Category: Reviews

REVIEW: We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang

REVIEW: We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

When three aliens crash land on Earth, they find a kind and helpful community of humans.

This was cute! And not quite what I was expecting. The aliens have answers for all of the questions, insisting they are humans and from Europe. And the community where they crash doesn’t seem to care too much. They kindly chip in to help, even when the folks they help are different and unusual.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ – Good+

REVIEW: Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series by Tom Salinsky

REVIEW: Star Trek: Discovering the TV Series by Tom Salinsky

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

The author does a deep dive into Star Trek, watching the original series (TOS), the animated series (TAS), The Next Generation (TNG), Deep Space Nine (DS9),  Voyager (VOY), and Enterprise (ENT) in release order, one episode per day for almost two years. Initially his experience was blogged online, but now readers can be part of the journey in book form. This book only focuses on TOS, TAS, and TNG. Presumably a sequel will cover the rest.

The book covers some of the history of the franchise from Roddenberry’s early attempts to get the show produced to the return of Star Trek to television in the 80s with TNG – in addition to the episode reviews. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the episode entries. The “voice” of each one is fun and engaging. The author covers a lot of ground in just a couple paragraphs per episode.

One of the most fascinating pieces is watching the worldbuilding develop on the fly. The author points out things that show up for the first time or things that reflect decisions made later to define how the world of Star Trek will work. It was a cool addition to the episode reviews. I think fans will enjoy this – it would be great to work through this while doing your own episode review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Cosmic Chaos by Mike Maihack

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Cosmic Chaos by Mike Maihack

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

While returning a surfboard to Silver Surfer, Spider-Man encounters the Guardians of the Galaxy. Together they work to contain and correct the end of the universe. Ancient talismans with special powers initially help Spider-Man solve small, neighborly problems. But when one villain collects all seven talismans, an unexpected hero has to help save the day.

Review

This is the quirkiest of the stories in the Mighty Marvel Team-Up series! Spider-Man gets to meet – and help – a lot of Marvel characters as well as a variety of aliens as he spreads his neighborly kindness around.

The team-up with the Guardians was fun, and I loved the solution to the talisman problem. This series has been a delight from start to finish. I would love to read more of these if the series expands.

Hand this to Marvel fans and graphic novel fans as well as anyone who enjoyed the earlier books in the series, Animals Assemble and Quantum Quest. I think these are best read in order, but each book can stand alone.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Take Care of Your Friends by Christina Wilcox

REVIEW: Take Care of Your Friends by Christina Wilcox

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

I enjoyed this new Enneagram resource focused on interpersonal relationships. I’m not sure the author did enough with the “six pillars of friendship” to make their inclusion work out. But the rest is great – I loved the early descriptions of all of the types.

The book includes sections on stress/security (called “health levels” which is different than the way other writers/instructors talk about health levels with the Enneagram), triads, stances, and conflict styles. I felt like the author’s descriptions were fresh and not rehashed ways of describing things. I’ve read a lot of Enneagram resources so it really catches my attention when I read something that feels innovative or insightful in a new way. Her approach makes this the sort of book I would read start to finish rather than just pull out my type info and then move on.

If someone’s really interested in digging into the Enneagram, I would start with other resources to help you determine your type. But this would make a nice gift for someone who has done that initial work, knows their type, and wants to apply the Enneagram to their interpersonal relationships. You can pair this with Suzanne Stabile’s The Journey Toward Wholeness which also looks at the Enneagram and relationships.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Cat on the Run: Cucumber Madness by Aaron Blabey

REVIEW: Cat on the Run: Cucumber Madness by Aaron Blabey

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Princess Beautiful is still on the run from a frenzied public insisting that she tried to start a nuclear war. A new friend who understands her predicament breaks her out of jail. While she trains to survive on the run, she tells her new friend the full story of how she became known for silly videos which made it so no one now takes her seriously.

While Beautiful and her new friend are searching for answers, they stumble onto a conspiracy no one is ready for.

Review

I didn’t love the pacing of this one. It starts with a commentary on sensationalized news, then goes into a long bit about “scapegoating.” The big reveal was an unexpected surprise, but it felt like I really had to work hard to get through the rest to get there. I think this just isn’t the right fit for me.

I think kids will get a kick out of the “cucumber madness” bits here, but I am still wondering if the book’s content exceeds the experience/exposure of the target age group. Fans of book 1 will absolutely want to pick this one up. And the big reveal will drive them to book 3 when it releases. But I don’t think I will be sticking with the series.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ – Solid, fine

REVIEW: The Blast from the Past by Lucy Score

REVIEW: The Blast from the Past by Lucy Score

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

At the end of their last adventure, Riley, Nick, and Kellen found out that Kellen’s missing and presumed-dead sister is actually alive. And this has Nick ignoring Riley, turning down paid work, and obsessing over finding Beth.

But Beth surprises everyone by coming home on her own – with a story straight out of a decades-old movie – to explain her 6 year absence. And Riley ends up burning out her psychic gifts when she tries to use them to discover the truth.

So Riley and her friends will have to use more traditional means to figure out Beth’s real story as well as solve several small but important cases for Nick’s business before Riley loses everything she holds dear.

Review

This series makes me deliriously happy. I suffered at the end of this because I couldn’t immediately start another one. Book 4 didn’t exist at that point! By the time this posts, though, the book will be out, and I will have finished it. So stay tuned for another Riley Thorn review in the coming months.

This series is like the Bakeshop mysteries or the Meg Langslow series in that the core cast is what makes the series so appealing. I love these characters so much! I would forego the mystery and still be just as happy with these books. Thankfully, though, Score keeps serving up fascinating, twisty crimes for readers to enjoy alongside the antics of the series regulars.

The main mystery here is a bit thin – we know Beth is lying and it takes a while for the truth to come out. But the side cases Riley and her friends are working are enjoyable and wacky and keep the reader thoroughly entertained.

I can’t get enough of the series. Each book brings me true joy. It’s not often a “rom-com” truly can make me laugh, but these books deliver every time. The author left a note in this one explaining how she planned a trilogy, but the series ideas keep growing. And I couldn’t be happier. More Riley! More Nick! More Burt! More Wander! More Gabe! Well, you get the idea. Series fans should not miss this one. Newcomers should start with book one, The Dead Guy Next Door. (Language, sex, TW: Bullying, paranormal: tarot, clairvoyance)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln

REVIEW: The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Twins Page and Turner love going to the New York Public Library. In fact, one day they take their father’s rare copy of Dracula to the library for some research.  Page feels like their dad spends more time with his collection than he does with his kids. Taking his book feels like “revenge.” But when the rare – and expensive – book CRAWLS away and disappears in the library, the twins need help.

They meet the Night Librarian and discover that books, especially old books, have magic. And their characters can sometimes leave their stories! And Dracula, and others, have done just that.

Page and Turner team up with some other book characters to see if they can find the escapees, especially Dracula, before their parents get home.

Review

I loved the artwork in this graphic novel, and the magical library premise is a lot of fun. I was frustrated at times, though, when the main plot – the lost book and escaped characters – took a long backseat to establishing the world building. In addition to significant world building, the author is also trying to establish the character dynamics for the twins and their parents. It’s an ambitious undertaking. I loved it in principle, but didn’t always like it in execution.

Page is hard to like, and Turner’s negative self-talk and low self-opinion even makes him hard to root for at times. The escaped book characters are mostly fun, and the choices of books to highlight in the story were good. There’s one moment where the storytelling hits a hiccup – a twist in the story that is “told” rather than “shown.” It felt abrupt, and like a missed opportunity to develop Turner’s character a bit more. Thankfully, the final solution, while similar in it’s suddenness, was laid out in a more satisfying way.

So this was uneven for me in a lot of ways. Would I suggest it to kids? Sure. Graphic novel fans, book lovers, library lovers, and fantasy lovers may all find something enjoyable here. But I personally didn’t love it enough to pick up a sequel if there ever is one.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ = Good, solid, fine

REVIEW: The Corpse in the Closet by Lucy Score

REVIEW: The Corpse in the Closet by Lucy Score

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Everything seems to be stacking up against Riley. She’s supposed to be joining Nick in his PI business, but after the excitement earlier this summer, he’s gotten super protective. Detective Weber has asked for her psychic expertise on a case, but Nick doesn’t want her near another murder.

On top of that, Riley’s grandmother has arrived, disappointed in Riley’s psychic development – and in her psychic coach, Gabe. Her grandmother is determined to bully Riley – and her sister and mother – into becoming the kinds of psychics Elanora believes they should be.

But Weber’s murder becomes two murders, Nick is working a missing person’s case, and Riley’s spirit guides are hinting that it’s all connected. She needs to get her psychic skills together before someone else ends up dead.

Review

Another fantastic mystery in this series! I absolutely adore Riley and Nick, and the larger cast around them is an absolute hoot! I found myself wishing this series was 10 or 15 books long already – I would read these all summer.

The mystery here is fantastic. At times the case felt stalled while things developed with Riley and her family. But I love these characters so much I didn’t care. Watching Riley’s – and Nick’s – families reminded me of the chaos of the extended family from Donna Andrew’s Meg Langslow series.

I loved the development of Riley and Nick’s relationship here, too. This series is EXACTLY what I needed this summer. If you love a mashup – romance/mystery with paranormal elements – with laugh-out-loud humor, do not miss this series! I would recommend reading these in order to enjoy the evolution of the personal relationships. But be sure to have all the available books nearby because you are going to want to read them back to back. Book 4 in the series, The Body in the Backyard, released a couple of weeks ago. I’ll post my reviews of books 3 and 4 soon. (Language, sex, paranormal elements – clairvoyance, TW: suicide and online bullying.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Mothman Learns the ABCs by Michael Schang

REVIEW: Mothman Learns the ABCs by Michael Schang

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

My husband is friends with the illustrator for this book, Danner Seyffer-Sprague of ConjureDustDesigns, and I found this at his booth at a cryptid convention this summer. As we already love – and own – a good bit of his art, I had to pick up this darling picture book.

There are 26 layouts of Mothman doing activities like flying on an AIRPLANE, meeting a BEE, and looking at COMICS in the book – and they are darling.  The backmatter includes brief descriptions of Mothman and his cryptid friends featured in the book.

This would be a fun gift for your cryptid-loving – and art-loving – friends and family.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

 

 

REVIEW: Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: Dog Day Afternoon 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

Marcus Clark has saved Andy’s life multiple times while working as his investigator. So when Marcus asks for a favor, of course Andy says yes. Even if it means doing something Andy would love to never do again – be a lawyer.

Six people were recently killed at a local law office, and Nick Williams is the prime suspect. He’s a young man Marcus has mentored. And Marcus doesn’t believe Nick is guilty.

Nick’s story is hard to believe. But when the team starts digging into it, they find some unexpected developments that make Marcus’s faith in Nick seem well placed. But Andy still has to get a jury to believe Nick – and this case won’t give up its secrets quickly or easily.

Review

This was another fascinating case for Andy and his team. I was able to puzzle some of it out on my own, but there were still some surprises when it was all laid out.

Andy is as sassy as always – one of the primary reasons I love these books. But he really had to dig deep for the solution here. It’s a very satisfying mystery. Series fans will get to see all of the usual folks in action, including the awesome tech team Andy uses. And the dog connection gets a happy ending.

Newcomers could probably start here without too much trouble. I started this series with something like the 9th book in the series, and I had no trouble jumping right in. Sometimes, though, I think Andy might “play” better on the page for folks who have been with him for awhile. For that reason, I think readers should maybe read the first few books in order – after that, you can jump in anywhere without issue. You can see my list of favorite books in the series as part of a review here. This is book  29 in the Andy Carpenter series, and book 30, The More the Terrier, will release in October. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.