November 2020 - Page 2 of 3 - The Neverending TBR

REVIEW: Upside Down Magic: Hide and Seek

Posted on November 17, 2020November 9, 2020 by Jaymie

Summary

When a fifth grade spot comes open at Sage Academy, Nory’s father, the headmaster, brings her in for another audition. Thanks to her work at Dunwiddle in the UDM class, Nory displays enough control over her magic to get the spot. After winter break, she’ll be a student at Sage with her brother and sister.

Nory’s friends from Dunwiddle get the chance to check out Sage, too, when a flooding issue sends all the Dunwiddle students to alternate schools for the last few days of term.

While the UDM kids expect some trouble from the mean kids from Dunwiddle who always hassle them, they aren’t sure what to expect from the Sage kids. They are in for some surprises – maybe Nory most of all when she sees the impact Sage has on her magic.

Review

I have enjoyed this series from the beginning. Each of the kids has interesting magic. But the core of the series is Nory. And this book brings Nory and her family dynamic back to the forefront.

It’s still tragically sad that Nory’s father doesn’t “get” her or really even listen to her when she expresses how she feels about Sage. At least her friends truly see and hear her.

I liked how the kids at Sage responded to the UDM kids. Sure, there were some who were sticklers for the rules. But otherwise, the Sage kids were more kind than even some of the “normal” magic kids at Dunwiddle.

A major cliffhanger at the end of this will leave fans FRANTIC for the next book in the series. (At the time of this writing, there is no release date posted for book 8, Night Owl!) Readers who love ensemble stories or middle grade fantasy as well as fans of this series should not miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

BOOK NEWS: November 17, 2020

Posted on November 16, 2020November 13, 2020 by Jaymie

Let’s take a look at some of the new books out this week!

Books for Kids

Llama Llama Loose Tooth Drama – When Llama Llama loses his first tooth, he actually *loses* the tooth.
Miss Mingo and the 100th Day of School – A celebration of the 100th Day of School.
When I’m Bigger, Mama Bear – Bella is in a big hurry to be a big bear and do big bear things.
Max & Mo’s 100th Day of School – Max and Mo celebrate the 100th Day of School, too.

Books for Older Kids/Teens

Fantastic Tales of Nothing (Graphic Novel) – First in a new series about a boy named Nathan who thinks he is ordinary. But when Nathan discovers he has magic, it sets him on a journey to confront evil and prevent a war. This sounds fun!
Keeper of the Lost Cities Unlocked – Book 8.5 in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. This is a special addition to the series. Addresses the cliffhanger at the end of book 8, but is told in a new way (dual perspective) and includes series details – with illustrations – never revealed before.
Super Sidekicks No Adults Allowed (Graphic Novel) – First in a new series about Junior Justice who is sick of being a sidekick, always left with the yucky jobs of being a hero. Junior thinks the sidekicks should band together to launch their own super team. This looks so fun!
Wizards of Once: Never and Forever – The fourth and final book in the Wizards of Once series.
Awesome Asian Americans: 20 Stars Who Made America Amazing – An anthology of Asian American achievements. Includes information on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Bruce Lee, and Chrissy Teigen.

Books for Teens/Young Adults

Dog Girl – Can an anxious teen overcome her social anxiety enough to take advantage of the unexpected spotlight to save the dog rescue that means everything to her and her father?
Malcolm and Me – An historical coming-of-age story of a young woman confronting racism, faith questions, and family secrets.
Rebel Sisters – Book 2 in the War Girls series. Five years after the war ended, Ify is a high-ranking medical officer living in the Space Colonies. Back in devastated Nigeria, a team is trying to preserve the memory of those who died while the government wants to eliminate any evidence of the war. When a mysterious illness starts targeting the children in the Colonies, Ify will have to head back to Earth to find answers.
Rise of Knight and Sword (e-book) – Working at the city library, Guinevere encounters a map rumored to hold the location of Excalibur. Any number of would-be king-killers would love to get their hands on the map. So Guinevere decides to use the map to find Excalibur herself and rid the kingdom of those who would try to rule for their own gain. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Super Fake Love Song – To impress a girl, Sunny says he is the front man for a rock band. Soon, he’s gone all in on the lie, recruiting his friends to play along as if they are members of the band. But the lies start to get away from him.

Books for Adults – Fiction

Batman: Three Jokers (Hardcover Graphic Novel) – When Batman discovers that there are actually THREE Jokers, he teams up with Barbara Gordon and Jason Todd in order to defeat them once and for all.
Cottage of Gooseberry Bay: Gooseberry Christmas (e-book) – Book 3 in the Cottage on Gooseberry Bay series. Ainsley continues her quest to find answers about her past in Gooseberry Bay. At the time of this writing this is available to read for free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Daughter of the Serpentine (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Dragoneer Academy series, a sequel to Novice Dragoneer. As Ileth dodges attacks from an unknown enemy within the Academy, the Vale Republic faces a dangerous group of pirates who would take their citizens as hostages or slaves.
Daylight (Hardcover) – Book 3 in David Baldacci’s Atlee Pine series. (Long Road to Mercy – ♥♥♥½) Atlee runs into Baldacci’s John Puller as she continues to search for answers about what happened to her sister Mercy.
Dead Broke (e-book) – Book 2 in the Agatha’s Amish B&B series. When one of Agatha’s neighbors is killed and a guest goes missing, she starts digging into the missing man’s past.
Feliz Naughty Dog (e-book, November 20) – Book 7 in the Dogmothers series. When Pru’s friends abandon her to team up with their boyfriends to perform Random Acts of Kindness, the Dogmothers recruit the broody new boy at school to be her partner. And his mischievous greyhound, Tor, causes mayhem everywhere they go. This sounds FANTASTIC!
Flipside (Trade Paperback) – A young man having a “quarter-life crisis” decides he might be better off letting a flip of the coin determine his future life choices.
Murder in the Snow (e-book, November 19) – Book 4 in the Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series. Lady Eleanor is ready to enjoy her first English country Christmas when she is framed for a recent death. At the time of this writing this is available to read for free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Piece of My Heart (Hardcover) – Book 7 in the Under Suspicion series from Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke. Just days before their wedding, television producer Laurie Moran and her fiancé, Alex, are on the hunt for Alex’s missing nephew.
The Silver Shooter (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 the Rose Gallagher Mystery series. Rose is a Pinkerton agent with a talent for the otherworldly, and Teddy Roosevelt wants her help near his ranch in the Badlands. This series sounds so fun!
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany (Trade Paperback)- Two cousins and their great-aunt travel to Tuscany with hopes of finding love and breaking the Second-Daughter curse in their family. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
To Steal a Heart (Trade Paperback) – First in the new Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency series by the delightful Jen Turano. Gabriella, a former street thief, and her childhood friend, Nicholas, reunite as they try to clear the name of an innocent woman accused of theft. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Tome to Tomb (e-book) – Book 5 in the St Marin’s Cozy Mystery series. Harvey is looking forward to the holiday season until a man dies in the lap of her store Santa.

Books for Adults – Nonfiction

Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics (Hardcover) – A memoir specifically tied to Dolly’s musical and songwriting career.
Forgiving What You Can’t Forget: Discover How to Move On. Make Peace with Painful Memories, and Create a Life that’s Beautiful Again (Hardcover) – From Lysa TerKeurst. A faith-based look at forgiveness.
Frontier Follies: Adventures in Marriage and Motherhood in the Middle of Nowhere (Hardcover) – A memoir from Ree Drummond.
No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality (Hardcover) – A memoir from Michael J. Fox.
A Promised Land (Hardcover) – The first of President Barack Obama’s presidential memoirs.
The Voyages of Star Trek: A Mirror on American Society through Time (Hardcover) – Looks at the evolution of Star Trek over the years, especially as it has reflected and spoken to issues of the day.

BONUS REVIEW: Chasing Lucky by Jenn Bennett

Posted on November 12, 2020November 11, 2020 by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Simon Pulse/Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Josie Saint-Martin was born in Beauty, Rhode Island, and lived there until she was 12. But then in one moment it went from her home to a place she avoided as much as possible. But now she’s back for her final year of high school. Josie’s grandmother and aunt have joined the Peace Corps, so Josie’s mom is running the family bookstore in Beauty until they return. It’s unclear who is dreading the return to Beauty more, Josie or her mom.

Josie comforts herself with the idea that this is temporary. One year. The plan is that Josie will finish high school, they will save money living rent-free above the store, and then they will move to sunny Florida. Except Josie has plans of her own – a photography apprenticeship with her biological father in LA. But she hasn’t told her mom, yet.

Lucky Karras is not part of Josie’s plan. Josie’s childhood best friend has grown into a brooding young man with a motorcycle, a leather jacket, and a reputation for trouble. They haven’t spoken since Josie left five years ago while Lucky was in the hospital. She braces herself for hostility or indifference. She never expects him to take the blame for a crime she commits.

Out of guilt, Josie looks for ways to help Lucky pay off the damage she caused. As the two start to spend more time together, the sparks between them are undeniable. But is a relationship with Lucky a good idea when Josie is just planning to leave again?

Review

What a delightful, romantic, RICH story! I loved this! The romance at the center of the book is excellent. I loved the rekindling of Josie and Lucky’s friendship. I loved how the two of them were with one another. This is my favorite sort of romantic couple – bruised but not broken, bantering, and completely compelling. It was “one more chapter, one more chapter” for me until I finished.

Come for the romance, but stay for the character exploration. There are some fascinating dynamics between the women in Josie’s family. Sure, some moments were pretty painful to walk through. But the growth in those relationships was like a bonus on top of the supremely satisfying romance. I’m not sure I could pick which piece I loved more. I would have happily kept reading to see what happens for everyone next.

Jenn Bennett fans will love what she’s done with these characters and this story. New readers will discover why she is at the top of every YA romance list. Don’t miss this story! I would read this one again. (Language, sex, TW: harassment, sexual misconduct)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved this! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Lies Like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher

Posted on November 12, 2020November 11, 2020 by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderberry Books/Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When they were 14, and they were convinced Raven’s stepmother was abusing him, Belle came up with the plan and showed it to Poppy. They would put petals of belladonna and poppies into the woman’s tea. It would look like an accident as the girls had just been making garlands. Raven’s stepmother would die, and Raven would finally be safe. When Lily found the plan, she wanted in, too. They might have been talking about her mother, but Lily wanted her gone just as desperately.

But it never happened. Raven went away to boarding school. Lily went into a treatment facility. And the four teens drifted apart.

Three years later, Raven’s stepmother is found dead. And there’s belladonna in her tea. The police found their childhood plan. Belle is arrested. Raven comes home. Poppy, now going by “Jack,” reaches out to Lily for help. And the secrets between them, and those they kept from one another, start to take on a life of their own.

Review

Wow! This is super twisty! It’s the sort of book that is compelling. You’re not sure what exactly is going on, but you *have* to keep reading so you can figure it out. And it’s a doozy! There are some terrific fairy tale moments cleverly woven in that I enjoyed.

This is the sort of book that’s hard to review because almost anything I say could be a spoiler. I don’t know that I liked many of the characters in this. There are so many twists and lies and secrets, it’s hard to really know them or trust them. But at the same time, I was completely invested in finding out what really happened. In fact, I would have liked a few more pages at the end with definitive details of what happens next for everyone. Fans of found family stories should check this one out.

If you are a fan of twisty, suspenseful stories like We Were Liars (♥♥♥♥) or One of Us Is Lying (♥♥♥♥), don’t miss this one! (Language, sexual references, LGBTQ+, TW: grief/loss, abuse/neglect, eating disorders, inpatient treatment)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

BONUS REVIEW: Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt

Posted on November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 by Jaymie

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

Summary

Andy Carpenter’s status as a retired defense attorney is in jeopardy again when his business partner, Willie Miller, asks Andy to take on a new client. Tony Birch was Willie’s cellmate once, and Tony has been arrested again. The prosecution’s story is that Tony was angry at the guy who testified against him and put him in jail. But when more bodies start piling up, it seems that Tony might have been set up.

As Andy and his team dig further into the case, the frame up becomes more clear, but the reasons are elusive. If the defense can’t catch a break, Tony could go to jail for something he didn’t do.

Review

This is book 22 in the fun Andy Carpenter series. As always, this has a terrific dog as well as Andy and his top notch team.

I am happy to say I puzzled out what was really going on before Andy did, although he did fill in a couple gaps for me in the end to round the case out. This one was tricky, and for awhile I wondered if Andy was going to pull it together in time.

While this takes place around Christmas, the holiday is not a major factor in the story. And other than a new cast member, there weren’t any big non-case-related surprises here for the series.

Series fans will enjoy spending some snark-filled hours with Andy, watching him wrestle through another case. This hits all the usual beats for the series. Newcomers should be able to enjoy this on its own without issue. But if you love the team here like I do, you’ll want to go back and pick up some of the earlier books. Some of my favorites are: Bury the Lead (♥♥♥♥♥), Play Dead (♥♥♥♥♥), and The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (♥♥♥♥♥).

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: An Amish Cookie Club Courtship by Sarah Price

Posted on November 11, 2020November 11, 2020 by Jaymie

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

Summary

The “Amish Cookie Club,” a group of four friends who meet regularly to bake and chat, had been meeting for 4 years. It started when Wilma’s twins, Rachel and Ella Mae, had turned 16. She wasn’t ready for her “babies” to grow up and needed the support of her friends. Of course, now that they are almost 20, she is ready for them to find husbands and settle down.

To that end, Wilma volunteers the girls to help her friend Edna with her catering business. Edna’s daughter-in-law usually helps with the authentic Amish meals, served in Edna’s home to Englische guests visiting Shipshewana. But Bethany is pregnant and can’t keep up due to her morning sickness. Edna could use the help. But the twins have a reputation for being disagreeable, and they’ve never held a job for very long. In Wilma’s eyes, Edna’s two unmarried sons make her solution of sending the twins a brilliant one.

Unfortunately for Wilma, Rachel and Ella Mae couldn’t be LESS interested in Jeremiah and Jonas. Jonas is a prankster, always teasing and tormenting. And Jeremiah usually follows along as if he doesn’t have a mind of his own. Whatever their mothers might have in mind, these four young people are going to be a challenge for even the most dedicated matchmakers.

Review

This was a good continuation of this fun series. Edna has NOT learned anything about her meddling and matchmaking. I thought this might be the story where there’s some consequences for that, but it didn’t really materialize in the end.

I enjoyed the change in the twins as they had opportunities to work on their own and have individual, separate identities. But I felt like the book told me that these changes were happening more than showing them through the action of the book. I thought this idea for why the girls bickered, and what could help them grow up, was brilliant. But I didn’t get to enjoy the execution of it like I wanted to.

Jeremiah’s reputation as a follower didn’t really play out in the story either. It’s true he didn’t tell Jonas to knock it off when he teased, but the set up had me expecting a different dynamic between the brothers than what I actually saw in the story. I enjoyed the hints at Jonas’ depth. I feel like the author did the most work developing his character over the course of the book. Perhaps trying to tell two romances simultaneously didn’t leave the page space to go as deep into the individual character development as I was craving.

Fans of the series will want to pick this up to see the latest story in the series after The Amish Cookie Club and An Amish Cookie Club Christmas (♥♥♥♥½). In addition to the romance, there are some fun, satisfying pieces here about the development of Edna’s business that I enjoyed, too.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ = Good/solid/fine

BONUS REVIEW: Teen Titans Go!: Roll With It

Posted on November 10, 2020October 27, 2020 by Jaymie

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

Summary

Robin convinces the rest of the Teen Titans to play his favorite role playing game, Basements & Basilisks. Yes, they need a tutorial on the rules and some LARP practice, but they are 100% in it to win it.

But in typical fashion, Robin goes to extremes. He takes everything seriously and makes the game impossibly hard. His friends threaten to quit if Robin doesn’t find them a different game master. For the sake of the game, he agrees. He asks his crush, Becky, to help them.

But “Becky” isn’t who anyone thinks she is. And she has her own special game planned for the Teen Titans.

Review

I was eager to read this one because of the D&D-like game play but I forgot to remind myself that Teen Titans Go is often more over-the-top than I enjoy. It took some time to get into this one. Robin is controlling – as usual. And just as he made the game less fun for the Titans, he made it less fun to read about. But once the external villain was revealed, I enjoyed this a lot more.

Raven continues to be my favorite of the Titans, but the ensemble was in good form, too. Cyborg’s issues with the villain were a fun wrinkle to their adventure.

This is a long, meaty campaign for the Titans. Fans will enjoy spending this time with the characters.

Rating: ♥♥♥½ – Good+

REVIEW: Absolutely Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick

Posted on November 10, 2020November 6, 2020 by Jaymie

Summary

Truly Lovejoy was devastated by her family’s move to Pumpkin Falls, NH. It’s January, so the weather is awful. It’s so cold, a waterfall is freezing, and it snows all the time. They were supposed to be living in their very own house in Texas, down the road from Truly’s cousin/best friend after years of military housing. After her father’s accident, days before he was supposed to come home and retire, though, everything changed.

Now, Truly’s father and his sister are running the family bookstore for their parents who have joined the peace corps. That means a mid-year school change for Truly and her siblings. A new town, a new school, and tons of new people.

Truly usually tries to blend into the background. It’s been pretty easy at home since she’s the middle kid of five. It’s harder in public when she’s almost 6 feet tall and not quite 13 years old yet. Usually she can manage to fade into the woodwork anyway. But when she finds a letter with a scavenger hunt clue tucked into a rare book at the store, Truly will need the help of her new classmates to solve the mystery.

Review

I had heard great things about the Pumpkin Falls Mystery series for years, but this was my first chance to try it out. What a delight!

The mysteries are fun. The 20 year old scavenger hunt pushes Truly to get to know her new home town and her classmates. There are also some fun references to Much Ado About Nothing, one of my favorite Shakespeare plays.

The family bookstore is a great place for characters to meet, story elements to unfold, and Truly’s family to start to heal. I adored the shop and all of the activities centered there. And Truly’s family (and her friends) are a treat.

The characters are what makes this book special. From Truly’s dad who is adjusting to a disability and the change in all of his ideas of what his retirement would look like to each of Truly’s friends who are distinct and delightful, there are tons of great characters in this. But Truly is my favorite of them all. She may not tell the adults in her life everything she is thinking and feeling, but she is very clear in her own mind. I loved watching her process the changes in her family, the transition to her new school, and the mysteries she stumbles into. I can’t wait to read the other books in this series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = Loved it! Would re-read.

BOOK NEWS: November 10, 2020

Posted on November 9, 2020November 6, 2020 by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week!

Books for Kids – Board Books and Picture Books

And the People Stayed Home – A poem about the pandemic and quarantine, set in a picture book.
The Grinny Granny Donkey – Another sequel to The Wonky Donkey, this time starring Dinky Donkey’s grandmother.
Pig the Slob – Book 7 in the Pig the Pug series. What will it take to get Pig the couch potato off the couch?
The Efficient, Inventive (Often Annoying) Melvil Dewey – A picture book biography of the man who created a universal organization system for libraries.
Swish: The Slam-Dunking, Alley-Ooping, High-Flying Harlem Globetrotters – A picture book biography.

Books for Kids – Early Readers and Chapter Books

Clark the Shark Gets a Pet – Clark learns there’s more to keeping a pet than he thought in this new leveled reader.
Kit and Kaboodle Blast off to Space AND Explore the City – Two early readers from the folks at Highlights magazine starring Kit and Kaboodle, cat and mouse friends, who go to space camp and explore the city. Includes hidden picture puzzles in each book. These are books 3 and 4 in this series.
Nick and Nack Put on a Puppet Show AND See the Stars – Two early readers from the folks at Highlights magazine starring Nick and Nack, a boy and his robot friend, who build a puppet show and stage and build a telescope. Includes hidden picture puzzles in each book. These are books 3 and 4 in this series.
Rocket Loves Hide-and-Seek! – When Rocket keeps getting found first in his hide-and-seek games with his friends, Bella and Owl come up with a way to make the game fun again. Rocket is one of my favorite book characters!
The Bad Guys in The One?! – Book 12 in the terrific Bad Guys series about a group of “bad guys” determined to be heroes.
Fox Tails The Biggest Roller Coaster – Book 2 in the Fox Tails series from Scholastic ACORN. Fritz, Franny, and their dog, Fred, spend the day at the amusement park.
Miki – Book 59 in the Puppy Place series. When Charles finds out their new foster, Miki, has been taught to “dance,” the kids put on a performance guaranteed to get Miki adopted.
Ra the Mighty: The Crocodile Caper – Book 3 in the fun Ra the Mighty, Cat Detective mystery series. This time, Ra, the Pharaoh’s cat, and his friend Khepri the dung beetle are on the case of a missing child when Pharaoh’s son goes missing. I get such a kick out of this series!

Books for Older Kids/Teens

7 Good Reason Not to Grow Up (Graphic Novel) – Kirby is the star of the snarky “7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up” videos, but he’s not who his friends think he is. When his secrets are exposed, he and his friends may have to grow up faster than they wanted.
Don’t Judge Me – The latest from Lisa Schroeder (My Secret Guide to Paris-♥♥♥♥♥ , Frosting and Friendship-♥♥♥♥). When Hazel discovers her best friend’s brother has made a list rating the girls in their middle school on their looks, she knows she needs to take a stand.
Friend Me – When Roisin is overwhelmed by bullying at school, she makes an online friend named Haley who makes life bearable. But when Roisin’s bully suffers an accident and Roisin gets nervous her messages with Haley could be misunderstood, she reaches out to Haley, but she has disappeared. The stakes in this thriller seem a little higher than usual for a middle grade story, so I’m curious to check this one out.
Teen Titans Go! Roll With It – A new graphic novel starring the Teen Titans. When the Titans play their favorite roll playing game, Basements and Basilisks, Robin gets competitive and things quickly get out of hand. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
2021 Game On! – Scholastic’s annual video game guide.
Show Me History: Muhammad Ali AND Jesus (Graphic Novels) – Graphic novel biographies of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, and Jesus.
This Is Your Time – An autobiographical story by Ruby Bridges, written as a letter to the reader about civil rights activism.

Books for Teens/Young Adults

The Camelot Betrayal – Book 2 in the Camelot Rising trilogy, following The Guinevere Deception. Guinevere is still questioning and searching for self and her role in the future of Camelot when the sister of the real Guinevere arrives.
Chasing Lucky – The latest romance from Jenn Bennett. When Josie returns to her home town after years away, she reconnects with her childhood best friend who is now the resident bad boy, Lucky. When Josie makes some epically bad decisions, Lucky takes the blame for her, but she has no idea why he would do that when he said he wanted nothing to do with her. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow – Lila’s parents send her to spend the summer with family friends in England to help her mental health, and a local tea shop clerk with troubles of his own agrees to be her personal tour guide.
How to Pack for the End of the World – When Amina connects with a group of preppers at her new school, she starts to wonder if it makes sense to work so hard to prepare for a hypothetical future of disaster when it could cost her everything she wants in the present.
Lies Like Poison – Poppy, Lily, and Belladonna discover their friend, Raven, is being abused by his stepmother, and they concoct a plan to poison the woman with leaves of their namesake flowers in her tea. But someone backs out, and the three drift apart, their plan forgotten. When Raven’s stepmother is found dead three years later, by belladonna, Belladonna is arrested. She reaches out to her old friends to help her clear her name. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Love & Olives – Book 3 in the Love & series. When Liv’s estranged father invites her to Greece where he’ll be filming a documentary on his theories about Atlantis, she jumps at the chance to travel as well as to reconcile with her father.
Rebel Rose – Book 1 in the Queen’s Council series. Belle has broken the Enchantress’s curse, turning the Beast back into Prince Adam. Belle is torn between her humble beginnings and her future royalty while the rebellions in Paris creep ever closer. When she discovers a dark magic, she has to question if she is truly prepared for the life ahead of her.
Refuge (e-book) – Book 1 in the Tradepoint Saga. A translator and diplomat for an exchange group from the planet Venna carries a new weight of responsibility when she discovers their homeworld has been destroyed. Their exchange group are the only Vennans left in the universe. At the time of this writing, this is available to read for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Rent a Boyfriend – Rent for Your ‘Rents provides fake boyfriends to appease even the most conservative Asian parents. Exactly what Chloe needs to convince her parents to turn down a proposal they feel is “perfect” and she finds dreadful. This is at the top of my list this week – sounds delightful! I love a good fake-relationship story.
Teen Killers Club – Convicted of her best friend’s brutal murder, Signal opts to join a group of secret teen assassins training at an abandoned camp. Since she is completely innocent of the crime, she doesn’t exactly fit in with her new teammates. Signal joined up so she could find out who framed her. But she didn’t bargain on becoming friends with the ragtag group of future assassins. Or on the man in the woods determined to eliminate every last one of them. This is also on my list for this week!
Those Who Prey – A college student still looking for the belonging and community she’s supposed to find on campus gets drawn in by The Kingdom, an exclusive campus group that provides everything she’s been looking for. But when she heads to Italy on a group trip, Emily discovers the dark side of The Kingdom when she and her peers are stripped of their passports and denied contact with their families. And then one of the group members dies.
Whispering Hearts – Book 3 in the House of Secrets series by V. C. Andrews. A young woman, disowned and alone in New York hoping to make it big, struggles to find her way to stardom. When she is offered an opportunity to “help” an odd couple who are not able to have children, Emma will take the money. But what troubles will she encounter in exchange?
The Anne of Green Gables Devotional: A Chapter-by Chapter Companion for Kindred Spirits – 40-day devotional including art work, questions for discussion groups, passages from the novel, and life application.

Books for Adults – Fiction

Amish Christmas Miracles Collection (e-book) – A collection of 14 holiday stories.
Danger of Sleighed Plot (e-book, November 13) – Book 2 in the Plum Fields Mystery series described as Little Women meets Murder, She Wrote. At the time of this writing, this is available to read for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Dead Sea Conspiracy (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Dead Sea Chronicles series by Jerry Jenkins. An archaeologist is searching for something to bring together the world’s three major religions while an enemy stalks closer.
Fowl Play (e-book) – First in the Friendsgiving Cozy Mystery series. When the restaurant they used to frequent on Thanksgiving (with something of a “found family”) closes, Lynn and Chad decide to host the group at their home. But this year the group is fracturing into cliques and some uninvited guests descend. This includes characters from the author’s various series, together for the first time in this stand alone mystery.
A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem (Trade Paperback) – First in a new Lady’s Guide romance series, not to be confused with the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. Detective Eversham is annoyed that Lady Katherine gets involved in not one, but TWO, of his murder cases. But he can’t deny her insight and wisdom when it comes to solving crimes. Working together seems the best course of action, but a killer will put their lives – and their potential romance – in danger.
Miles Morales: Wings of Fury (Trade Paperback) – The official prequel for the new Miles Morales Spider-Man game. Miles teams up with Peter Parker to deal with Vulture and his new sidekick, Starling, just as Miles is wondering what it means to be a hero when the world wants to assume the worst about you.
Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Sassy Cat Mystery series. Pet groomer Mimi Lee finds herself sleuthing when a local teacher is killed and Mimi’s sister was the last to see the woman alive. This series, which includes a talking cat, sounds like a lot of fun!
Star Trek The Original Series: Contest of Principles (Trade Paperback) – A new Star Trek TOS story set during the original five-year mission. While Kirk is required to oversee the first free elections on Vok after years of military rule, Bones goes missing during a mission on a nearby planet. Spock and Christine Chapel lead a team to investigate the doctor’s disappearance.
Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back From a Certain Point of View (Hardcover) – A collection of Star Wars stories with ties to The Empire Strikes Back which celebrates it’s 40th Anniversary this year. All proceeds of this book will be donated to First Book which provides books to children in need.
A Sugar Plum Christmas (e-book, November 14) – A woman scouting out a mountain town for a potential reality TV show meets a local who doesn’t want the town exploited – and sparks fly between them.
The Truth About Dukes (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Rogues to Riches series. If Robert’s enemies ever find out he spent time in an asylum, they will try to send him back there so they can take over his lands and fortune. He is in need of a wife of suitable reputation and breeding to protect his future. And while Lady Constance seems like the right choice – on the outside – he has no idea of her true thoughts and feelings which she keeps under wraps.
What the Lady’s Maid Knew (e-book) – First in a new series. A magical maid uses her magic in the expected ways, including keeping her employer’s rebellious daughter on the path toward arranged marriage. But a rebellion is rising and they desire Eliza’s magic above all else. This sounds fascinating!! At the time of this writing, this is available to read for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
Without a Brew (Hardcover) – Book 4 in the Sloane Krause Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. Sloan and her boss are second guessing their plans to be innkeepers when a local who was spending the night to stay out of a storm turns up missing.

Books for Adults – Nonfiction

The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time: Decoding History’s Unsolved Mysteries (Trade Paperback) – A new nonfiction collection from Brad Meltzer.
The FRIENDS Official Cookbook Set – Cookbook and apron set.
One Life (Hardcover) – Memoir from US Soccer gold medalist and World Cup Champion Megan Rapinoe.
Star Trek The Wisdom of Picard (Hardcover) – A collection of wisdom from the seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Star Trek movies, and the new Star Trek Picard series. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Talking Back to Purity Culture: Rediscovering Faithful Christian Sexuality (Trade Paperback) – Looks at the teachings and messages of purity culture through a lens of scripture, especially in light of the fall out for those raised to follow the purity culture rules.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Holiday Books for 2020

Posted on November 7, 2020November 6, 2020 by Jaymie

You may have noticed that publishers start releasing holiday books in late September, so by now readers have a lot to choose from. This year I focused my October Smorgasbord on full reviews of some of the Christmas books I have read this fall. There are SO MANY more I could have talked about. Some of these have shown up in Book News over the last few weeks while others are shown here for the first time. If you are in the market for a new holiday read, here are some of the holiday books that have released (or are yet to be released) this season!