Month: July 2023

REVIEW: What Is the Story of Captain Picard? by David Stabler

REVIEW: What Is the Story of Captain Picard? by David Stabler

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The Who HQ line of nonfiction books for kids adds the story of Jean Luc Picard to their line which also includes What Is the Story of Captain Kirk? This book includes some basic Trek history – from the timeline for TOS (The Original Series) to side bars about Rodenberry, Trek captains, and Picard’s hobbies – as well as background on the actor who plays Captain Picard, Sir Patrick Stewart. Then Picard’s story is told in highlights from key Next Generation (TNG) episodes.

Review

This is really well done! The author does a great job of synthesizing 7 seasons worth of TNG episodes to build a cohesive biography for Picard. A biography for a fictional character! Something not easy to pull off.

There’s no info dump here – nothing bogs the reader down. Tidbits of info are offered (with some spoilers) while the author moves quickly through highlights of Picard’s journey. (Although I did take issue with one instance where the author’s summary of the captain’s motives in a situation didn’t match the episode in my opinion). The book is current through initial planning and discussions of Picard season two.

I’m impressed by how deftly the author moves between reality – box office numbers, series actors, the larger Trek universe – and fiction with the life of Picard and to a lesser extent that of some of his friends. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and highly recommend it for Star Trek fans and newbies alike.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Frances and George are settling into married life and ready to get back to their respective work. George has recovered from his injury and is taking on a new, secret assignment. And Frances is supposed to be handling a young woman’s presentation to the queen.

Miss Katherine Stover is the niece of Lady Winstead. When Frances goes to meet Miss Stover, she discovers Lady Winstead is very ill. And one of her oldest friends, Lady Esther, finds her friend’s condition alarming – and suspicious.

But before Frances can get a handle on Lady Winstead’s condition – and investigate a couple accusations of theft in the household – someone is murdered, leaving Frances and George with more questions than ever.

Review

This was a fun addition to the Countess of Harleigh mystery series, and the conclusion of the book was excellent. I enjoyed spending time with Frances and George as always, and the set up for this story was great. The middle dragged a bit where everything seemed to just spin in place without any progress forward. Thankfully there was a nice twist toward the end that I enjoyed, and it propelled the rest of the story forward to a fantastic end.

I have enjoyed this historical mystery series since the beginning, and I’m thrilled to keep up with it. This is book 6 in the series, and I think newcomers could start with this book without much difficulty. But for the full Frances and George experience, you’ll want to go back to book 1, A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder where it all began.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

 

BOOK NEWS: July 4, 2023

BOOK NEWS: July 4, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy Independence Day (week) and welcome to the first release week of July. Here are some of the new books out this week!

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Pure of Heart (Disney Mirrorverse) – First in the new Mirrorverse line from Disney Press. A Mirrorverse Snow White, with new powers, faces evil versions of her friends created by Dark Magic. In order to defeat the Evil Queen, Sorcerer Mickey, the ruler of the Mirrorverse, assigns some special Guardians to help Snow White in her quest. This sounds quirky and clever, and I can’t wait to check it out!

 

Books for Adults

A Body in 3B (ebook – July 7) – First in the new Murder at Morrisey Mystery series. A woman and her ghost friend try to help the police solve a murder.
Business or Pleasure (Trade Paperback) – When a ghostwriter meets the next personality she is working with, it turns out to be they guy from that disappointing one night stand. So in addition to helping him with his book, she offers to help him in the bedroom, too.
Dane of My Existence (Trade Paperback) – From the author of For the Love of the Bard. A lawyer in Bard’s Rest on sabbatical runs into a developer who wants to take out the town’s outdoor theatre. I have book one on my TBR – I need to catch up on this series!
Excavations (Hardcover) – Four women at an archaeological dig have to team up to dig into a mystery surrounding an artifact they have discovered. I am intrigued by this one!
Flop Dead Gorgeous (Hardcover) – Book 27 in the delightful Andy Carpenter series.  Andy’s high school girlfriend – now a famous actress – is accused of murdering her co-star. Of course, Andy takes the case. I’ll be reviewing this one soon!
Marvel Wastelanders: Star-Lord (Trade Paperback) – Novelization of a scripted podcast. Star-Lord and Rocket are on Earth – in Doctor Doom’s Wastelands – at the behest of the Collector, looking for an ancient relic.
Don’t Let Them Bury My Story (Hardcover) – The oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre shares her story.
Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away (Trade Paperback) – How to say yes to Jesus while saying no to church politics and burnout.