Reviews, Etc.

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

BOOK NEWS: August 6, 2024

BOOK NEWS: August 6, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy August! It’s a great week for book lovers with TONS of new books releasing. Here are some of the new books out this week:

Books for Kids

 

Before the Ships: The Birth of Black Excellence – A picture book of Black history from before the beginning of the slave trade.
Memoirs of a Dog – Book 6 in this fun picture book series.
Mothman’s Happy Cryptid Halloween – Book 2 in the Cryptid Holiday Classics series after Mothman’s Merry Cryptid Christmas. Mothman and his friends help out when Halloween gets rained out. I enjoyed the first book so much – looking forward to reading this one!
Stay Angry, Little Girl – An encouragement to little girls to be brave and share their ideas, even if they might meet resistance.
We Are Definitely Human – Three aliens crash land on Earth and ask for help from the neighbors to get back home, insisting they are “definitely human.”
Cat on the Run in Cucumber Madness – Book 2 in the Cat on the Run series. Princess Beautiful is still on the run, but finds unexpected assistance.
Disaster Squad: Wildfire Rescue – First in a new series from Branches and Scholastic about a family that travels the country helping with disaster relief.
The Epic Guide to Dragon Masters – A resource guide for the Dragon Masters series.
The Puppy Place: Trixie – Book 69 in this long-running chapter book series.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Legend of the Last Library – In a future where trees have been wiped out and paper is rare, three kids stumble onto a secret – there’s a hidden library still in existence. The last of its kind.
Molly and the Bear: An Unlikely Pair (Graphic Novel) – Molly’s new best friend is a huge bear who is afraid of everything.
We Are Big Time (Graphic Novel) – Aliya is new to Wisconsin and new to her school. And the basketball team is pretty dreadful – something she hopes to help change.
Who Is Lin-Manuel Miranda?
Silent Sister – Two sisters go missing on a class trip, and only one is found. While she has no memory of what happened, she’s determined to use her sister’s journal to help her figure it out.
Witty in Pink – A girl is stuck with her nemesis all summer.

Books for Adults

Apprentice to the Villain (Trade Paperback) – The sequel to the delightful Assistant to the Villain. (My favorite book of 2023.) The Villain’s sunshine assistant needs to step up her game if she’s going to help protect her boss and the entire kingdom. This will be a drop-everything-and-read book when my preorder from 2023 finally arrives!!
Behind Every Good Man (Trade Paperback) – The wife of a Maryland senatorial campaign manager goes toe to toe with him when she starts working for his boss’s opponent after catching her husband in a compromising position.
Between a Flock and a Hard Place (Hardcover) – A home improvement reality show runs into trouble, first when a flock of wild turkeys are lured to the property, and second when someone is murdered.
Errands & Espionage (Trade Paperback) – A newly-single mother is recruited to pose as a recently-killed spy to finish her mission.
Full Speed to a Crash Landing (Hardcover, novella) – First in the new Chaotic Orbits series. A space looter is picked up by a government ship on a secret mission – where the agent in charge starts to think there might be more to their unexpected guest than meets the eye. Yes, please!
The Great Dating Fake Off (Trade Paperback) – There’s some complicated crushing going on when a couple spends time together during a large Italian wedding – where both of them have shown up in fake relationships. Yes, this too!
Hot Earl Summer (Trade Paperback) – Book 5 in the Wild Wynchesters series. A spinster and an inventor posing as an earl get stuck in a captivating castle while it is under siege.  Yes, please!
Plot Twist (Trade Paperback) – A first time romance novelist and a long-time crime novelist dig into an online feud that challenges them to write something together. Yes, please!
Zero Stars Do Not Recommend (Trade Paperback) – When the sun explodes while he’s on an island vacation, Dan will have to decide if he’s going to stay on the island to help the other vacationers or if he’s going to try to get one of the last seats off the island.
I Surrender All (Trade Paperback) – Something new from Priscilla Shirer.
New Testament in Color: A Multiethnic Bible Commentary (Hardcover) – Looking forward to this New Testament commentary!

 

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.

BOOK NEWS: July 30, 2024

BOOK NEWS: July 30, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books out this week:

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Fowl Play – Chloe believes her favorite uncle might have been murdered, and she decides to do some investigating. This is described as Knives Out meets Finding Orion, and that was all I needed to know!
The Night Librarian (Graphic Novel) – Twins take on a secret mission to find their dad’s missing edition of Dracula and uncover a world where literary characters have broken free from their stories.
The Grandest Game – First in the new Grandest Game series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a companion series to the Inheritance Games series. Avery and the Hawthorne Brothers have created an annual game to win fame and fortune, and seven participants with secrets to hide show up hoping to win. I will absolutely be reading this!
Such Charming Liars – The latest thriller from Karen M. McManus. Mother-and-daughter grifters run into  unexpected guests at their last score before going straight. These are always top notch!

Books for Adults

Between Friends & Lovers (Trade Paperback) – An Instagram celebrity is struggling over the areas of her life that don’t live up to her image including her unrequited crush who shows up at an event with her childhood bully. So instead, she takes up with a writer who has found fast and unexpected fame. I’m really curious about this one!
The Bookshop Sisterhood (Trade Paperback) – Four women about to achieve their dream of opening a bookshop together each get news that puts their dream in jeopardy.
The Fiancé Dilemma (Trade Paperback) – Josie creates a fake engagement to help her with some bad PR. This sounds cute!
Name Your Price (Trade Paperback) – Two exes get drawn into a reality TV show where they have to spend a month locked together in a house. This sounds cute, too!
Cross Stitch in the Forest (Nonfiction) – A cross stitch collection from Max Pigeon/Pigeon Coop. I LOVE this designer, and I pre-ordered this ages ago. Can’t wait to see it in person!
Star Trek: Illustrated Oral History (Hardcover – nonfiction) – The story of Star Trek told by the cast of the Original Series.
Take Care of Your Friends: An Enneagram Guide to Interpersonal Relationships (Hardcover – nonfiction) – I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

 

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.

BOOK NEWS: July 23, 2024

BOOK NEWS: July 23, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books out this week:

Books for Kids

When Beavers Flew: An Incredible True Story of Rescue and Relocation – The story of a Fish and Wildlife Game Warden who relocated beavers with parachutes in Idaho to save both a new town and the wetlands.

Books for Teens/Young Adults

The Ghostkeeper (LGBTQ+, Graphic Novel) – The story of a man who can see ghosts trying to help them move on when the key to the Doors of Death goes missing and the ghosts are trapped here with humans who want to destroy them.

Books for Adults

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop (Trade Paperback) – First in a new Halloween Bookshop Mystery series by Emmaline Duncan. The new manager of Lazy Bones Books finds herself a murder suspect when someone dies at the start of the Lit Festival she’s hosting.
A Cup of Flour, a Pinch of Death (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Baker Street Mystery series. Maddy is suspected of murder when her rival comes to town and their argument goes viral before the woman is killed.
Do Me a Favor (Trade Paperback) – A blocked cookbook ghostwriter finds inspiration in the handyman who is her new next door neighbor. There are some fun details of this second chance romance – such as a career as a cookbook ghostwriter – that make me want to pick this one up!
Jewel Me Twice (Trade Paperback) – Former lovers reunite for one last heist while trying to ignore the chemistry between them.
Ne’er Duke Well (Trade Paperback) – A new duke trying to become “respectable” hires someone to help him.  Over time, she starts to think that she could be the perfect wife for him… if it weren’t for the secret erotic library she runs.
The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series by India Holton. Rival ornithologists are drawn into a competition to be named the Birder of the Year. If I didn’t already love Holton’s Dangerous Damsels series, I might not give this a try. But I AM a fan of that quirky series, so I will absolutely be checking this one out!
Star Trek: The Original Series: Lost to Eternity (Trade Paperback) – A follow-up story to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (The One with the Whales). Yes, please!
A Very Woodsy Murder (Hardcover) – First in the new Golden Motel Mystery series. A sitcom writer and her first ex-husband decide to renovate a remote motel. Among the many things they aren’t prepared for is a murder.

 

REVIEW: Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

REVIEW: Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lee and Wren have been best friends since 8th grade. Prank partners. Ride or die – even after Lee moved across the country when his mom got a new job. It doesn’t matter that he’s Moonstruck, and she’s a Mundane without any magick. He’s her person. Period.

Lee is off to Moon Isle for school where Wren just can’t go. She’s been trying to figure out her next steps while his have been laid out for him his whole life. They won’t be able to talk to one another at all while he’s away. But at midnight on Wren’s 18th birthday, everything changes. She’s literally Moonstruck.

While mysterious, this development ensures that Wren gets to go to Moon Isle with Lee and her other Moonstruck friend, Sam. But the mysteries don’t stop once Wren gets there. While she questions whether she’ll ever feel like she belongs – and her feelings for Lee – Wren starts getting odd, cryptic messages. Those lead her to more questions, especially about what really happened to Lee’s older sister when she was at Moon Isle.

Review

Arrgh! I don’t love cliffhangers, especially at the end of a captivating book. And this was captivating from start to finish.

I really enjoyed this – I was drawn in by the magical system here, and I enjoyed the magical school setting. This book gives readers the barest bits of information and clues to draw you from chapter to chapter. And then that cliffhanger?! Really?! I literally shouted “No!” at the end.

I’m eager to read the sequel when it comes out so I can see all of the pieces put together. My only hesitation is that I did not love the romantic sub-plot. The female and non-binary characters in this are fantastic! But I didn’t love Lee at all. I am hoping that I get a better sense of him in book 2.

Fantasy fans and fans of the authors should definitely check this out. The second book of this duology is scheduled to release in the spring of 2025. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read