Black Solstice (Graphic Novel) – Last winter solstice, every Black person developed a special power for just one day. And another winter solstice is just days away. This sounds AMAZING!
Loki: Journey Into Mystery – A prose novel adaptation of the graphic novel series.
Star Trek Lower Decks: U.S.S. Cerritos Crew Handbook – A guide to the USS Cerritos from Star Trek Lower Decks. Yes, please!
Leo’s Uncle Mo is in town, and Leo’s mom has asked him to babysit. He’s not very fun. And he follows ALL the rules. And he’s even in town for a boring reason – a rubber band convention!
But Leo and Mo are magically whisked away to the Secret Society of Aunts and Uncles where Mo has the chance to learn to be a great uncle.
The premise here is cute, although a bit harsh at times. Mo’s initial “failure” is that he has personal rules and plans to follow the rules Leo’s mom has set out. I’d hate to see a real aunt or uncle shamed for honoring a parent’s rules or expectations.
In the end, though, Mo discovers he doesn’t really KNOW Leo, and that *is* a big deal. And when he puts his new knowledge together with his own know how, the day is saved.
This has mixed reviews from me. I would be hesitant to gift this to someone or to read it to children because I don’t think the messaging is good all the way through, although it does have a couple of redeeming moments.
[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Galahad is in the market for a building where he can open a gaming hell. And he’s found the perfect opportunity in an ideal location. Except for the neighbors.
Galahad’s business opportunity is next door to an orphanage – the one where Venus teaches. The two of them have NEVER gotten along. But he needs to smooth things over between them if they are going to be “neighbors.”
But just as things start to get even cozier that just “smoothed over,” Vee finds out about Galahad’s real estate deal – and how it impacts the orphanage.
This was a fun conclusion to this great series! I didn’t adore this as much as I did the two earlier books. At times this felt too introspective, with long passages of the characters thinking through their feelings and dilemmas. But I loved Galahad. He was a fascinating character and I loved his interactions with the boys from the orphanage.
This feels like a book newcomers could start with. There are several references to what came before, especially with how Vee and Gal initially met. But it’s not so much that it would keep a new reader from enjoying this without the full backstory. I personally enjoyed Never Fall for Your Fiancée and Never Rescue a Rogue even more than this one, so I’d definitely recommend new readers go back and check out the earlier books, too. Series fans should absolutely finish out the series and check out this final installment. (Sex)
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.
Hippos Remain Calm – A follow up to the classic Hippos Go Berserk.
Death in the Dark Woods (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Monster Hunter Mystery series. Morgan is called in when a man is found dead in the same area where there have recently been sightings of a Bigfoot-type creature.
Housebroke (Trade Paperback) – A wealthy property developer and a homeless dog foster mom share a house while he flips it. This sounds so fun!
Disabling Leadership: A Practical Theology for the Broken Body of Christ (Nonfiction) – A colleague is part of the team who put this resource together for churches looking to grow in their theology and practice around disability and the Church.
Regina Grey is used to going unseen. School things are tricky. Her younger brother is a handful. Regina is happy to lose herself in her books.
But then she helps someone solve a problem at recess. And then someone else. And someone else. She’s really good at it – and everyone is noticing her.
But all of that noticing is getting in the way of Regina’s reading time. She has her own problem to fix!
I have had this book on my wish list for months. It’s a fun story I think kids will enjoy.
Regina has an unusual gift – one that isn’t always celebrated in stories. Or in real life. I loved seeing her highlighted here. I also enjoyed her journey to discovering how good it feels to be seen and valued.
This would be a fun read aloud for a new school year!
*♥♥♥½ = Good +
[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
After three consecutive Christmases with a murder, the town of Mistletoe is afraid their history will impact holiday tourism. So the mayor convinces the town and business owners to tighten their belts a little so they can invite a pricey ballet troupe to town to perform The Nutcracker.
But when the star dancer is found dead on a float during the town’s holiday parade, it seems Mistletoe’s efforts to distance themselves from their deadly past were in vain.
This was a fun holiday adventure, and I think series fans – and newcomers – can enjoy it.
For the first half to two-thirds, I felt like the quaint town and holiday activities were seriously overshadowing the mystery. And I actually liked it – Mistletoe is so fun! And Holly’s family and friends are fantastic. But when I noticed the mystery bits felt like an intrusion on the holiday story, I realized things were a bit out of balance.
All of the fun holiday details will amuse readers as long as they aren’t too attached to digging into a mystery. I don’t feel like the primary case gives readers enough details to care about the victim or about finding a solution. The secondary mystery was a little more satisfying. I figured out a good portion of the things on my own, which always feels satisfying.
Series fans will want to see Evan and Holly move toward their wedding. And I don’t think this is too insider-y to keep newcomers from starting here. This will definitely put readers in a Christmas mood.
*♥♥♥½ = Good +
Mercy Watson Is Missing! – Book 7 in the Tales from Deckawoo Drive series. Mercy Watson has gone missing and her whole community is trying to find her. These books – a follow up to the Mercy Watson series – are great fun. I can’t wait to read this one! I already have this on hold at the library.
The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale (Trade Paperback) – When Dee’s life implodes, she heads to Dublin to participate in a writing program and find a new life. I am looking forward to reading this one!
The Fake Mate (Trade Paperback) – A paranormal romance about two wolf shifters fake dating? Yes, please.
Raiders of the Lost Heart (Trade Paperback) – Rival archaeologists head to Mexico for a dig where thieves are prowling around their dig site. This sounds fun!
A River of Golden Bones (Hardcover) – Book one in the Golden Court series. A secret twin must protect their sister and kingdom when an evil sorceress returns with a sleeping curse. This sounds fascinating!
The Second Chance Year (Trade Paperback) – After her life implodes (it’s a trend this week), a woman gets a do-over of the last year where she sees the red flags – and potential love interest – she missed the first time around. Fun!
Sniffing Out Murder (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series. A children’s book author – and her bloodhound – are murder suspects.
This Spells Love (Trade Paperback) – When a spell to forget her ex goes awry, Gemma has to convince her former best friend – who doesn’t remember her – to kiss her in order to set things right.
Dragon has never heard of Santa, and last year he hibernated through Christmas. But he’s all in on helping his best friend, Pup, catch a Christmas Elf.
I am always on the hunt for some good early chapter books to recommend to parents and kids for those who are starting to read on their own. This is the first book in a new series, and it’s in a graphic novel format that I think kids will like.
This story is cute! The illustrations are fun and colorful. The scenarios are silly and zany. I think kids will enjoy these two friends and their wacky adventures in their quest to catch a Christmas elf.
*♥♥♥½ = Good+
Poppy Banks has always wanted to be a writer. But life has not gone like she planned. It’s gotten so bad she’s ready to give in to her critical mother’s constant negativity and give up writing completely.
But Poppy’s mysterious aunt isn’t going to let her just quit. She leaves Poppy her exclusive writer’s retreat – at a villa in France. In order to inherit, Poppy has to live there for six months and write a novel.
Without hope for writing, Poppy is tempted to bide her time and sell the villa to dig herself out of the hole. But her aunt was the only one who ever seemed to believe in Poppy. And it would be ungrateful to not let her aunt’s plans unfold and just see how things might turn out.
This was excellent! Early on I really connected with the writing of this novel – the way the author described and phrased things. I would mark pages with especially good passages. But before long I was captivated by Poppy – by her struggles, the family drama, the war within herself between confidence and fear. I didn’t want to put this down.
A lot of the conflict in the novel is internal for Poppy, so in some ways this was a little more introspective than you might expect from a “romance.” I liked it this way. While there are several moments of emotional conflict, for the most part this is light on tension and turmoil, which I loved. (Language, sex – TW: attempted sexual assault)
*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!
Betting on You – A YA release from Lynn Painter. Two teens who are convinced they have nothing in common start betting on a budding relationship between their coworkers as well as fake dating to disrupt things with her mom’s new boyfriend. But when the two start moving toward more-than-friends status, a secret can destroy what is growing between them. Yes please!
Didn’t See That Coming – A YA release from Jesse Q. Sutanto. A girl gamer who hides behind a male persona online transfers to a school where her online best friend goes – but she doesn’t know who he is. I am looking forward to reading and reviewing this one soon!
The Twelve Kittens of Christmas (LGBTQ+ Trade Paperback) – Killian is just being a nice guy when he tells a friend’s brother that he can sleep on his couch until he gets back on his feet. And it was a fluke that they rescued those two kittens, but as two kittens becomes more, the relationship between the two unexpected roommates might become more as well. This sounds adorable, so of course I put it on my Christmas list!
Road Queens (Trade Paperback) – When tragedy strikes, a group of bikers that were helping victims of domestic violence disbands. But several years later they reconnect when one is accused of murdering someone from their past. This sounds AMAZING! So it’s also on my Christmas list.
