Search Results for: fixer

BOOK NEWS: July 23, 2019

BOOK NEWS: July 23, 2019

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

 

Peek-a-Bruce (Board book) – Bruce’s goslings are ready to play. The latest in the Mother Bruce series, which is delightful.
Ginny Goblin Cannot Have a Monster for a Pet – Ginny has a plan to get the perfect pet!
Look! I Wrote a Book! (And You Can Too!) – The narrator is ready to teach readers all about writing books that are interesting, accurate, and appropriate for their audience. The sample pages I have seen are absolutely fantastic! I can’t wait to read the whole thing!
My Big Dumb Invisible Dragon – A story for children’ dealing with loss. When a boy’s mother passes away, a dragon comes along, following him everywhere. As the boy grieves, his relationship with the dragon changes. The sample pages had me in tears. This is going to be a very powerful book for kids – as well as for adults and professionals helping kids with this difficult and heavy topic.
Turtle and Tortoise Are NOT Friends – Sworn enemies learn they have more in common than they expected.
How to Be Cheeri – Book 3 in the Team Taekwondo chapter book series. While Baeoh (Book 2) has trouble being serious and focused, Cheeri is a classic overachiever who often gets so caught up in her work she forgets to have fun. How will these two ever work together?

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Fate of Earth – The final book in the Space Runners series where the Moon Platoon is trying to stop the war between humans and aliens. Sounds like a fun science fiction series for middle grade readers.
Let Me Fix That for You – Gladys is a middle grade fixer, doing favors in exchange for friendship. But when she tries to use her fixing skills on her parents’ marriage, she gets in over her head. Will she be able to call in some of those favors to help her out? I’m looking forward to reading this one.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man – A graphic novel origin story for Miles Morales.
Red Panda & Moon Bear – A new graphic novel starring a pair of sibling heroes. This is on my list for this week; it’s getting a lot of positive buzz online.
Sunny – Book 14 in the Dog Diaries series, this one based on a true story of a dog on the Titanic.
Code Your Own Website AND Coding With Scratch – New coding books from Basher.
Hello, Crochet Friends! – Jonah Larson caught media attention as a “crochet prodigy.” And now he shares his love of crochet with others in this picture book. Part autobiography (including his adoption story), part instruction manual. First in what will become a series about young people making an impact in the world.
The Arrival of Someday – From one of my favorite middle grade authors, Jen Malone, comes this story of a high school senior whose plans for the future are in jeopardy when she discovers she needs a liver transplant.
Soul of Stars – Book 2 in the Heart of Iron series by Ashley Poston. A crew of misfits search for answers in this science fiction adventure series. I have book 1 on my list at the library.
The Undoing of Thistle Tate – Thistle is only 17, and she’s already a best-selling author. Only one other person knows she isn’t actually the author of the wildly popular Lemonade Skies series. Now that the final  book in the series is going to be turned in, Thistle will be able to leave the lying behind, but secrets have a way of coming out. I have had this on hold at the library for months! I can’t wait to read this.

 

Books for Adults

 

The Floating Feldmans (Trade Paperback) – 70-year-old Annette Feldman plans a cruise with her whole family to celebrate her birthday. Family quirks and family secrets mean this is not going to be the celebration Annette had in mind.
Decades: Marvel in the 00s: Hitting the Headlines (Paperback Graphic Novel) – Collects some of the iconic Marvel comics of the 00s.
One Good Deed (Hardcover) – First in a new series from Baldacci, this time starring a war veteran in 1949. Aloysius Archer is an ex-con just trying to  get a fresh start on life, but his job as a “debt collector” for a local businessman puts Archer in the middle of a murder investigation. And an ex-con makes an easy suspect.
Star Wars – Thrawn: Treason (Hardcover) – The third in the Thrawn series from Star Wars. Thrawn struggles to secure his place in the Empire when Krennic’s Death Star project derails Thrawn’s TIE defender program.
The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet (Paperback) – Look at that cover! This is a revised edition of the earlier book with new recipes and healthier options.  Includes gluten-free recipes.
The Jesus Who Surprises: Opening Our Eyes to His Presence in All of Life and Scripture (Trade Paperback) – Book plus Bible study that looks at Jesus through the scriptures of the Old Testament. I’ll be reviewing this one later this month.
The Middle Matters: Why that (Extra) Ordinary Life Really Looks Good on You (Hardcover) – The author of Never Unfriended (terrific!) brings us a new book this month all about midlife. I’ll be reviewing this one later this month, too.

BOOK NEWS: June 25, 2019

BOOK NEWS: June 25, 2019

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the last release week of June 2019. Let’s see what books are out this week.

Books for Kids

 

Bug Off! – When one girl keeps Maude from being able to join the Bug-of-the-Month Club, Maude is determined to deal with the girl’s rudeness – but not in the way anyone expects.
Can Cat and Bird Be Friends? – Can this traditional predator-and-prey pair really become friends?
Nugget & Fang Go to School – Sequel to the amazing Nugget & Fang: Friends Forever or Snack Time! This time the unlikely friends are off to school – but can a shark fit in at a minnow school? When I was teaching, the first book was always a hit with students. I can’t wait to see what happens with book 2.
Bruce’s Big Fun Day – Mother Bruce is back in a new Early Reader format. I can not wait to read this one!!
A Sea Otter to the Rescue (Tails from History) – In this non-fiction Early Reader, kids can read about the mother sea otter whose story led to protections for endangered species.
A Good Team – Book 2 in the Unicorn and Yeti series from Scholastic ACORN about two unusual friends.
Amelia Earhart and the Flying Chariot – Book 4 in the Time Twisters early chapter book series about historical figures. A time travel adventure with bits of history and a whole lot of crazy adventures. This time, Amelia Earhart lands in Ancient Greece, and the kids have to get her back on track for her flight across the Atlantic.  This series sounds fantastic!
The Bad Guys in Big Bad Wolf – Book 9 in the Bad Guys series. The Big Bad Wolf has grown humongous and the Bad Guys have to deal with him AND an alien invasion. Such a FUN early chapter book series!
The Battle for Perodia – Book 6 in the Last Firehawk series from Scholastic BRANCHES.
The End of Orson Eerie? – Book 10 in the Eerie Elementary series from Scholastic BRANCHES has a Halloween/haunted house/ Fall Festival theme as Sam and his friends try to defeat Orson Eerie once and for all.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Artemis Fowl The Graphic Novel (New) – This is a NEW graphic novel adaptation of the series, launching in advance of the movie which releases in August.
Digging Deep – Book 4 in the Hoops series about a girl who gives up basketball in search of her passion.
Level 13 – Book 2 in the Slacker series from the fantastic Gordon Korman. An infamous slacker has found his calling – playing video games online in front of an audience. Too bad there are so many things getting in the way of his calling – like school and the club he never meant to start. This series is hard to describe – I haven’t even mentioned the beaver – but you cannot go wrong with a book by Gordon Korman.
The Problim Children: Carnival Catastrophe – Book 2 in the Problim Children series. The 7 Problim children are catching all the blame when a series of catastrophes strike the local carnival – and their mother has gone missing.
Harry Potter Origami – Fifteen projects including a dragon, an owl, a Howler and the castle. Includes specialty paper and notations of how difficult each pattern is to complete. On Amazon you can see a few of the patterns and see how the printed paper they provide will work to help you create each structure. This looks like great fun!
Better than the Best Plan – A teen who has been living on her own since her mom disappeared ends up in foster care when someone reports her living situation. She ends up back in the foster home where she was as a baby. She starts to wonder what her life would have been like if her mom hadn’t regained custody way back then. But now her old life and her new one are about to collide again.
Call It What You Want – The latest from the awesome Brigid Kemmerer! Two ostracized teens are thrown together for a class project and find in one another a person who understands them. I will be reviewing this one later this week.
The Evil Queen – First in the Forest of Good and Evil series. A teen raised in the mortal realm discovers she is a fairy tale princess – and fated to become Snow White’s nemesis, the Evil Queen. This is definitely on my wish list for this week!
The Virtue of Sin – A teen raised in New Jerusalem under the watchful eye of the founder and leader is obedient and quiet as expected. But when the life she expected to live in the community is not the path set before her, she finds her voice and starts to question everything she’s been told and everything she has believed.

Books for Adults

An American Duchess (Trade Paperback) – When a Duke marries a Colorado rancher, the new duchess has NO idea what she is doing in the English nobility. An unusual friendship with one of her maids gives both women a chance to open up about their hopes and dreams and help one another out with life’s ups and downs. This sounds lovely.
Andrew (Mass Market Paperback) – First in the new Petersheim Brothers series. A proper young Amish man is looking for the right woman to marry and settle down with. But the young woman who catches his attention wouldn’t be proper at all. Two years after leaving the community she is back, single and pregnant. As she refuses to hide in shame and ignores the whispers all around her, she stands out as a woman of grace and resilience. This is on my list for this week, too.
The Bookshop on the Shore (Hardcover) – A single mother takes a job in Scotland as a part time bookseller and an au pair for a widower’s three children who have become somewhat wild as they have been left to their own devices.
Clause & Effect (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Deadly Edits mystery series. Mikki is working on a cold case that may be connected to the town’s bicentennial celebration 25 years ago.
Cross My Heart (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Legacy of Faith series. A couple discovers a lot of common ground between them from their upbringing to their love of horses. But his history of alcoholism and her experiences with her addicted brother could end up tearing them apart.
Decades: Marvel in the 90s – The Mutant X-plosion (Paperback Graphic Novel) – See how the X-Men franchise grew in the 1990s at Marvel.
Down in Flames (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 6 in the Webb’s Glass Shop Mystery series. This time Savannah is looking into a deadly hit and run that took place right outside her store.
Evvie Drake Starts Over (Hardcover) – A woman still holed up at home a year after her husband’s death allows a friend to invite a down-on-his-luck baseball player to stay in the apartment on her property and the two become friends – and then maybe something more.
Frugal Lissa Finds a Body (ebook – June 28) – First in a new series about a small town woman who stumbles across the body of a person she argued with recently. And the investigating officer is someone she teased in high school, and he seems to be holding a grudge. I pre-ordered this one the first time I heard about it. I can’t wait to read it.
Guilty as Charred (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Cook Off Mystery series. While Sherry is supposed to be celebrating a big Cook-Off win on the radio, she instead finds out an acquaintance from the community garden has been killed. The food mentioned just in the blurb for this book will have me picking this one up to check the recipes – and to try out a new-to-me series.
Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody (Mass Market Paperback – exclusive to Barnes and Noble) – First in a new series. A retiree gets a reputation as a local “fixer.” A condo community hires her to come in and deal with some hostilities between residents. And then someone is murdered. I have already pre-ordered this one!
A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder (Hardcover) – Sequel to the outstanding A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder. Frances had such luck with finding a suitor for her younger sister, she is now playing host to one of Lily’s friends, and trying to find a spouse for her cousin as well. When the woman she matched with her cousin is murdered, Frances will be sleuthing again to keep him out of jail. I’ll be reviewing this one next week.
Left Fur Dead (Mass Market Paperback) – First in the new Jules & Bun Mystery series. A woman running a rabbit rescue, and a special “bun” who can communicate with her telepathically, find a body and look into the mysterious death. This sounds like a hoot!
Lost and Found (Hardcover) – After suffering a fall and injury, a mother of three adult children heads off on a road trip to reconnect with three men who might have been “the one” to see if the decisions she made in the past were the right ones. I can’t remember the last time I read a Danielle Steele novel, but this one really caught my attention. I love stories where characters go back to confront choices they made in the past. I am 49th on the hold list for this at the library – so it’s going to be awhile until I read it.
Murder’s No Votive Confidence (Mass Market Paperback) – First in the new Nantucket Candle Maker Mystery series. When the candlemaker’s unity candle for a wedding is used to commit a murder, it leads to a loss of business for Stella. To help a friend who is under suspicion and to save her own business, she joins forces with a reporter to sniff out the killer. I’ll definitely be trying out this new series!
Once Upon a Bad Boy (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Sometimes In Love Series. (I enjoyed book 2 – Smitten by the Brit.) An actress goes into training for the role of a lifetime and the person training her is the ex who broke her heart.
A Rainbow Above Us (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 8 in the Blessings, Georgia series. After Hurricane Franny, a woman who is the only surviving member of her family tries to put the pieces of her life back together. A young man who returns to Blessings to help his grandmother rebuild doesn’t plan to stay for long, but the lost young woman captures his attention.
Strangled Eggs and Ham (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 6 in the Country Store Mystery series. When a developer wants to put a luxury resort monstrosity at one of the prettiest parts of Brown County, Indiana, tempers run high and protesters are out in force. When one of the protesters is murdered, Robbie is on the case, if for no other reason than to keep her Aunt Adele, another vocal opponent, from winding up dead. I never realized that this series takes place in Indiana. How fun!
Tell Tail Heart (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Cat Cafe Mystery series. A big-name writer is killed and an eccentric woman comes to town saying Maddie’s cat, JJ, is hers. Just when Maddie was hoping things would quiet down for awhile so she could work on her business – and a special relationship. But now she’s back to sleuthing.
Toxic Toffee (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 4 of the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series by Amanda Flower. This time Bailey is looking into the murder of a sweet old rabbit farmer with a twenty-year-old secret. I am on the hold list for this at the library, too. Looking forward to reading this addition to the series. There’s also a novella for this series (Criminally Cocoa) that I need to catch up on. And there will be a spin-off series – The Amish Matchmaker Mystery series – coming at the end of 2019/first of 2020.
Scoot Over and Make Some Room: Creating Space Where Everyone Belongs (Trade Paperback) – A mom  to adopted and special needs children shares some of her family stories with the underlying message that there is room for every one at the table and it’s our job to watch for those who are left out and invite them in.

REVIEW: The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

REVIEW: The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

When Kira was five, Cady found her, alone, in a forest. Wild. Feral. Cady took her in, fostered her, adopted her, and raised her with her own son, Jude. Jude, Kira, and their best friend, Free, call themselves the Miscreants. Always together, always ready to find or stir up trouble.

Together, Cady and the teens raise and train search and rescue dogs. Padawan is their young star, a gifted golden retriever. Silver is the older German Shepherd who is an emotional anchor for Kira when the trauma of her past threatens to pull her under. NATO and the Duchess are the bloodhounds. And Saskia is the temperamental husky whose own traumas make her a perfect partner for Kira. They understand each other in a special way.

Cady’s estranged father calls her in for a search and rescue in her home town. A 9-year-old girl has gone missing in the mountains. Cady, the teens and the dogs join the search process. And while Kira is determined to do for the girl what she herself needed at one time, she is not ready for what the case will stir up for her – and for her whole family.

Review

This was excellent! Classic Jennifer Lynn Barnes awesomeness. I was laughing on the first page, and in love with Jude by page 2. He’s a lot like the character Asher from The Fixer series – another character I adored. You can read my review of her other series here and here. From there, I quickly connected with Kira and the dogs, and I had to see how the story would play out.

You can see Barnes’ background in psychology with the development of Kira. Her reactions to childhood trauma and the emotional repercussions now felt completely on target. I felt like Kira had done some extensive work on her trauma issues even while there is obviously more work to be done.  And the writing of the dogs was terrific. I loved Silver and Saskia’s interactions with Kira especially.

If this had just been a psychological piece about Kira, I’d have been enthralled and happy to keep reading. But this is also a mystery/suspense story involving Cady’s family history, the missing girl, and some stunning and twisty developments. Outstanding!

This book is a perfect example of why Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a must read-author for me. She always delivers! This book is the full package – rich, fascinating characters; an engrossing plot; lots of snark and humor; and a story you don’t want to put down. I highly recommend this book to fans of suspense books, dog stories, and the author’s other books. (Trigger Warning – hints of abuse stories throughout could be triggering for some readers, although I thought the descriptions were pretty subtle for general readers.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Memorable Protagonists

Posted on by Jaymie

I’ve noticed that a make-or-break part of a book for me is the main character. While I enjoy tons of books, the truly special ones have characters that I adore. I read so much, I often don’t remember a lot of details about the books unless I re-read them a few times. But there are some characters that I remember immediately. I see the cover of the book, and instantly I think of these characters, and I want to dive into the book again. And when I think about these characters, there are often characteristics they have in common.

Here are a few of my favorite, most memorable protagonists:

The Protectors – I am a HUGE fan of smart, protective, and fierce characters who defend others. Kitty Katt-Martini in the Alien series by Gini Koch is the epitome of this sort of character. It’s why I am fanatic of the series that is already 16 books long – most of those book over 500 pages – and I re-read it at least once a year. In every book, Kitty puts herself between the evil megalomaniacs and the people she loves and the characters who need to be protected. Tess Kendrick from the Fixer series (book one was my favorite book of 2015 and book two was top of the list in 2016) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is about half Kitty’s age, but she is just as fierce. She has a delightfully strong personality and doesn’t care what other people think about her, but she follows her moral code, “fixing” the wrongs around her. Another teen protector is Adam Blake from Robin Roe’s A List of Cages. This was my favorite book from 2017. Adam is a more happy-go-lucky character than Kitty or Tess – he’s breezy and unconcerned for the most part, but when it comes to Julian, he is fiercely protective exactly when Julian needs him. Finally, Turtle the Seawing dragon is the star of Talons of Power in the Wings of Fire series by Tui T. Sutherland. He is fairly meek for a “protector,” but he pushes past his insecurity and fear to do what no one else can to protect his friends.

Graphic Novels for Kids - Phoebe and her Unicorn

The Funny Folks – Wedgie the Corgi is my favorite part of the Wedgie and Gizmo series by Suzanne Selfors. In my head he sounds like Doug from the Pixar movie Up. He’s a goofy, hilarious, earnest character who loves everyone and everything. He makes up fantastic names for other characters – he calls Gizmo the guinea pig “Furry Potato.” I love characters that make me laugh. The other protagonist who always makes me laugh is Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, the unicorn in the Phoebe and her Unicorn series by Dana Simpson. Early in the series it was her declaration of “UNICORN!” in fancy fonts to show why  she was awesome and should always win every argument that would crack me up. As the series has gone on, that stellar attitude is only part of what makes her funny. I love her character.

The Brooding and Mysterious Men – It’s always interesting to me to read a series about a set of brothers where each brother gets a book to explore their unique perspective and personality. One series I have read multiple times is the Sons of Destiny series. Yes, I know it’s hard to take that cover seriously. And the content of the book is just what you would expect based on that cover. But what I love most about the series is the fantasy world and the magic as well as the story arc that covers all eight books. Rydan Corvis, “The Storm,” is brother number six, and his story is my favorite. He is the dark and brooding brother that shuns the light and the company of the others. No one seems to understand him, so getting to read a story from his perspective is really enjoyable. (One note about the series – there are four sets of twin brothers and the books go in order from the oldest brother to the youngest. But books five and six, which includes Rydan’s story, take place concurrently. So you get 60% or so of the same story, but from different perspectives, which I found really clever). The other brooding character that captivated me is Gabriel Merrick from Brigid Kemmerer‘s Elementals series. This is another fantasy romance series geared more toward young adults. While I enjoyed reading the whole series, Gabriel’s story was my favorite. He has a fierce, fiery personality, and he is reluctant to let others in, so the only way to really get a read on him is to dig into his own story. (Note, one of the books in the series includes a character’s struggle with his sexuality.) Both of these characters have a dark and mysterious air about them, so breaking through that by learning their stories is really satisfying for me as a reader.

The Character Most Like Me – Meg Langslow is the smart, organized, diplomatic, and creative protagonist at the center of Donna Andrews mystery series. And she is a woman after my own heart. She is the only one of my favorite protagonists who seems most like me. I’d love to be protective like the first group, but that’s not really who I am. But I am Meg. She has her “notebook that tells me when to breathe” and I have my to do lists and planners and forms and calendars and organizational systems. I “get” Meg which makes reading her stories enjoyable!

So these are my most memorable protagonists. What sorts of characters do you enjoy?

BOOK NEWS: November 7, 2017

BOOK NEWS: November 7, 2017

Posted on by Jaymie

Wimpy Kid. Maze Runner. Fantastic Beasts. Christmas. Supergirl. Teen Titans. What a week in books! Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids

 

The Santa Thief – A boy takes his Christmas into his own hands by stealing Santa’s identity. I can’t wait to read this one!
Duck, Duck Dinosaur: Snowy Surprise –  A cute early reader just in time for winter.
Teen Titans Go!: Ninja Party! – The Teen Titans have their own line of early readers. In this one, Beast Boy tries to learn to be a stealthy ninja.
Ella and Owen: Dragon Spies! – Book 6 in this early chapter book series. This time the dragon twins are mistaken for spies.
Ordinary People Sticker Activity Book – A sticker activity book starring the characters of the Ordinary People Change the World biography picture book series.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Cici’s Journal: The Adventures of a Writer-in-Training – Graphic novel about a girl learning to be a writer who stumbles onto someone’s secret. This sounds fantastic! I love books about writing and this one seems to have a mystery element to it. Perfection!
Digging for Trouble – Book 2 in the Devlin Quick mystery series. This time Devlin finds a mystery on an archaeological dig in Montana.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway – Book 12 in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Illustrated) – JK Rowling’s little book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, has been turned into a movie series. Now it gets an illustrated version. This book is NOT illustrated by the same person doing the Harry Potter books. I’m curious to see this one in person.
Mr. Gedrick and Me – When a family loses their father/husband, Mr. Gedrick appears. And like Mary Poppins, he is just what the family needs. I have been excited about this one since the author, Patrick Carmen, first mentioned it! This is at the top of my wish list for this week!
Raid of No Return – Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales takes on a World War II story in this graphic novel series that introduces kids to historic figures and events. I had this series in the library when I was teaching, and my students read them until they disintegrated. Such a great series!
The Real McCoys – “The world’s greatest fourth grade detective.” That’s all I had to read before I put this one on my list! Moxie’s crime-busting partner and best friend has moved away, so she has to investigate the disappearance of the school mascot on her own.
The Relic War – Book 1 in the new Daniel Coldstar series about a boy with amnesia who works to find relics  and finds one that could change his life – and save the universe. A new science-fiction series for older kids and teens.
Supergirl: Age of Atlantis – The folks at DC released a middle grade novel about The Flash last month, and now they have one about Supergirl. In this original story, Kara Danvers tries to find where a mysterious sea creature has come from and why ordinary citizens are displaying superpowers. I have the Flash book on my TBR; I have high hopes that the books will be as fun as the TV shows.
The Death Cure (Graphic Novel Prelude) – An original Maze Runner story set immediately before the events of The Death Cure. My older students LOVED the Maze Runner series. I’d love to show them this new addition to the series.
Follow Me – Book 2 in The Amateurs series by the author of Pretty Little Liars. A kidnapping victim looks exactly like a girl who died 5 years ago. This suspenseful series for teens sounds terrific.
Kat and Meg Conquer the World – Two girls are thrown together in a year-long science project. In each other, they might just find what they need to deal with the struggles they face on their own – and build a friendship they both need. This sounds awesome!
Now Is Everything – A family’s dark secrets  are at risk of exposure when Hadley tries to commit suicide and everyone wants to know why. This sounds mysterious and intense. This would be one I would have to stay up reading until I finished.
Renegades – The author of the Lunar Chronicles launches a new series this week – a superhero story! I am so excited to read this one!
Twelve (e-novella) – A new novella in the world of The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I pre-ordered this the minute I saw it was available. My teen and I are excited to read this. We both are huge fans of the original series. I reviewed the final book in that series here.

Books for Adults

A Fatal Collection – Book one in this new series about a young woman who inherits a music box store in Keepsake Cove.  I’ll be reviewing this one on Wednesday this week.
A Late Frost – Book 11 in the Orchard mystery series about an apple orchard. I’ve not tried any of these yet, but it looks like a series I would enjoy.
Assault and Buttery – Book 3 in the Popcorn Shop mystery series. I have the first two books on my TBR shelf, but I haven’t gotten to them yet. But I love the whole idea of a popcorn shop series.
Canal Days Calamity – Book 2 in the Dog Days mystery series. I reviewed this one here. I loved it and I’ve added book one to my TBR!
A Deadly Eclair – First in the French Bistro mystery series. I have enjoyed the author’s other work, and I’m looking forward to reading this mystery about a bistro owner suspected of murder.
Eaves of Destruction – Book 5 in the Fixer Upper series which is the basis of some great Hallmark movies. (Although the books are always better, the movies are quite fun). In this book, a building inspector is found dead at one of Shannon’s job sites.
Every Breath You Take – Book 5 in Mary Higgins Clark’s Under Suspicion series about a TV show that looks into cold cases. I haven’t read any of these, but the description of this one pushed me to put the whole series on my wish list.
In This Moment – The latest in the Baxter Family series. I have only read one book in the series, but several of my friends love every book in the line. This book focuses on an Indianapolis high school principal who starts a Bible study at his school and ends up in a lawsuit. I’m intrigued by the story and might give this one a try.
Much Ado About Murder – Book 3 in the Shakespeare in the Catskills mystery series about a resort and theater company that runs into trouble while staging Much Ado About Nothing. I’ll be reviewing this one next Wednesday.
Sorcerer’s Appendix – Fourth in the Brother’s Grimm mystery series staring Gretel (yes, that Gretel) as a private investigator. These sound fun. The description reminds me of the Nursery Crimes series by Jasper Fforde, which I loved.
Twice Upon a Christmas (kindle) – When a woman can’t decide what path to take in her life, she ends up living every day in December twice, one following each path. Shanna Swendson is an author I really like, When I saw that she had a holiday ebook, I pre-ordered it right away. I’m eager to read this holiday story.
Obama: An Intimate Portrait – Several years ago our family went on a tour of the White House. I was enthralled by the pictures that line every hallway.  I would love to see this book in person and see if it reflects what I experienced on that tour.
Search for Spock – A geeky version of Where’s Waldo. This is TOTALLY on my Christmas list!!
What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism – A collection of essays by Dan Rather that considers our national identity. I have appreciated some of Dan Rather’s writing over the last year. I’m curious to check this one out.

BOOK NEWS: October 17, 2017

BOOK NEWS: October 17, 2017

Posted on by Jaymie

We’re half way through October, and the holiday season is quickly approaching. I’m feeling ready for sweatshirt weather, soup, and crunchy leaves! Here are some new books releasing this week to enjoy as the season turns colder.

Books for Kids

Doctor Tenth: Christmas Surprise! – A Christmas story about Donna and the Tenth Doctor. I have yet to see this line in person, but I think the idea is adorable.
Malala’s Magic Pencil – Activist, Malala Yousafzai releases her story in picture book format to reach younger readers. This is going to be a powerful story! This would work in classroom settings, libraries and at home.
Merry Christmas, Peanut! – One of the things I love about this time of year is that Christmas books start releasing. In this book, a peanut has a yummy-looking adventure on his way to visit family for the holidays. The illustrations in these books are fantastic and clever. This is sure to be a hit!
Thanksgiving in the Woods – Based on the true story of a family who hosted their Thanksgiving celebration in the woods. As a teacher, I had a hard time finding great Thanksgiving stories to read in November. I would add this one to my repertoire if I was still teaching.
The Doctors Time and Space Collection – A collection of the first 8 books in this line (Includes Doctors 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12). Includes a poster. This is a great gift idea for Doctor Who fans who are also kids at heart!
Star Wars Forces of Destiny: Tales of Hope & Courage – Maz Kanata’s journal records the stories of 6 heroines of the Star Wars Saga.
Miss Tracy Is Spacey! – Book 9 in the My Weirdest School series by Dan Gutman. My students loved these short chapter books about a group of elementary school kids and their wacky school staff.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Secret Crush Catastrophe – Book 12 in this super popular middle grade series with a diary format. This time, Nikki has a dilemma when a new boy has a crush on her.
Frank Einstein and the Bio-Action Gizmo – Book 5 in this great science fiction series starring fun, smart kids and quirky robots.
Harry Potter: A Journey through the History of Magic – Based on the new exhibition at the British Library. I can’t wait to see this one in person!
Kid Sherlock – Graphic novel about new kid, John Watson (who happens to be a dog) and Sherlock Holmes. This looks adorable!
The Legend of Shadow High – The kids of Monster High meet the ones from Ever After High in this new book by Shannon Hale. I’ll be reviewing this one on Thursday this week.
Open If You Dare – Three friends find a box labeled “Open if you dare” and now they are solving a forty-year-old mystery. This sounds right up my alley.
Paper Chains – Two friends from very different family situations work their way through strains at home and in their friendship. This sounds absolutely lovely. It is at the top of my wish list for this week!
The Phantom of the Opera (Muppets) – The Muppets put their special spin on the classic story, The Phantom of the Opera. I’d love to see this in person to see what the Muppet influence is on the story.
The Summer of Owen Todd – Owen and Sean have been best friends for ages, so it’s no surprise when Sean opens up to Owen about things going on with the new babysitter Sean’s mom hired to look after him for the summer.  The question becomes what Owen should do – does he stay quiet like Sean asks him to? Or is this too big to keep to himself? This sounds like a younger kids version of A List of Cages (which is one of my favorite books of 2017). This is going to be a difficult but important book to read. This is also at the top of my list for this week.
The Magic Storm – Book 6 in the Phoebe and her Unicorn series. I LOVE this quirky comic series about a girl and her unicorn best friend. I pre-ordered this MONTHS ago, and I will be stalking the mail carrier on Tuesday, waiting for my copy.
Who Is Ralph Lauren? – Latest in the Who Was series of biographies
36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You – Two kids join a psychology study at their university to see if love can be engineered. Told in IMs, sketches and texts, this sounds like a fun read for teens and young adults. This is on my wish list for the library.
Dear Martin – A young African American journals to Dr. King, wondering if his teachings still hold up today when the young man is caught in an altercation with a white police officer. This is a timely story which has received a LOT of positive buzz leading up to the release. This is on my library list, too.
What Was That All About? – A 20-year look at the Duncan family from the Zits comic strip. As the mom of a teenager, I adore this comic. I have this book on my Christmas list!

Books for Adults

Cold as Ice – Book 6 in the Country Club Murders series about an amateur sleuth socialite. The covers for this series are appealing to me, so I have this whole series on my library list.
Planet Hulk – Prose novel based on the comic series about the Incredible Hulk on the planet Sakaar where he is sold into slavery. The Hulk is one of my favorite Marvel characters, so this is on my Christmas list.
Thor Ragnarok Prelude – Graphic novel prelude to the movie releasing in November. Collects Prelude 1-4, Thor (1966) 361, and Hulk (2000) 95.
30 Days to Joy – A one month creative journal including quotes and prompts. Could be a great gift idea, or something to structure my desire to be crafty when I don’t know what I want to do.
Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff – For fans of the show Fixer Upper comes this book by Chip Gaines about some of the antics and ideas he has pursued and the things he has learned along the way.
Chasing Light – As a visual person, I am a sucker for a fantastic photograph. When our family toured the White House several years ago, I was struck by the gorgeous pictures that lined the walls. This looks like a lovely collection of photos of one of our First Ladies.
Fast Food Genocide: How Processed Food Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It – If you are trying to make more healthy choices in your diet, this book could be a resource to motivate you, looking at the impact of processed food on our health. This is on my library list.
Seeing the Unseen – A 90-day devotional by Randy Alcorn with a focus on eternity. Includes scripture references as well as quotes from Christian leaders.
Why the Vote Wasn’t Enough for Selma – Examines the impact of the right to vote on African Americans in the south, specifically in Selma, with regard to economic justice and true “citizenship.”

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD - My Summer Reading Plan

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD – My Summer Reading Plan

Posted on by Jaymie

I am a planner by nature.

I always have a to do list, and I faithfully check things off as they are completed. Summer is a prime time for me to make a few lists.

There’s the list of projects I want to finish while school is not in session. Then I have the list of fun things I want to be sure we do before school starts up again. And finally, I have my summer reading plan.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago in my post about summer reading recommendations, a list or a challenge isn’t a great idea for every reader. For some folks, that would make the reading seem like a chore. But I LOVE a challenge. I was the kid who loved the March of Dimes reading challenge at school or who responded well to a sticker chart. Anything where I could track my achievements.

So I set a reading challenge every year in January, and I have another one that covers my summer reading. Here are some of the things on my 2017 Summer Reading Plan:

#Bookaday

If you are on Twitter, you can find a number of teachers tweeting about their reading year-round, but especially in the summer, with this hashtag. The idea is to try to read one book for every day of your “summer” (and you get to choose what qualifies as “summer). This year, my summer will run from June 5 to July 30, which is 56 days. This is pretty standard for me. It gives me a week or so after the school year ends to do whatever I want, which usually includes some reading, but is less structured for the transition from school year to summer. This also gives me whatever non-school days I can get at the start of August to shift my thinking from summer back to school year. So, my #bookaday goal this summer is to read at least 56 books.  The library is a great resource for #bookaday, although my TBR shelves at home easily hold 56 books.

Classics

I tend to read in pretty rigid categories. I like new books – the newer the better – and I stick with mysteries and fantasy/science fiction with some realistic fiction thrown in. This summer, I am challenging myself to read some classics. In most cases, these are re-reads – books I read ages ago but can’t remember. These are the classics on my list:

  • Sense and Sensibility – I’ve never read Austen, and I don’t like Pride and Prejudice, but I love the Sense and Sensibility movie
  • Jane Eyre
  • Wuthering Heights
  • Wrinkle in Time – I’m going to read the graphic novel
  • Much Ado About Nothing – One of my favorite Shakespeare plays

Family Challenge

Last summer my son and I chose 5 books for the other person to read. He did a fabulous job and read all 5 I recommended. I, however, did not. I ended up only reading 3 in the summer, and picked up a fourth one this spring when he insisted. This summer my husband is getting into the act. We are each choosing 2 books for the other two people in the house. I will be reading:

  • Rebels by David Liss (Book 2 in the Randoms series) – chosen by my teen
  • Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos – chosen by my teen
  • The Innocent by David Baldacci – chosen by my husband
  • The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos by Kami Garcia – chosen by my husband
  • I have assigned my son The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson (a book from my TBR shelves)
  • I have assigned my husband Alien Tango by Gini Koch and The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
  • My husband has assigned my son The Haunting of Barry Allen by Clay and Susan Griffith and The Recruit (CHERUB) by Robert Muchamore
  • My son has assigned my husband Randoms by David Liss and Quantum Prophecy: The Awakening by Michael Carroll

Nonfiction

I love learning new things, but I am not a good finisher when it comes to nonfiction. So I am challenging myself to read the following:

  • A Mile Wide by Brandon Hatmaker (My husband recommended this one)
  • The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
  • Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson (I have started this but haven’t finished)
  • Uninvited by Lysa TerKerst (I’ve read this but I want to read through it again)
  • Daring Greatly by Brené Browning

Re-reads

When I was teaching, my students were always so excited about summer break because they could re-read some of their favorite books without penalty. I love to re-read my favorites in January and also over the summer. Some of my re-reads this summer will be:

  • The Fixer and The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (I LOVED The Long Game but I’ve only read it once.)
  • The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde (a nursery rhyme based mystery)
  • StarFleet Academy – The Edge by Rudy Josephs (this is the first in a four book series with the new JJ Abrams cast in mind)
  • Talons of Power by Tui T. Sutherland (this is the most recent Wings of Fire book. I want to read it again before the last book comes out in July)
  • The Amber Photograph by Penelope Stokes (This is one of my comfort books that I read over and over)

New books

Of course, there are all sorts of new releases coming out this summer that I hope to read! If you check out my Book News posts on Mondays this summer, you’ll see some of the ones I am most looking forward to.

 

What are you hoping to read this summer? Do you like a challenge or do you prefer to read whatever comes along?

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Fall Out by Gwenda Bond

REVIEW: Lois Lane: Fall Out by Gwenda Bond

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lois Lane and her family have moved to Metropolis. Her dad hopes a more permanent post might give Lois some stability. And it is Lois’ intention to stay out of trouble at her new school. For once.

But that commitment to keep her head down and do what her dad expects goes right out the window when Lois sees a student being bullied. The principal ignores it. Actually says bullying helps toughen kids up and makes them prepared for the real world.

So Lois uses her job as a student reporter for the Daily Planet’s teen online newspaper to report what she’s seeing and hearing. Before long, everything blows up in her face – she’s grounded and threatened with military school, her friend has been sucked in by the bullies, and another friend is in danger.

If the powers that be think a little turmoil is going to get Lois Lane to back down, they really don’t understand her at all!

Review

Such a FUN take on the Lois Lane/Superman story! In this case, they are teens and only know each other online. Lois has no idea who SmallvilleGuy really is but the reader gets to enjoy little nods to the Clark Kent/Superman character.

Lois is fantastic. She’s like some of my favorite teen characters – Tess from The Fixer or Lizzie from Gini Koch’s Alien series. She has no tolerance for bullies or injustice. She’s willing to deal with the personal consequences of doing the right thing. The cast around her is great. I can’t wait to read book 2 and get to know them better.

The mystery is good. It’s bullying on the surface but much more underneath. There’s a supernatural/X-files-ish tone to it that was interesting and unexpected. The ending is satisfying but several loose ends remain which may come into play in future stories.

Great mystery. Smart, strong characters. I’m looking forward to reading the other books in this series. Book 2 is Double Down. Book 3 is Triple Threat.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My Favorite Re-Reads

Posted on by Jaymie

I sometimes have a complicated relationship with books. For the longest time, I kept each book I read. Eventually this created a space issue. Then I decided to just keep the “special” ones. There were no criteria for this designation – just a gut feeling. I kept all of my mystery series for certain. And then books I enjoyed so much I thought I might re-read them. Since I enjoy a lot of books each year, this meant I was still keeping a lot.

Eventually, I realized there were so many books I wanted to read for the first time that it was unlikely I would actually re-read everything I kept. But there are some…

My comfort books. The ones I go back to because I love the story or the character. Books I associate with certain events or seasons of life. The ones that leave me feeling wistful when I see them and I know it’s been forever since I read them.  Books that make me want to drop everything and dive into them all over again. And every January I try to read through as many of them as I can. It’s like visiting with old friends. Here are some of my favorite re-reads.

1. Andrew Clements books – These are some of the first books for kids that I read and loved. Clements tells great school stories about kids and teachers you want to cheer for. Frindle and No Talking are my favorites, but most of his older books are re-reads for me!

 

 

 2. Wings of Fire series – I remember the year I was setting up my library’s book fair and saw this book. I was captivated by the description and read it right away. Then I told all of my students about it. This is a special series! The first five books deal with the war for Sand Wing (a dragon tribe) succession. The second series picks up with a new set of young dragons living in a post-war world. This series just launched book 9, with book 10 slated for this summer. There’s also a stand alone book that fills in some backstory as well as some short e-books. And I think the series gets better and better as each book releases. I’ve taken to re-reading the books in the second series (books 6+) in anticipation of each new book, and that helps me remember all the cool details that are going to matter when the next book comes out.

3. The Westing Game – I read this mystery as a kid and fell in love with the twists and turns. This is the sort of book that you finish and have to read again right away to see where you missed the clues to the solution. I’m thrilled to say this stands up to the test of time. My son read it and loved it, prompting me to read it again as an adult. It was just as awesome as I remembered. In fact, it has become a go-to re-read for my teenage son as well!

 

4. The Harry Potter Series – I can’t tell you how many times we have re-read or listened to these books at our house! Each of us has a physical set of the books. Then we also have all of the outstanding audio books read by the amazing Jim Dale. The antics of the kids and the fight for good to triumph over evil never gets old.

 

 

5. The Fixer series – I have raved about this series multiple times on this blog in the short time since it went live. Book two is even better than book one. The main character is feisty and sticks up for the underdog and I love her. I look forward to spending time with the characters in these books – sometimes more than once a year.

 

 

 6. The Amber Photograph – I have three books by Penelope Stokes that I re-read periodically (this one, The Amethyst Heart and The Blue Bottle Club), but this is my most consistent re-read of the three. This is my sick-day book. If I’m in bed and don’t care to watch a movie or anything else, I will pull this book out. It’s an emotional one about a young woman driving across the country in search of information about who she is and about another woman hiding from her past. God’s redemption weaves through the whole story. It’s outstanding.

 

7. Deadline – Amazing suspense/mystery with a strong salvation message! This is a long, intricate book that covers a lot of issues including abortion, woven around a mystery of why the main character’s two best friends are dead. I love the passages that show one of those friends exploring Heaven. Deadline is a fantastic and inspiring mystery that I love to read over and over.

 

 

8. Touched by an Alien series – This is a very different book from the last two. And I love these just as much. This is a science fiction/romance series that over time has evolved into a science fiction/romance/mystery/suspense series. In book one, Kitty Katt discovers there are aliens on earth and she helps them take down a major villain. Over the course of the series, Kitty and her friends have to puzzle out who the true villains are and take them down as well. With two books releasing each year, and 500+ pages in each, this series gives readers a LOT to enjoy. I have several volumes in this series that are my ultimate favorites, but I usually re-read the last few before a new release and then re-read my favorite passages (don’t tell – I dog-eared them in my books!) when I want to enjoy some of Kitty’s best moments. Unlike the last two books in my list, this series is not Christian. The world view is much more open and the romantic passages are quite detailed. They are easily skipped over for any reader who isn’t interested in that portion of the story.

9. The Sons of Destiny series – Eight brothers with magical powers are exiled on a remote island because there’s a prophecy that if the eldest beds a woman, disaster will ensue and other prophecies about the other brothers will start to come true. Each book in the series focuses on one of the brothers. Two of the books are told concurrently (a pretty cool idea) but the rest go in order over time so that by the last book, the last of the prophecies are coming to pass. I adore this fantasy series. I have my favorite books and others that are less so, but I love the world where these take place and the main characters are fascinating. This is another book with a secular perspective. The romantic scenes are spelled out in detail, but again are easily skipped past if you want to get back to the magic and the story.

10. The Katie Chandler series – The last of my re-reads list is another fantasy series. Katie lives in a contemporary New York City and discovers that wizards, fairies and other magical beings really exist. Katie, though, is an immune. She has no magic whatsoever, so not only can she not DO any magic, but she can see through the illusions that the magic community uses to stay hidden. This makes her an important asset to the magical community when less-than-ethical forces try to take control. I just started reading through these again and I was thrilled to discover an 8th book came out at the end of 2016! So not only do I get to enjoy re-reading a favorite series, but I get a new installment at the same time!

 

So, those are my favorite re-reads. Do you have any books that you go back to time and time again?

REVIEW: The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

This is book two in the Fixer series. The Fixer was my favorite book of 2015. The Long Game is shaping up to be my favorite book of 2016!

Tess Kendrick is back, ready to stick up for the little guy. Still trying to figure out her place in her family. Wondering who to trust in Washington – and even at her own school.

I’d love to tell you more but this story is so twisty, it’s hard to share but not spoil. Just trust me. This was amazing. Mystery. Suspense.  All kinds of awesome.

the-long-game

Review

I adore Tess Kendrick. Her dry humor and snark are fun. I love her commitment to take up for the underdog, even if it puts her against very powerful people. I love her friends, especially Asher who is a delight. He is one of my favorite characters in all of literature. So sarcastic and funny!

When I started this book, I loved it because it was some of my favorite characters doing things I loved to read about. It was fun. It was comfortable in the best possible way. A smooth transition from book one to book two.

Then BAM! Everything – action, betrayal, danger – amps up to 11. Suddenly I found myself reading a very different sort of story. It was tense. It was unbelieveable. And it was awesome! I am hoping to have time to read it again over Thanksgiving or Christmas break. I can’t wait to sink into that story again!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of my go-to authors. If you’ve never read her stuff, start with The Fixer and then The Long Game. Then, if you love her work like I do, try her series, The Naturals. The final book in that series came out earlier this month, so you can read them all, back to back, without waiting.