Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Rockin' Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Rockin’ Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews

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

Meg is helping her grandmother who is hosting a Presumed Innocent conference at the Caerphilly Inn. The emphasis of the conference is on overturning wrongful convictions. They have lawyers and law enforcement and exonerees speaking. And troublemakers causing issues.

Godfrey Norton – “the Gadfly” – is the biggest troublemaker. He’s openly scornful about the conference aims, and hostile toward the exonerees and those who have helped them secure freedom. But he crosses the line with a false accusation and his own acts of animal cruelty and is kicked out of both the conference and the Inn.

But Godfrey is going to cause one last bit of trouble when his dead body is found behind Meg’s house.

Review

What a fun mystery! The setting – a conference about exonerees and pursing justice for the wrongfully incarcerated – was fascinating. It brought interesting characters to Caerphilly and placed most of the action at the Inn which was a nice shift in setting. The usual holiday chaos at Meg’s house was toned down due to an impending baby delivery for Meg’s SIL. And I enjoyed that change too.

The victim was truly awful, but the setting allowed the LEOs to do their work at a conference all about law enforcement and sound investigation. The twins and their best friend even got to help with the case which was a great part of the story. I pegged the killer early on but loved watching all of the pieces come together in the end.

This is book 36 in this long-running series. Book 37, For Duck’s Sake, will release in August of 2025.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Kyle Keeley is back, and this time he’s hoping to win it all! Mr. Lemoncello is giving away his entire empire to a 13-year-old kid, and Kyle wants to be that kid.

Kyle isn’t the only kid hoping to win. There’s Simon and Soraiya in New York and Gloria in Florida as well as Betina in California. As Kyle gets to know the other contestants – 13 in all – his confidence starts to waver. Most of his closest friends chose to sit this one out, and he could have too. He’s not sure his gaming skills are best in the group. And running the Lemoncello empire requires more than game skills. But he also knows that Charles Chiltington is up to no good. Kyle has to stay in the game to keep Charles from ruining the Lemoncello legacy.

Review

A lovely send-off for, as Chris Grabenstein says in his acknowledgements “this particular arc of the Lemoncello universe.” While there are new stories – and graphic novels – still to come, this is a satisfying conclusion to the initial book series. The games are fun, and the contestants for the most part are endearing kids who hope to succeed. I loved that there was space for several series regulars to sit this one out. They set a boundary for themselves and pursued their passions – it was great!

Thankfully the Chiltingtons did most of their scheming off-page because I have been over Charles since the All-Star Breakout Game. But he got to make a final appearance and close out his arc while Kyle and Mr. Lemoncello closed out theirs. At least for now.

Teachers, librarians, and series fans will want to finish the series and pick this one up. There’s tons here to love!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Mary We Forgot by Jennifer Powell McNutt

REVIEW: The Mary We Forgot by Jennifer Powell McNutt

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

Mary Magdalene is known in scripture for being healed from multiple demons by Jesus and also for being one of the first witnesses of the risen Christ. But there are misunderstandings of her as well. Dr. Powell McNutt is determined to clear up these misunderstandings and present a compelling portrait of this disciple of Jesus and apostle of the early Church.

This book:

  • Addresses the “surprises” of the Bible – Peter and John being called in front of the High Priest in Acts, Jesus as a surprise out of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene – or any woman – mentioned in Scripture.
  • Extensively covers the conflation of Marys (Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene) with the woman in Luke 7 which is challenged with multiple sources and logical rationales. And where the Luke 7 woman is distinguished from Mary Magdalene, the woman is honored by the author (as she is by Jesus in the text). I liked that this honored many of the women of the New Testament, not just Mary although she was the focus.
  • Refers to the Gospel of Mary Magdalene as a commentary on the time of its writing.
  • Addresses Mary’s demon possession as well as her inclusion with Jesus’s ministry and followers along with other women healed by Jesus and named by Luke – patronesses of Jesus’s ministry.

Overall I liked this – the writing is conversational and easy to follow. The author sprinkles in some personal stories to tie some of her exploration areas together. And I found the conflation section fascinating, although it seemed to go on for a long time. I think researchers, historians, and students will love the deep dive, but for a newbie like me, it felt like selling past the close. Super detailed proof and examples of how past scholars and historians have blotted out Mary’s role, identity, and place in the followers of Jesus will be fantastic for other scholars, but the point was made sufficiently for me pretty quickly.

The book is also written with the full view of history interjected regularly which may be a distraction for less-informed readers. The book doesn’t necessarily move in a straightforward way from from left to right so to speak. It felt at times like re-reading a favorite series where you read book 3 in light of what you know is coming in book 6. But for those exposed to this material for the first time – like me – those interjections of what is to come may be jarring. This is one of the ways I felt like I am  not the intended audience for this book. My PhD-level colleagues at a seminary would have a lot more context for the material in this book. If this is used in an academic setting, students may need more historical context as well for the Church’s response to Mary.

My only real complaint would be that in my review copy, the endnotes aren’t linked which is frustrating for the reader. Hopefully this will be fixed in the official e-book.

I can recommend this to scholars, researchers, and seminarians. I think it would be a supremely readable textbook for students. More casual readers like me can get a lot out of this, too. This will forever impact my understanding of Mary and her presence in the gospels!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Frindle Files by Andrew Clements

REVIEW: The Frindle Files by Andrew Clements

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Josh Willet’s Language Arts teacher, Mr. N, is like someone from the stone age! No computers in class. An honest-to-goodness CHALKBOARD in the classroom. And handwritten homework. What century is this guy living in?!

One night while working on his (handwritten) homework, Josh’s pen runs out of ink. The one he borrows from his mom has the word “Frindle” written on it. Josh looks up the word online and get’s an unbelievable surprise. The kid who invented the word Frindle? Nicholas Allen?

He looks just like Mr. N!

So Josh opens a new file on his computer, names it “The Frindle Files,” and starts investigating his teacher and this “Nick Allen,” the creator of Frindle.

Review

This. Was. Incredible.

It’s everything I wanted it to be. I should never have doubted Andrew Clements.

This has a familiar and similar dynamic as the original book without being an outright copy. And it’s sharp and contemporary without trying too hard. The main characters of The Frindle Files are like Nick and his friends from Frindle – smart and clever kids who aren’t perfect but who have good intentions. Their grown ups – both at school and at home – want what’s best for the kids. And that’s provided with both freedom and boundaries.

And the teacher/student relationship is everything I loved from the original.

Of course, I re-read Frindle for a refresh before diving into this – and I’m so glad I did. It made the call backs so easy to recognize. And I cried happy tears through both books. Clements fans and Frindle fans – do NOT miss this!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Big Witch Energy by Molly Harper

REVIEW: Big Witch Energy by Molly Harper

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Caroline’s newly awakened magic has shown her a ghost that hangs around her family’s restaurant, the Wilted Rose. Riley wonders if the ghost might be tied to Caroline’s family curse. And the curse is ever-present in Caroline’s mind since her high school sweetheart – the man she loved but lost because she can’t leave the island – has returned to Starfall.

Ben and his kids have come to Starfall to try to rebuild their lives after Ben’s divorce. He didn’t realize how often he’d run into Caroline on the small island. You’d think he’d be “over” their history after all this time, but he gets tongue-tied every time he runs into her.

When Ben stumbles onto the coven’s ghostly secret – and his kids get drawn in as well – the extra time with Caroline reveals the depths of their feelings for one another. But there’s a lot of hurt – and a magical curse – in their past. And that might be more than they can overcome.

Review

This was excellent! It’s a fantastic mix of fantasy, mystery, and romance, making this Starfall Point series perfect for me. The cast gets even better with the addition of Ben and his kids. I am a sucker for any book that can add in excellent kid/teen characters, and these two are outstanding. Every scene with the core group together – whether magical or not – absolutely sparkled. I laughed so much as I read this. It was a complete delight!

The magical mysteries in this book were fascinating. This felt like the perfect season to read a ghostly story, too. Once again, there was plenty of information doled out to make the story satisfying while still holding something back for the next book which will be April’s story. And I can’t wait!

Fans of book one, Witches Get Stuff Done, should absolutely pick this up. Newcomers should definitely read these books in order because the mystery/magical pieces will make more sense. This series was a delightful surprise for me – I randomly requested the first book from the library and fell in love. Now they have become part of my personal library so I can return to them before the third book comes out. If you are looking for something “spooky” for the season, don’t miss this series. (Language, sex, ghosts/curses)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Little Ghost Makes a Friend by Maggie Edkins Willis

REVIEW: Little Ghost Makes a Friend by Maggie Edkins Willis

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Little Ghost has always wanted a friend, but he’s been worried he might scare people away. When someone new moves in next door, and she likes so many of the same things that he does, Little Ghost decides to be brave and invite her over for Halloween.

Review

This is such a sweet friendship story! The artwork is lovely, and the pastel fall colors add to the cozy vibe. And happily, Little Ghost and Anya hit it off right away. She also tells Little Ghost that she’s happy to be his friend exactly as he is – and her human friends agree. This is a super sweet read for the season – check this one out!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: The More the Terrier by David Rosenfelt

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

Andy comes home from a winter trip to an extra dog added to his usual three. But it’s a dog his family fostered at one point, so Andy is able to get Murphy home to his family. Andy doesn’t expect that family to need his services as a defense attorney, but they do.

Murphy’s owner has been arrested for killing a vising professor at his university. They had a public confrontation, and now the prof is dead and BJ is in jail. Andy doesn’t believe BJ is a killer, so he takes the case. The investigation brings Andy’s team into contact with drug dealers and mobsters, but Andy struggles to put the pieces together. And if he can’t figure it out, what happens to BJ?

Review

Another wintery winner from David Rosenfelt! The case here is super twisty, and I was wondering until the very end if Andy was going to be able to figure it all out. I was thrilled to puzzle together most of the solution as I read. When the case is as intricate as this one, the satisfaction of the story is enhanced by figuring some things out on my own.

Andy is delightfully sassy, and his usual team gets to bring a lot to the case – a sting operation, several hacking triumphs, and a grim battle. I loved that the K-Team had a bit more page time in this book.

This is the 30th book in the Andy Carpenter series, and Rosenfelt keeps hitting all the beats. You can read my other reviews from the series here. Series fans should absolutely pick up this satisfying winter addition to the series. Readers familiar with Andy can really read the series out of order without much trouble. Newcomers could start here – my first Andy Carpenter was a Christmas book, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (♥♥♥♥♥), number 15 in the series – but I do worry that Andy can come across too abrasive if you haven’t followed him from the beginning. Book 31, Dogged Pursuit, will release in the summer of 2025. (Language, references to sexual assault and drug use.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

REVIEW: The Sherlock Society by James Ponti

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Alex and Zoe Sherlock have decided to live up to their last name. Instead of babysitting or mowing lawns for money, they start a detective agency. With their friends, Lina and Yadi, and their grandfather serving as Director of Transportation and Logistics, they are ready to take on their first case.

After a couple of false starts, the Sherlock Society stumbles onto an environmental case. The kids use the reporting skills they learn from Alex and Zoe’s grandfather to start looking for a suspect. They also use Yadi’s film experience and drone skills to look for clues. Zoe’s understanding of people comes in handy, as does Alex’s understanding of the law and Lina’s grasp of the big picture, when their case literally explodes out of control.

Review

This is so fun! There’s great balance between the kid pieces – friendships, family conflict, learning to investigate – with  the case pieces. There’s tons for readers to learn – about investigating, about Al Capone, about Florida, about videography – and it’s all modeled by the characters in the book. It’s “showing, not telling” at it’s best.

The kids and the family feel authentic – conflict, confrontation, support, teasing, and teaching, all on a foundation of love. And the case is grounded in some details real middle schoolers would or could do. This is a terrific series kick off from a tried and true middle grade mystery author, James Ponti. His fans should not miss this one. Mystery lovers, kids who care about the environment, and readers who like ensemble stories should pick this one up, too!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The State of Pauline Studies edited by Nijay Gupta, et al

REVIEW: The State of Pauline Studies edited by Nijay Gupta, et al

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

A few years ago, Baker Academic released The State of New Testament Studies, and the contributors felt like they couldn’t devote as much space to Paul as they needed. So this book was developed. It includes chapters on Paul and specific areas of focus – gender, Judaism, the Spirit, etc. – as well as chapters on each of Paul’s letters. The book exists to highlight recent research, study, theories, and debates. Each chapter is essentially a literature review of recent research – and it’s brilliant! This is a deep, heavily researched exploration.

Professors, researchers, students, and practitioners could use this as a one-stop starting place to dig into the contemporary world of Biblical scholarship, specifically around Paul. The content can spin readers off to numerous resources to dig deeper. Each article/essay is heavily end-noted.

As an example, the chapter on Romans is written by Dr. Jennifer Strawbridge, Associate Professor of New Testament Studies at the University of Oxford. The chapter covers topics like justification, Junia and Phoebe, post-colonial readings of Romans, ecological interpretation, queer approaches to Romans, and disability studies.

This could be a fascinating textbook for New Testament courses as well as a stellar resource for students and researchers. I would highly recommend the addition of this to university libraries. And practitioners/pastors could get a lot out of having this in their libraries. Again – this is a STARTING place – far more reading and follow up work would come after reading this. I don’t know that someone preaching on a passage in Romans, for example, would use Strawbridge’s chapter alone and feel they did their due diligence in examining current thinking on Romans. Professors, especially those developing or updating a course on Paul’s work, would be well-served by this resource, again as a starting point to include contemporary research.

Also available from Baker is The State of New Testament Studies (already available) and The State of Old Testament Studies (releasing in November).

As a non-academic reader, I felt clearly that I was not the intended audience for this book. But I was captivated by it anyway. I wanted to follow every end-noted rabbit trail to further reading on a variety of topics. The voice of the introduction is great! As a non-seminarian, I had to look up three words/concepts in the intro alone. Have your phone handy to look up terms you might not know. But anyone who is fascinated by Biblical study will find something to dig into here. My only “complaint” is that the end notes (at least in my review copy) weren’t separated by chapter/article which would have made using them a lot easier.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween by Andrew Shaffer

REVIEW: Mothman’s Happy Cryptid Halloween by Andrew Shaffer

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and 8th Circle in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

When Halloween gets rained out and everyone decides it’s “the Official Worstest Halloween Ever (in the Whole Entire Universe),”® Mothman and his cryptid friends make a plan to save Halloween.

This follow up to Mothman’s Merry Cryptid Christmas is a fun, quirky story with great artwork. I loved Mothman and Bigfoot especially – Mothman’s costume is a hoot! While the plan to save the day goes awry, there’s still a happy ending, thanks to gracious townspeople and a day off school. The backmatter includes a hilarious cryptid guide.

The next book will be Mothman’s Very Cryptid Valentine, which looks adorable!

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +