits at her new foster home for her missing big sister to arrive so they can watch the Challenger launch together. This one is going to be amazing.
Pugs in a Blanket – A girl and a new friend wrangle the pug pups that were left on her family’s doorstep while trying to puzzle out who left them.
The Queen’s Secret – Book 2 in the Rose Legacy series about a girl who discovers her uncle secretly breeds horses, animals that have been outlawed. Anthena now knows the truth about horses, and she has discovered a way to talk with them. But other forces want to use this gift for evil. And others want to blame the horses for a mysterious plague. Horse fans should NOT miss this series!
Theodore Boone: The Accomplice – Book 7 in the Theodore Boone Kid Lawyer series from legal thriller author John Grisham. This time, Theodore is on the case when a school friend is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit.
On a Scale of One to Ten – The story of a teen admitted to a psychiatric ward who refuses to talk about what happened to her friend.
Road Tripped – His dad committed suicide. His mom is not coping well. And his girlfriend abandoned him at the worst possible time. Maybe a road trip and a change of scenery will help Stiggy get a handle on his life again.
Stepsister – Isabelle is the step-sister who cut off her toes to fit into Cinderella’s glass slipper (Disney kind of left that detail out of the movie). When the prince turns her away in shame, Isabelle will have to find her own path. This sounds fascinating!
Testimony from Your Perfect Girl – When her father is accused of scamming hundreds of people, Annie and her brother are sent to live with extended family until the trial is over. Annie discovers how nice it is to have a fresh start in a new place. But family secrets have followed her, and she will have to decide how she’s going to face them.
There’s Something About Sweetie – A companion novel set in the world of When Dimple Met Rishi. This book stars Rishi’s brother, Ashish, whose parents feel they can do a better job of finding him a girlfriend than he is doing on his own. While Sweetie’s parents feel her weight is a strike against her in finding a match, Sweetie is determined to show the world who she is.
The Things She’s Seen – A dead girl and her father, a detective who can still see and hear her, take on a mysterious case with a suspicious fire, a dead body and an unreliable witness.
We Hunt the Flame – In a land on the brink of war, a young woman hides her identity and works in secret to feed her people while the son of the sultan seeks to kill anyone who would defy his father. Neither is able to shake off expectations and be who he/she is. When both search out an ancient artifact that could change their world, they have no idea of the danger the artifact poses for all of them. This has been getting ceaseless buzz for months now. I have requested it from the library to see if it lives up to the positive press.
The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets – A book for teens marking the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York, an event credited with launching the LGBTQ movement. This is a piece of history that is completely new to me, but something we should be hearing a lot about this summer as the anniversary draws closer (June 28).

 

Books for Adults

My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding (Trade Paperback) – When a successful author returns home for her wedding, her mother knows the secret she is keeping could help her daughter and her ex-best friend reconcile. This sounds fantastic!
No Saving Throw (Trade Paperback) – First in a new cozy series built around a tabletop gaming theme! This is at the TOP of my wish list for this week. The library already has this one on hold for me.
The Unhoneymooners (Trade Paperback) – When the rest of the wedding – bride, groom, attendants and guests – get food poisoning, the bride’s sister and her nemesis, the best man, agree to take the honeymoon trip, which the bride won, together so it doesn’t go to waste. Yep, I have this one waiting at the library, too!
Discovering Joy in Philippians: A Creative Devotional Study Experience (Paperback Workbook) – Sequel to Discovering Hope in the Psalms. The format for book one was 8 weeks with devotions for five days each week. Includes instructions for use in group settings or individually. Includes a reading, pieces to color, questions to answer and background material. While there might be some changes or improvements from the first book to the second, I expect this will follow a similar pattern.
Emeralds of Oz: Life Lessons from Over the Rainbow (Hardcover gift book) – Wisdom and insights from the movie, The Wizard of Oz.
Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith, and Braving the Storms of Life (Hardcover) – For memoir and/or Randy Travis fans.
Genuine Pizza: Better Pizza at Home (Hardcover) – How to make better pizza at home. Includes information on tools to use, lots of pictures, and recipes.
Life to the Extreme: How a Chaotic Kid Became America’s Favorite Carpenter (Hardcover) – Memoir from the host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Ty Pennington
Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football (Hardcover) –  A memoir on life, math and football from former Ravens Offensive Lineman John Urschel. My favorite part of the description of this book is when it outlines how he worked on his PhD at MIT WHILE playing for the NFL.
Perfect Pan Pizza: Square Pies to Make at Home, From Roman, Sicilian, and Detroit to Grandma Pies and Focaccia (Hardcover) – I’ve only seen a few pictures from this book, but they look amazing!
We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God (Trade Paperback) – A book about Christians following in Jesus’ footsteps by gathering around the table with diverse people.
Why We Love Star Wars: The Great Moments that Built a Galaxy Far, Far Away (Trade Paperback) – Commentary on the film franchise.

BONUS REVIEW: The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons

BONUS REVIEW: The Deceivers by Kristen Simmons

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Brynn feels trapped in her life. She lives on the “wrong” side of town. Her mom’s boyfriend Pete is a drug dealer. He’s even pulled Brynn’s childhood best friend into his cut throat life. Her only chance to escape is to chunk her way through high school and save up enough money to break free. She’s resorted to hustles and cons to squirrel away money for college. But Pete finds her cash, accuses her of stealing from him, and Brynne is left feeling even more trapped than ever.

Vale Hall could be her ticket out. Brynne feels so fortunate to have lucked into a chance at the exclusive prep school. And it turns out she has just the right skills for Vale’s mission. The headmaster, Dr. David Odin, offers his charges free room and board, a first class education, and money for college. In exchange, the students are trained to dig up secrets that Dr. Odin can use.

But as desperately as Brynne wants her Vale life to deliver all it promises, her past isn’t ready to let her go. And when it crashes into her attempt at a new life, Brynne could end up losing everything.

Review

The set up for this with Brynne’s home life is grim. This is brilliant because it makes the reader sympathetic when Brynne starts using her scamming skills to help  out Dr. Odin on his plan. In fact, when Brynne gets into Vale, I felt like it was a reward for the reader – sure, there are questionable ethics involved, but at least she was out of her home situation. Her home life was stressful!

The book clicked for me when Brynne was auditioning for a spot at Vale. I had so many questions, I couldn’t read fast enough. I loved the way Brynne used her skills to read people. She’s got great instincts and intuition. If only she had the freedom to use her powers for good. The school was interesting, but the characters there were my favorite part of the story. I’d love more stories with these characters!

The book feels like a classic heist story, but with higher stakes. The author does a great job of twisting all of the pieces together. I loved the whole Vale journey for Brynne and the others. If you enjoy heist books, suspense, or boarding school stories, don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

REVIEW: The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Kira was five, Cady found her, alone, in a forest. Wild. Feral. Cady took her in, fostered her, adopted her, and raised her with her own son, Jude. Jude, Kira, and their best friend, Free, call themselves the Miscreants. Always together, always ready to find or stir up trouble.

Together, Cady and the teens raise and train search and rescue dogs. Padawan is their young star, a gifted golden retriever. Silver is the older German Shepherd who is an emotional anchor for Kira when the trauma of her past threatens to pull her under. NATO and the Duchess are the bloodhounds. And Saskia is the temperamental husky whose own traumas make her a perfect partner for Kira. They understand each other in a special way.

Cady’s estranged father calls her in for a search and rescue in her home town. A 9-year-old girl has gone missing in the mountains. Cady, the teens and the dogs join the search process. And while Kira is determined to do for the girl what she herself needed at one time, she is not ready for what the case will stir up for her – and for her whole family.

Review

This was excellent! Classic Jennifer Lynn Barnes awesomeness. I was laughing on the first page, and in love with Jude by page 2. He’s a lot like the character Asher from The Fixer series – another character I adored. You can read my review of her other series here and here. From there, I quickly connected with Kira and the dogs, and I had to see how the story would play out.

You can see Barnes’ background in psychology with the development of Kira. Her reactions to childhood trauma and the emotional repercussions now felt completely on target. I felt like Kira had done some extensive work on her trauma issues even while there is obviously more work to be done.  And the writing of the dogs was terrific. I loved Silver and Saskia’s interactions with Kira especially.

If this had just been a psychological piece about Kira, I’d have been enthralled and happy to keep reading. But this is also a mystery/suspense story involving Cady’s family history, the missing girl, and some stunning and twisty developments. Outstanding!

This book is a perfect example of why Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a must read-author for me. She always delivers! This book is the full package – rich, fascinating characters; an engrossing plot; lots of snark and humor; and a story you don’t want to put down. I highly recommend this book to fans of suspense books, dog stories, and the author’s other books. (Trigger Warning – hints of abuse stories throughout could be triggering for some readers, although I thought the descriptions were pretty subtle for general readers.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

REVIEW: Foul Play on Words by Becky Clark

REVIEW: Foul Play on Words by Becky Clark

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Charlee has traveled to Portland, Oregon to speak at the Stumptown Writer’s Conference run by her friend Viv. But when Viv shows up at the airport to  get Charlee, she announces her daughter Hanna has been kidnapped.

Viv says she can’t call the police or Hanna will be killed. And she refuses to cancel the conference. She wants Charlee to help her save Hanna. But Charlee knows she’d be way out of her league on that. So Viv drops Charlee at the conference hotel where Charlee says she’ll help with the conference. Then Viv races off, leaving Charlee to muddle through on her own because, “oh, by the way,” all the volunteers have food poisoning.

Food poisoning isn’t the only issue with the conference. The hotel is doubled booked with a dog show. The registration site is glitching and over charging people thousands of dollars. Charlee’s “tech support” is a guy who knows how to use a spreadsheet and is proud of his 12 friends on Facebook. The three volunteers she has seem unfamiliar with what might need to be finished to kick off the conference. Oh – and the hotel chef has been fired.

Charlee has her hands full with the conference itself, but she can’t help picking up clues about what might have happened to Hanna. Soon, she agrees to help Viv find her daughter. But the clues won’t be easy to sift through.

Review

I have mixed feelings on this one. On the positive side, I loved the writer’s conference pieces. Charlee gets thrown into some new territory due to the countless disasters with the conference. I loved how she handled them. And I really like Charlee as a protagonist. I’ve read both books in this series so far, and she’s great. I enjoy her voice and her general attitude toward the various situations she finds herself in.

The disasters at the writer’s conference were pushing the boundaries of reasonable for me. It felt like too much – I didn’t even list them all in my summary.  I had a hard time believing that Viv would dump everything on a conference guest knowing ALL of her usual volunteers were sick, and then disappear. It feels more likely that she would show up but be distracted. Maybe throw herself into conference things and become a drill sergeant and at other times be in a distracted stupor. There were ways to have her there and have the kidnapping impact her. Her total disappearance felt odd to me. I had a similar feeling  – it was all TOO much – in the first book. This may just be the author’s personal style – pile on the problems to the point of overwhelm.

The mystery seemed to be whether there even was a mystery for most of the book. Was Hanna really kidnapped or was she hiding or in rehab or trying to fleece her mom for money? And at times, Charlee seemed to forget herself and her uncertainty and lack of solid evidence. Her behavior in those moments undercut some of the strengths I like about the character.

I will probably stick with the series to see how the style continues to develop with a third book.

Rating: ♥♥♥½

REVIEW: The Doughnut King by Jessie Janowitz

REVIEW: The Doughnut King by Jessie Janowitz

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Tristan and Josh achieved their goal of making the “life-changing” chocolate cream doughnuts (The Doughnut Fix). Their doughnut shop is in an old train station where they share space with The Station House, Tris’ mom’s restaurant. And for a couple of 7th graders, they have an amazing business. People LOVE their doughnuts. But not everyone is thrilled with The Doughnut Stop. Folks who drive a long way and find the shop closed (The boys still have to go to school!) or the doughnuts sold out aren’t very happy. Tris is desperate to come up with a way to make more doughnuts faster so he can keep his customers happy.

While Tris is struggling to keep up with doughnut demand, the town of Petersville is struggling, too. More people are moving away than are moving in. The school is so small I could be closed. And Petersville is losing its post office. How will The Doughnut Stop – or The Station House and Tris’ family – survive if the town can’t bring in more people?

When Tris discovers a machine that could help him with his doughnut issues, he knows it could save the day for both The Doughnut Stop AND Petersville. Now he just needs to find $50,000 to buy one. And a reality cooking show could be his solution.

Review

Excellent! I loved this even more than I did The Doughnut Fix! All of my favorite characters are back – Tris and Josh and Tris’ family. There are lots of laugh-out-loud moments I just had to read aloud to my family. And the heart of the story was everything I love about middle grade fiction.

At its core, this is a cooking book. It’s the struggles of a food-based business. It’s a cooking reality show. And it’s the struggle for food businesses in a dwindling community. But it’s also richer than “just” those things. Tristan is a business person now. He feels that pressure and responsibility. He’s maturing. He’s also all the more aware of the things his parents are trying to shield him from. And I loved watching that dynamic unfold.

The reality show was almost a second story in the book once we established the business and town struggles. The show introduced a new cast of characters with the show runners and the other contestants. Honestly, I expected Tris to be nervous but to shine. He’d be this beacon of purity as his love of cooking overcame some of the pettiness and reality show stuff. And there were moments of that. But there were other moments of REAL turmoil. Tris wrestles with his identity – “shark” or “krill?” He wrestles with the competition aspects. And while not “perfect” in his choices, he still shines!

I highly recommend this delightful series! It’s a treat from start to finish. Includes recipes.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: May 7, 2019

BOOK NEWS: May 7, 2019

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy May! Spring is in the air, Mother’s Day is right around the corner. There’s plenty of reason to celebrate with a new book. Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids

The Story of Rap AND The Story of Rock (Board Books) – Darling board books celebrating the history of Rap and Rock.
Cowhide-and-Seek – When the farmer starts counting his cows, Bessie thinks it’s the beginning of a game of hide and seek. This looks adorable!
Forky in Craft Buddy Day – Some of the characters from Toy Story 4 appear in this story from the author of The Day the Crayons Quit.
The Karate Kid (Classic Illustrated Storybook)
Lambslide – When a girl says she’s running for class president and her family says she’ll win in a “landslide,” the lambs outside hear “Lambslide” and start searching for this special slide made just for them. Sounds hilarious!
Llama Destroys the World – A llama who loves cake accidentally kicks off the destruction of the world. Yep, I have to check this one out!
The Sad Little Fact – A fact who can’t tell a lie is locked up  until a group of fact finders help free the facts and save the day.
David Bowie – Picture book biography
The Eternal Soldier: The True Story of How a Dog Became a Civil War Hero – The true story of a dog at the Battle of Gettysburg.
The Moon’s First Friends: How the Moon Met the Astronauts from Apollo 11 – A celebration of the Apollo 11 flight.
Teddy: The Remarkable Tale of a President, a Cartoonist, a Toymaker and a Bear – A blend of fact and fiction about the first teddy bear and its ties to President Roosevelt.
Harold & Hog Pretend for Real! – Dan Santat authors this new book about a pair of friends who pretend they are Piggie and Gerald.
Splat the Cat and the Lemonade Stand – Splat needs to earn money to go to the water park.
A Is for Elizabeth AND Big Mouth Elizabeth – A new transitional chapter book series that is a spin off from the Justin Case series. This looks darling!
Dead Sea Squirrels: Squirreled Away AND Boy Meets Squirrels – A new transitional chapter book series from one of the creators of Veggie Tales, Mike Nawrocki. The series focuses on a boy who finds two 2,000-year-old squirrels preserved at an archaeological dig site. When the squirrels are revived, they share stories and lessons they learned from Jesus. I am eager to try one of these out.
Lost at Sea – Book 7 in the Puppy Pirates series.
Polly Diamond and the Super Stunning Spectacular School Fair – Book 2 in the Polly Diamond series about a girl with a magic book that creates whatever she writes.
Tales from Vader’s Castle – Kids graphic novel collection of stories that sound like Scooby-Doo adventures set in the Star Wars universe.
My Weird Reading Tips – Dan Gutman’s nonfiction series turns to reading tips including information on context clues and main ideas.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Doughnut King – Sequel to The Doughnut Fix. Tris has launched his donut business, but it’s so popular he can’t keep up with demand. A reality TV cooking show could be his chance to get the money for a machine that will speed up the production process. I’ll be reviewing this one tomorrow – it was excellent!
Emily Out of Focus – Two girls meet when their families travel to China to adopt. One of the girls was adopted from China, and she is determined to find her birth mother while she is there. I’ve requested this one from the library!
Endling: The First – Book 2 in Katharine Applegate’s Endling series about near-extinction, finding family, and a potential war. The first book has received rave reviews.
Fenway and Hattie in the Wild – Book 4 in the Fenway and Hattie series. Fenway notices some new things about his girl, Hattie, when the family goes on a camping trip. The description makes this sound like Fenway tells the story, and I love books where the pets tell stories from their perspectives.
Finding Orion – The latest from John David Anderson. When a boy’s quirky grandfather dies, his family heads out for the funeral, but nothing goes like they expect. I’m eager to read this one.
Jaclyn Hyde – A Dr. Jekyll/Mr Hyde story starring an eager-to-please girl who thinks the secret to life is to be as perfect as possible. This sounds amazing, too.
Just Jaime – Book 3 in the Emmie & Friends graphic novel series. In this book, two friends at the end of 7th grade struggle to figure out where they fit in their friend group.
Mr. Bambuckle Rule the School AND Class 12B Fights Back – A new series about an unusual teacher, the kids who love him, and the principal who wants him gone.
Mr. Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game – Kyle Keeley is back in this 4th Lemoncello book. This time, Mr. Lemoncello is launching a TV network where kids can compete in live action Lemoncello games. I have requested this one from the library, too.
Once Upon a Twist: The Kitty Mermaid – The latest from Ever After High.
Order of the Majestic – In this new fantasy book, a boy is sucked into an old theater where he finds out that magic is real, but it is dying out. The boy has a chance to make a difference, but his efforts put him in the middle of an ancient battle.
Shouting at the Rain – Two friends explore their home area around Cape Cod while also wrestling with family and friend issues. This one is already getting some positive buzz.
Soldier Dogs: Victory at Normandy – Book 4 in the Soldier Dogs series.
The Startup Squad – First in a new series about a group of girls competing in a lemonade stand competition.
Toby’s Story – Book 5 in the Dog’s Purpose Puppy Tales series. A beagle puppy finds his purpose as a comfort animal. This sounds sweet.
Toy Story 4 Junior Novel – Junior Novel for the upcoming movie
Up for Air – A swimming star starts to wonder who she is without her sport when a prank goes wrong and she loses her opportunity to swim for the high school team.
What Is NASA? AND What Was the Vietnam War?
Bible Infographics for Kids Volume 2: Light and Dark, Heroes and Villains, and Mind-Blowing Bible Facts – Infographics are illustrations of facts and figures. I adore them! I’m interested in checking out this book of infographics based on the Bible. A fantastic format for visual learners.
Again But Better – A college student who has done all the academic things right, but who has no social life to speak of decides to take a semester in London and find all the college experiences she’s been missing.
All Our Broken Pieces – A girl with compulsions hopes that this time things in her life will be different, better while the boy next store sees her as a muse for his songwriting.
Aurora Rising – A rising star risks his future as the lead of an elite squad in order to save the sole survivor on a space ship that disappeared 200 years ago. This one choice will set their universe on an unexpected course. This is a terrifically fun space romp! I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Broken Throne – Includes 5 novellas (three new, two previously released) set in the world of the Red Queen series.
The Goodbye Summer – A girl who is counting down the days to her 17th birthday so she can run away with her older boyfriend, makes a new friend over the summer and starts to question her plans to leave town.
Hope and Other Punchlines – A girl forever remembered as “Baby Hope” after a photo of her from 9/11 went viral and a boy whose life was also fundamentally changed on that day meet while working a day camp. Together they encounter difficult questions about the impact of that day and that photo. SOOO excited to read this one!
Last Things – A teen with world-class talent considers where to take his musical gifts after high school while an odd girl seems to always be in the background – lurking or protecting? This sounds spooky and amazing!
The Lovely and the Lost – A girl and her adoptive family train search and rescue dogs. They are called in to find a missing girl on a mountain, but the search digs up the past for the girl, her adoptive brother and their mom. This was AMAZING! I’ll be reviewing it later this week.
Romanov – The story of Anastasia Romanov with a magical and romantic twist. This sound fantastic!
The Rule of Many – Book 2 in the Rule of One series. A pair of twins, living in a dystopian America with a one-child rule gear up for a showdown with the government that would see them dead.
Somewhere Only We Know – The biggest K-Pop star is about to debut on The Tonight Show, but for now she is just desperate for a hamburger, even if she has to sneak out of her hotel to get one. A tabloid reporter is trying to sneak into a hotel for a story when a familiar girl walks by in her slippers, determined to track down a burger. This sounds delightful! I can’t wait to see what happens with these two!
This Is Not a Love Scene – A film student with muscular dystrophy thinks there’s no room in her life for romance, but the hot older guy starring in her senior project might just change her mind.
Tinfoil Crowns – A teen looking to make it big in the world of online videos hits a roadblock when her mom – who tried to kill her when she was three – is released from prison.  When her mom moves back in with the family, the teen’s online fans can tell something is up and dig up her tragic past. This is a fascinating story idea – I can’t wait to read this one!
With the Fire on High – A teen mother with a talent in the kitchen wonders if her dream of being a chef is even possible. Look at that cover! Wow. How can you NOT pick this one up to check it out?

 

Books for Adults

The Big Kahuna (Hardcover) – Book 6 in the Fox and O”Hare series. An FBI agent and a con man team up to track down a missing Silicon Valley billionaire.
The Bride Test (Trade Paperback) – From the author of The Kiss Quotient. A Vietnamese man on the autism spectrum isn’t sure that there is room in his life for romance, so his mother takes the situation into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him a bride. This looks great. The internet has been buzzing about this one for ages.
A Deadly Feast (Hardcover) – Book 9 in the Key West Food Critic mystery series. Hayley is days away from Thanksgiving and her post-holiday wedding when she gets a call from a friend whose business is in danger because a customer dropped dead on the seafood tasting tour.
Dying for Devil’s Food (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 11 in the Cupcake Bakery mystery series. It’s murder at the high school reunion – one of my FAVORITE sorts of mysteries. I’m going to have to get caught up on this series soon so I can check this book out.
For a Good Paws (Trade Paperback) – Book 5 in the Barkery & Biscuits mystery series. The man who was in prison for 10 years for killing the local mayor stirs up trouble when he returns to Knobcone Heights and the mayor’s widowed husband is found dead. Interesting premise on this one!
Middlegame (Hardcover) – Twins, one with a gift for language, the other with a gift for numbers, are being manipulated and used by their creator in a quest for power. This standalone fantasy sounds amazing!
Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors (Trade Paperback) – How can a prominent neurosurgeon be the “black sheep” of her family? This is the story of the Raje family, an Indian American family that lives by strong rules and high expectations, and the daughter who is trying to redeem herself in their eyes. This sounds fascinating!
Read on Arrival (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Bookmobile Mystery series. Just as Cleo is getting ready to unveil the renovated library to the community, her plans are put in jeopardy by members of her board and the murder of her library nemesis, a woman with a 40-year-old overdue library book. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Scent of Murder (Hardcover) – A woman who trains cadaver dogs discovers a body in an abandoned building. I’ll be reviewing this one soon, too.
Shuri: The Search for Black Panther (Paperback Graphic Novel) – A comics collection telling the story of Shuri, princess of Wakanda. When her brother T’Challa is lost on a mission in space, everyone looks to Shuri to step forward, but she knows she is happier in her lab than on the throne. I can not WAIT to read this. And I’ve looked at the next book, out in October, and it looks spectacular!
The Art of Toy Story 4 (Hardcover Coffee Table Book) – Art for the new movie
Every Tool’s a Hammer: Life Is What You Make It (Hardcover) – From one of the stars of Mythbusters comes this book about creativity and problem solving.
It’s the Manager (Hardcover) – The latest from Gallup about leadership, business, and personnel management.
Let Love Have the Last Word (Hardcover) – A memoir from actor, musician and activist, Common
Millenneagram: The Enneagram Guide for Discovering Your Truest, Baddest Self (Hardcover) – A modern, sometimes irreverent, spin on the classic 9 types. I have this at the top of my list for this week.
My Life in Lists: An Illustrated Journal to Record Your Loves, Goals and Dreams (Paperback Journal) – Over 100 pages of guided journal entries/lists. This is on my personal list, too.
Rise of the Servant Kings: What the Bible Says about Being a Man (Hardcover) – Written on the premise that masculinity is found through surrender to God. Part of the Promise Keepers movement.
The Way We Eat Now: How the Food Revolution Has Transformed Our Lives, Our Bodies, and Our World (Hardcover) – How the world has changed regarding food/eating over the last two generations.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My May TBR

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My May TBR

Posted on by Jaymie

Every month I track my reading, and I also set aside some books I want to prioritize for that month. I have a ridiculous number of books on my shelves that I bought, intending to read them, but they wait and gather dust. Then, I am trying to read more nonfiction, so I put a couple of those books on a list so I don’t forget about that goal. I have library hold requests for books coming out this summer as well as books already available if I can just find the time. Also, I have books I would love to to read again so I can lose myself in characters and stories I already know I love. And then I have the review books from publishers that have to take a priority in my reading because I am on a schedule, and I made a commitment to read them. It’s a lot to juggle, but if I set some goals, I have a fighting chance of getting to at least a few of these before the calendar flips to June.

These are the books I am prioritizing for May 2019.

Nonfiction

I am still working on my 2018 goal of learning as much as I can about the Enneagram. While I am reading a book on the topic right now, I have at least two on my TBR shelves including The Complete Enneagram. I love the work of Ally Carter, so I had to pick up her nonfiction book about writing, Dear Ally, How Do You Write a Book? And I have also started following Sarah Bessey on social media this year, and I like her a lot. So I picked her book, Jesus Feminist, up, too, and it is sitting in a pile, waiting for me to get to it. Maybe in May!

My TBR Shelves

Summer of a Thousand Pies is one of those books that once I read the description, I couldn’t stop thinking about it! I also picked up the new Star Wars book recently, Master and Apprentice. I hope to get to that in May. Then Alyssa Cole has a THIRD book out in her Reluctant Royals series, and I still haven’t read book 2, A Duke by Default. So it’s my goal to get that read in May.

Library Holds for May

      

I already have these three romances on hold at the library – The Flatshare (May 28), The Unhoneymooners (May 14) and Smitten by the Brit (May 28). My local library is amazing!

New in May

These four books are at the top of my list for May. I’m hoping I can pick these up or find them at the library. Mr Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game is the latest in the fantastic Mr. Lemoncello series for kids. No Saving Throw is the first in a new cozy mystery series with a gaming theme. Millenneagram is a new Enneagram book, and Wooing Cadie McCaffrey is the latest Christian fiction book from the author of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck.

 

Review books for this summer

Finally, these are some of the ARCs I MUST get to very soon. The Scent of Murder is the first book in a new mystery series. Solving for M is a new middle grade novel that I am super excited about. Cherry Scones & Broken Bones is book two in a cherry themed mystery series after Cherry Pies & Deadly Lies, which I loved. Finally, Call It What You Want is the latest from Brigid Kemmerer, who is a must-read author for me. I’m looking forward to this stand alone YA novel.

 

What will YOU be reading in May?

REVIEW: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

REVIEW: A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Harper is starting to wonder if things could get any worse. Her mother is dying. Her father got in deep with loan sharks and then disappeared. Now her brother Jake is trying to hold off the loan sharks, but they are starting to push him to do things he doesn’t want to do. Then one night, as Harper is waiting for Jake to finish a job, she sees someone kidnapping a woman. She can’t just ignore it. Even though she only has a tire iron for a weapon, and she has a bad foot, she goes after the attacker.

And she ends up in Emberfall.

Prince Rhen is cursed. Time and time again he turns into a monster, destroying his home, his people, his land. The only thing that could break the curse is love. That’s why his guard, Grey, travels to another world to find young women willing to meet a prince and take a chance on love. But on the most recent trip, he returns with an unwilling companion. Harper is desperate to get home to her family. But the magic won’t work again until the monster returns. And what are the chances for love for Rhen with a young woman who doesn’t want to be there and who only wants to get back to her life?

Review

I fell in love with Brigid Kemmerer’s work when I first read Letters to the Lost.  So between the fact that this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and the fact that she wrote it, there wasn’t a moment’s doubt that I would be reading this book! And it totally lived up to my expectations!

The parallels to the original story are clear – although no humongous library like in the movie. But to be honest, there’s not a lot of down time in the story for Harper to get in leisurely reading. There are lots of original twists that help this story stand solidly on its own. Rhen changes into the monster on a cycle. So he’s not always physically a beast. Also, a lot of the story is tied to what has happened to Emberfall while the prince has sequestered himself in the castle. I loved all of the parallels – and all of the original pieces as well.

The characters in this are fantastic. Every inch of progress in the relationships is hard-earned on both sides. The secondary characters are just as great as the main three. I loved that we got some quality interaction with Harper’s family in the book. Great stuff! I also realized that I have a thing for fantasy stories where someone from our world is pulled into a magical world. I can think of several books with that plot that I have loved and re-read over and over. This is one I will revisit, too.

The action in this was consistent all the way through to the end. And what an end! Book 2 is a year away, but we already know the characters it’s going to focus on, and the author sets up some great material to launch us in a new direction. Fantastic! I highly recommend this book, and I will certainly be reading book two, A Heart So Fierce and Broken, in 2020. [Violence]

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Fumbled by Alexa Martin

REVIEW: Fumbled by Alexa Martin

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

When Poppy was a teenager, she got pregnant. When she told her boyfriend TK, his mom gave her money and told her to end the pregnancy. Keeping the baby cost her everything – TK, her parents, her home, and her life in DC.

Thankfully, Aunt Maya welcomed her into her home in Denver. Now it’s just Poppy and her son, Ace, but they are living a contented life together. He has always been the light of her life. They don’t have much money, but they get by. Sure, she has a crappy job as a waitress at the Emerald Cabaret. She has to wear a corset and ridiculously high heels every day. And occasionally she has to deal with sleazy customers who think they can touch as well as look. But Ace is worth any amount of hassle.

Poppy has always felt pretty lucky that the club doesn’t cater to a professional football clientele. Because TK is on the Denver Mustangs football team these days. And she does NOT need him stumbling back into her life. He has no idea Ace even exists. And Poppy is happy to keep it that way.

And then one night, the Mustangs show up at the Emerald Cabaret.

Review

This was so fun! I loved the first book in this series, Interception. The intersection of real life, romance and football is a great fit for me as a reader. In the first book, the main character needed to find her voice and her agency  over her own life (a theme I love in books). In this one, Poppy already knows who she is and what’s most important to her. The story in this one focuses on Poppy figuring out if TK belongs in her life at all.

This story is terrific! Poppy finds a fantastic circle in this book – football wives and other friends who care about her and about Ace first – before the Mustangs or TK or anything else. I also was thrilled at the honesty of the story – no secrets (other than Ace early on), no lies. Poppy speaks her mind and holds firm to her boundaries as a mom. She tells herself she can walk away from TK if he is not on board with what she has to say. The story also deals with contemporary issues in football, including concussion protocols and CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).

This is a must-read series for me – I love the sass and strength of the female characters and the happy endings in this series so far. I can’t wait to see what happens in book 3, Blitzed, due out before the end of the year! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥