Category: Reviews

REVIEW: The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis

REVIEW: The Not-So-Boring Letters of Private Nobody by Matthew Landis

Posted on by Jaymie

[I recently discovered some unpublished reviews I wrote several years ago. I’m posting these now as they were originally written.]

Summary

Oliver is a major history nerd – and proud of it. He loves all things Civil War.  He reads Civil War books and even does battle reenactments. His room is decorated with flags and other memorabilia he has found online. When his history teacher announces a Civil War project, Oliver is thrilled.

He’s less thrilled about the details of the project. First, he has to have a partner. And his teacher puts Oliver with Ella, an unkempt girl who seems to be failing all of her classes. Second, they have to research Private Raymond Stone – a guy no one’s heard of. It’s bad enough to Ollie that he has to work with a partner he doesn’t want. But he doesn’t even get to focus on one of the generals or battles he already loves.

Everything about this project is going to challenge Oliver – challenge his concept of friendship, his understanding of history and the Civil War, and his understanding of himself.

Review

Outstanding! I absolutely adored this book! It’s smart and informative and SO funny! The premise is excellent. There are some great history lessons worked in around an engaging story with great characters. The three kids at the center of the story are fantastic. Ella is maybe the most complex, but Ollie and Kevin have some fun depth and interesting stories. Mr. Carrow, the history teacher, is a hoot! He’s my favorite kind of teacher – he knows his material, he’s committed to keeping his students engaged with creative lessons, and he’s funny. The English teacher plays an excellent role in the story, too.

Family is another fascinating theme in this book. Ella’s family is the obvious one that first comes to mind – distracted parents, perfect older sibling, and Ella feels invisible. Ollie’s family, by contrast, is committed to helping Ollie and his sister pursue their own interests. And there are hints at other interesting families throughout the book.

The Civil War sections of the story are fascinating. The author is a history teacher, and he does a great job of making the information accessible and interesting to readers.

This book is the full package – terrific story, characters you care about, and lots of laughs and heart!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Funny Story by Emily Henry

REVIEW: Funny Story by Emily Henry

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Daphne’s fiancé, Peter, calls off their wedding, she’s blindsided. He had always insisted his best friend, Petra, was just a platonic friend. But now they are together – and Daphne’s alone.

Petra’s fiancé, Miles, invites Daphne to move into the extra bedroom now that Petra is with Peter. They can lick their wounds and try to put their lives back together.

When Petra and Peter announce their upcoming wedding, Miles and Daphne both RSVP in a drunken haze. But when Peter calls, patronizing and dismissive, Daphne puts on a brave front and tells him Miles will be her plus 1 as they’re now a couple. Now, she just has to clue Miles in on their fake relationship.

Review

This is my first Emily Henry in awhile, and I enjoyed it. It took me a few chapters to get into it, and I even thought about DNFing. But then every year end favorites list I saw on social media included this book. I had to give it another try.

Once I was in a better reading space, I completely fell for Daphne and Miles both. I loved the fake relationship – and then the not-quite-fake relationship that grew between them.

And that fun romance would have been enough. But several of the female characters, including Daphne, had these great moments of personal growth or insight that seemed to jump off the page. These paragraphs were the icing on the cake of this story.

Henry fans should definitely pick this one up. Romance fans, especially those who like fake relationship stories, should not miss this. The painful lies and subterfuge you sometimes get in a fake relationship book are not present here, to my great relief. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton

REVIEW: The Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton

Posted on by Jaymie

[I recently discovered some unpublished reviews I wrote several years ago. I’m posting these now as they were originally written.]

Summary

Three kids from different schools have a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship. But they are not the kids you would expect to be chosen for a scholarship contest:

  • Melissa does homework for other kids for money so she and her little brother can have lunch at school. Her teacher assumes she is copying off of others. Her guidance counselor is convinced Melissa was included by mistake and assumes she will fail spectacularly.
  • Bondi is “Mr. Personality,” a guy who uses his people skills to help out kids in need at school and get a class pet elected school president.
  • Wilf has smooth moves, able to stealthily steal tardy slips. He’s not much of a go-getter at school or at home.

The scholarship coordinator, Mr. Smith, gives each of the kids a cell phone, a driver, a debit card for expenses, and three clues to solve. The first to correctly solve them wins the $10,000. As the kids work their own angles on the puzzle, though, they start to think there’s more going on than Mr. Smith has explained

Review

This fun, clever story feels like The Westing Game (♥♥♥♥♥). The puzzles are tricky and lead to various Chicago landmarks. There are fun twists that lead the kids to the truth of what’s really going on.

I enjoyed the three kids at the center of this story. I loved Melissa. Her guidance counselor was HORRIBLE. I loved that Melissa excelled beyond whatever pathetic assumptions and expectations her school personnel had for her. Bondi has the healthiest situation. His parents were great, and his situation was pretty normal. I didn’t get as good of a feel for Wilf as the other two. His relationship with his driver and the way Wilf approaches the contest does give some hints to his life.

This is a terrific, smart, and satisfying story! It will appeal to mystery fans as well as readers who enjoy clue and puzzle stories like The Puzzling World of Winston Breen or The Westing Game. This would be a fantastic class read aloud or a book club selection. You can find other reviews of terrific middle grade mystery and puzzle stories, including The Great Pet Heist by this same author, here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Fearless Christian University by John W. Hawthorne

REVIEW: The Fearless Christian University by John W. Hawthorne

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

The author lays out a bleak picture for Christian universities, citing the rise of the “nones” (those who claim no religious affiliation or practice) and questions of the value and cost of college among other factors. As someone working at a small Christian university, the only surprises were some of the statistics shared by the author. The realities themselves are quite familiar to me.

The tone of this can come across as antagonistic and perhaps defensive, at least at first. The author has served in a variety of Christian institutions of Higher Education and brings his personal and professional experiences with him – good and bad. But over the course of the book, the author seems less antagonistic and more prophetic, pleading with the powers that be in Christian Higher Ed to change course.

Hawthorne recommends things like:

  • keeping focus on quality education and pedagogy with a Christian identity, remembering students are being prepared to engage the world, not just to get a job
  • improving the partnership between faculty and administration, reshaping the business model away from a “church” or “factory” type to a “laboratory” type (This was my favorite chapter.)
  • targeting potential students more broadly than just white evangelicals
  • reimagining the roles of the Church and the University in relation to one another.

The book includes examples of cultural change regarding LGBTQ+ students, asserting there are many ways for schools to support their queer students without having to declare themselves “affirming” or running up against Church stances on homosexuality.

The shining stars for me in this challenging read are the imagined examples of two “fearless Christian universities” in the closing section. The descriptions were inspiring and both schools felt like places I would love to serve. There are plenty of links in the author’s citations which make this an appealing e-book read.

Overall, I felt this book was prophetic, but sadly like the prophets of the Old Testament who warned of impending exile but were largely ignored. I’m not sure many schools will have the courage to hear and respond. Still, if I had the resources, I would buy this for every member of our Board of Trustees and school administration, not to mention for faculty and staff. This would make for an excellent conversation starter for those who love Christian Higher Ed and are looking for encouragement and potential solutions. Highly recommend.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Great Hibernation by Tara Dairman

REVIEW: The Great Hibernation by Tara Dairman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I recently discovered some unpublished reviews I wrote several years ago. I’m posting these now as they were originally written.]

Summary

In the community of St. Polonius-by-the-Fjord, the annual Tasting of the Sacred Bear Liver is the highlight of the year. Every citizen 12 or older eats a bit of the bear liver to commemorate the winter long ago when “saints” put the citizens into a winter-long sleep to survive the season.

This is the year for Jean to do her first bear tasting. But the liver makes her sick. Her parents hustle her home telling her not to give it another thought. Then they both fall asleep.

Jean and her little brother Micah, do what they can to help their folks, but it turns out all of the adults and teens have fallen asleep. Jean and one other boy are the only ones who were to be in the tasting who aren’t asleep. The mayor’s son assigns everyone jobs to keep the town running until the adults wake up But Jean is determined to get help rather than wait. But then she discovers some clues that this Great Hibernation is no accident. Jean may be in over her head.

Review

This was terrific! There’s a slight dystopian feel as the “mayor” and “police” start working their own agendas on the town and the kids. There’s lots of suspense as Jean works against them to try to save the day. And there’s a little math, science, politics, and law thrown in.

The team of kids that work with Jean made a great ensemble. Each brought something special to the team and to the plan to save the day. I would have loved another chapter or two at the end in order to see the schemers get their comeuppance. But I can imagine my own satisfying wrap up to everything that transpires.

This is an excellent middle grade story that would work for upper elementary readers as well as middle schoolers. The plot is intricate and fun. I also loved the author’s previous books, All Four Stars (♥♥♥♥♥)  as well as The Stars of Summer (♥♥♥♥♥). Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ + I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: This Changes Everything by Tyler Merritt

REVIEW: This Changes Everything by Tyler Merritt

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

Actor, writer, and speaker Tyler Merritt shares his cancer story and a conversation about lament and mortality in his newest book – and it is excellent. This book is both funny and searing. From Tyler’s story of his cancer diagnosis to the story of Emmitt Till, with Where the Red Fern Grows thrown in for good measure, you are on a beautifully crafted emotional rollercoaster.

Intermixed with Merritt’s cancer story and related health complications, he shares stories of WWII, George Floyd, John Lewis, and illustrations about pets and sharks to weave a treatise about suffering and perseverance, resilience and lament. Quoting David Brooks, he also looks at “resumé virtues” vs. “eulogy virtues” which was my favorite illustration of the whole book. It explores how living with cancer can lead a person to examine how they live life with others. And Jen Hatmaker fans will get a few teasers about their relationship in the book (another favorite part of the book for me).

This is more serious overall than Tyler’s previous book, I Take My Coffee Black (♥♥♥♥). But I also walked away from this one with more introspection about how his experience calls readers (me!) to consider what we do with our time on earth. Fans of his other work – his books, his viral videos – should absolutely pick this up. If you are new to Tyler’s work, I recommend checking this out. Readers should note that some sections of the book cover medical and health discussions in some detail. Take a look at other content warnings before diving in. (Language. Content warnings: racism, cancer, death/grief, details about medical procedures and outcomes)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

REVIEW: The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Ember the dragon is a bit too small to amass a hoard of gold, but he finds his own way to create a different sort of golden hoard.

This is darling! I loved little Ember and the baker who gave him a warm, dry place in a storm – and also a new skill he could share with his dragon friends. The community that is eventually formed between the dragons and the townspeople made for a lovely ending! Pick this up for a cozy read this winter.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Bible Tells Me So by Peter Enns

REVIEW: The Bible Tells Me So by Peter Enns

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

This past summer I took a deep dive into the Bible for Normal People podcast. I’m generally not a podcast person, but there is a sub-set of episodes called “Pete Ruins ____” that are a deep dive into a particular book of the Bible. And I adore them. I listen while I get ready for work in the morning, and I look forward to that time that’s just for me.

So one night when I was looking for a new nonfiction book to read, I pulled this off the shelf and discovered it’s like my podcast experience in book form.

The “voice” is Pete, complete with funny and sarcastic asides. (Not all of his books are like this – there are others with a bit more academic, formal voice – equally as terrific, but just a different tone.) The content is easy to follow while still being challenging. This is not an approach to the Bible that I’ve found in the “pew” on Sunday mornings, but it’s absolutely where God has been meeting me over the last year, starting with Wisdom for Faithful Reading and then in The Lost World of the Prophets, and finally in these podcasts and this book.

My “elevator pitch” of this approach would be “a faithful approach to reading the Bible, not as a rule book to follow but a collection of writings centered around historical people of faith and their experiences with God.” The book addresses questions I have been asking for a few years now – and it affirms the FAITHFULNESS of asking those questions and seeking the answers. I loved the reading experience; it has meant so much to me in my spiritual growth and development over the last year. Highly recommend.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce

REVIEW: Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

While Quinn is somewhat relieved to have a fresh start after the friend drama at her old school, being the new girl at school in February is lonely. But she hears about a D&D group that is open to adding a new player. After everything imploded with her last group, Quinn has longed to get back to a regular campaign.

Logan Weber is the cute guy who helped Quinn out on her first day. And they seem to have real chemistry whenever they run into each other. But he is NOT interested in having Quinn join their D&D group. They livestream their high-energy campaigns, and they are trying to build a following. He thinks Quinn is too quiet and too easily intimidated for their style of D&D.

It’s soon apparent that Logan’s real problem is that he likes Quinn – but their D&D group has a STRICT no-dating policy. And that’s something Quinn can get behind after what happened before. But she and Logan can’t seem to shake the sparks between them.

Review

This was so sweet! I loved the D&D group in this book. These teens are exactly what Quinn needs to heal from what happened before.

Fans of book 1, Dungeons and Drama, should absolutely pick this up. The stories stand alone, so these could be read in any order. And for newcomers, you don’t have to play D&D to follow the story. The emphasis is more on the group dynamic and the dilemma for Quinn and Logan. That said, the D&D scenes are fun, and I would have happily read more of them. And I loved how the livestream led to other characters getting interested in trying D&D. (The epilogue is fantastic!)

If you are in the market for a fun and swoony YA romance, be sure to check this one out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Night Woods by Paula Munier

REVIEW: The Night Woods by Paula Munier

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

On a walk in the woods, a very pregnant Mercy and her dog Elvis discover a dead man in the home of their friend Homer. And they find Homer and his bloodhound in the woods, and Homer is gravely injured.

Then a wealthy landowner goes missing during a forest hunt with some of his guests. And Mercy – or Troy – receives an ominous, threatening note on the door of their home.

Mercy’s family and friends would like her to hunker down and wait for the baby, going as far as assigning her a teenaged “keeper.” But she’s determined to help Homer find the truth of what happened to his murdered friend.

Review

I enjoyed this 5th book in the Mercy Carr series. Mercy and Elvis are great, as always. I enjoyed how the author worked things to let Mercy be Mercy while also acknowledging her pregnancy and how that would impact her usual investigating.

One of my favorite things about the book was how Mercy honestly deliberates about her preparedness – and even suitability – for parenting. It felt so vulnerable and so honest. And also so true to the character.

Troy and Mercy are delightful together – as usual. He is protective and concerned while never asking or expecting Mercy to be someone she is not. It’s a beautiful partnership/relationship. The addition of Tandie, the teen, to the core group was a treat! I’ve said many times how much I love an amazing child or teen character, and Tandie fits that same feature I have loved in other things.

Series fans should totally pick this up to stay up on Mercy’s story. The mystery is good – twisty! – but it took a backseat for me to the baby/pregnancy deliberations and the group dynamics which I loved. Newcomers should really start the series from the beginning to get the most from this.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read