Reviews, Etc.

BOOK NEWS: July 18, 2023

BOOK NEWS: July 18, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Hope your summer – and your summer reading – is going well! Here are some of the new books out this week.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Buzzing (Graphic Novel) – While his new friends and their role playing game seem to be helping Isaac cope with his OCD, his helicopter mother and his therapist don’t think he should keep playing.
Charming – Prince Charming is really a con man and three of his recent victims have just met each other – and they’re ready for revenge. Yes!!!

Books for Adults

Only Good Enemies (ebook) – Book 2 in the Galactic Bonds series by Jennifer Estep. Vesper and Kyrion must team up again as they both try to take down Techwave before someone takes them out – permanently. I seriously need to dive into book 1 so I am ready for this one.
Star Trek: Godshock (Hardcover Graphic Novel) – Ben Sisko is back, and he has some new powers after his years with the Prophets. But his powers are fading just when there’s a new threat on the horizon. I’m intrigued by the teasers of who will be joining Sisko on this adventure! This includes the prequel story and issues 1-6.
Star Wars: Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade (Hardcover) – The story of a Jedi padawan who eventually turns to the Dark Side. This looks amazing.
Take the Honey and Run (Hardcover) – First in a new Bee Keeping Mystery series.  A mystery writer comes home to help her grandmother after a fall, but then her grandmother becomes the prime suspect in a murder. I love the clever set up of this one. I hope to review it soon.
The Intentional Year Journal – A guided journal companion to The Intentional Year book/philosophy.

 

REVIEW: I Am Batman by Brad Meltzer

REVIEW: I Am Batman by Brad Meltzer

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

From the folks who created the delightful Ordinary People Change the World series comes a new series called Stories Change the World. I Am Batman and I Am Superman kicked off the series last year, and this week I Am Wonder Woman released.

The book tells the story of young Bruce Wayne and his journey to becoming Batman. There are references to some of Batman’s most famous associates – Alfred, Robin, Batgirl (Brad Meltzer – I NEED a Batgirl book!!), and Commissioner Gordon.  We also get to see some of his most recognizable foes – Riddler, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, and the Joker.

And through it all, the book focuses on Bruce’s character – just like the Ordinary People books do. This is everything I have come to love and appreciate about the original series, but with a shift from biographies of famous people to an exploration of a fictional character. I cannot wait to see what other stories this series explores. (Maybe, like the Who HQ, these will explore the Star Trek universe!)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

 

REVIEW: Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik

REVIEW: Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lexi is back on Valovia – a place she promised herself she’d never return to – because the price was just too good to ignore.

But before she can adjust to the double sunrise and sunset on Valovia, she’s on the run from the Empress once again.

Teaming up with Nilo hardly seems like a good idea, considering their history. But at least they both have a vested interest in seeing their friends on Starlight’s Shadow safe and successful in their shared mission to prevent a new war.

But when Starlight’s Shadow goes missing in Valovian space, Lexi will have to trust Nilo if she’s going to have any hope of saving her friends.

Review

This was a satisfying end to the Starlight’s Shadow series. But I’ve noticed that I tend to struggle with the third book in the author’s trilogies. I struggled with the third book in the Consortium Rebellion series, too (although that book has grown on me after subsequent reading).

Lexi was super hard for me to like early on. The trust issues she had make total sense considering the war. And the panic she feels with Nilo’s mental connection has a PTSD-ish quality to it. But instead of making me empathize with her, she came across as difficult and abrasive. Looking back at the whole story, I’m sure that was the point. I just struggled to click with her which made it harder to get into the flow of the story.

I was satisfied with the wrap up of the series-arcing conspiracy. Also I think that because this book had to both tell Lexi’s story AND wrap up the whole series, it made some sections drag at bit while I waited for the action to kick up again. But it all came together in the end.

I might re-read this series again. My re-read of Hunt the Stars and Eclipse the Moon in preparation for reading this was super fun.  I love the Valoffs and the world-building around them. They are my favorite part of this series. But given the choice, I would re-read Polaris Rising and the Consortium Rebellion series first. It was the better fit for me as a reader.

Series fans should definitely pick this up to wrap up the series. I wouldn’t start here. I think there’s too much backstory and worldbuilding that comes in the first two books to read these out of order. And if you’ve never read Polaris Rising, be sure to pick that up when you’ve finished this series – it’s AMAZING! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ =  Good+

 

BOOK NEWS: July 11, 2023

BOOK NEWS: July 11, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids

Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow – Bruce’s friends try to get him excited about Halloween but their scary story takes a spooky turn.
I Am Wonder Woman – The latest from the Stories Change the World series.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

 

Dear Rosie (Graphic Novel) – Four middle schoolers struggle to adjust after the death of one of their best friends.
The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle – Grady and his dad inherit a tapestry scrap that is rumored to be a map to lost treasure. This looks fun!
Sky Ropes (Older Middle Grade) – A girl at camp hopes to avoid the high ropes because of her fear of heights and memories of her father’s abuse.
What Do We Know About Alien Abduction? – A new nonfiction book from Who HQ in their cryptid/unexplained phenomena line, What Do We Know About.
Give Me a Sign – A girl with hearing loss who never feels hearing or deaf “enough,” finds community at a camp for hearing and visually impaired kids.
The Prince and the Apocalypse – A girl having the worst vacation in London rescues a runaway prince and they decide to keep helping each other out, especially as a comet seems determined to destroy the planet in 8 days. Yes, please!
Stars Hide Your Fires – A thief sneaks into the Emperor’s Ball on a space station only to become a suspect when the Emperor is found dead. A sci-fi mystery?! Again, yes, please!

Books for Adults

A Cryptic Clue (Hardcover) – First in the Hunter and Clewe Mystery series. A retired university librarian and a collector team up to catalog his collection of rare books and artifacts – and to solve a mystery. This sounds delightful!
Hello Stranger (Hardcover) – From the author of The Bodyguard, one of my favorite reads of 2022. When a portrait artist develops face-blindness, it’s only one of many things that throw her life into turmoil. I’ll be attending an event with the author this month – I’m super excited for it!
It Happened One Fight (Trade Paperback) – Just when Joan is ready to take charge of her film career and get away from Dash,  she discovers that one of his many pranks actually means they are legally married! She has to do one last project with him – and she’s had it moved to Reno so they can establish residency to get a divorce. But the time with Dash starts to change her opinion of him. This sounds amazing!
A Lady’s Guide to Scandal (Trade Paperback) – A widow prepared to enjoy her wealth and her freedom is drawn back into contact with the man who broke her heart. I hope to review this one soon!
Macarons Can Be Murder (Hardcover) – First in a new Paris Kentucky Bakery Mystery series. A woman with a French bakery in the South gets pulled into an investigation because her one chance to save her business has been arrested for murder.
The Only Purple House in Town (Trade Paperback) – An app designer encounters his high school crush and before he knows it he’s taken a room at her quirky boarding house. I hope to review this soon, too.
Thief Liar Lady (Hardcover) – Cinderella sets the record straight on what she and her “evil” stepsisters were really up to that night at the ball – and how all of their plans have unraveled. Top of my list for this week!
You with a View (Trade Paperback) – Grieving over the loss of her grandmother, Noelle discovers she had a secret love – but the road to learning more is tainted by her high school nemesis  who is along for the ride. This is another I hope to review soon,.

REVIEW: What Is the Story of Captain Picard? by David Stabler

REVIEW: What Is the Story of Captain Picard? by David Stabler

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

The Who HQ line of nonfiction books for kids adds the story of Jean Luc Picard to their line which also includes What Is the Story of Captain Kirk? This book includes some basic Trek history – from the timeline for TOS (The Original Series) to side bars about Rodenberry, Trek captains, and Picard’s hobbies – as well as background on the actor who plays Captain Picard, Sir Patrick Stewart. Then Picard’s story is told in highlights from key Next Generation (TNG) episodes.

Review

This is really well done! The author does a great job of synthesizing 7 seasons worth of TNG episodes to build a cohesive biography for Picard. A biography for a fictional character! Something not easy to pull off.

There’s no info dump here – nothing bogs the reader down. Tidbits of info are offered (with some spoilers) while the author moves quickly through highlights of Picard’s journey. (Although I did take issue with one instance where the author’s summary of the captain’s motives in a situation didn’t match the episode in my opinion). The book is current through initial planning and discussions of Picard season two.

I’m impressed by how deftly the author moves between reality – box office numbers, series actors, the larger Trek universe – and fiction with the life of Picard and to a lesser extent that of some of his friends. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and highly recommend it for Star Trek fans and newbies alike.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Frances and George are settling into married life and ready to get back to their respective work. George has recovered from his injury and is taking on a new, secret assignment. And Frances is supposed to be handling a young woman’s presentation to the queen.

Miss Katherine Stover is the niece of Lady Winstead. When Frances goes to meet Miss Stover, she discovers Lady Winstead is very ill. And one of her oldest friends, Lady Esther, finds her friend’s condition alarming – and suspicious.

But before Frances can get a handle on Lady Winstead’s condition – and investigate a couple accusations of theft in the household – someone is murdered, leaving Frances and George with more questions than ever.

Review

This was a fun addition to the Countess of Harleigh mystery series, and the conclusion of the book was excellent. I enjoyed spending time with Frances and George as always, and the set up for this story was great. The middle dragged a bit where everything seemed to just spin in place without any progress forward. Thankfully there was a nice twist toward the end that I enjoyed, and it propelled the rest of the story forward to a fantastic end.

I have enjoyed this historical mystery series since the beginning, and I’m thrilled to keep up with it. This is book 6 in the series, and I think newcomers could start with this book without much difficulty. But for the full Frances and George experience, you’ll want to go back to book 1, A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder where it all began.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

 

BOOK NEWS: July 4, 2023

BOOK NEWS: July 4, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy Independence Day (week) and welcome to the first release week of July. Here are some of the new books out this week!

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Pure of Heart (Disney Mirrorverse) – First in the new Mirrorverse line from Disney Press. A Mirrorverse Snow White, with new powers, faces evil versions of her friends created by Dark Magic. In order to defeat the Evil Queen, Sorcerer Mickey, the ruler of the Mirrorverse, assigns some special Guardians to help Snow White in her quest. This sounds quirky and clever, and I can’t wait to check it out!

 

Books for Adults

A Body in 3B (ebook – July 7) – First in the new Murder at Morrisey Mystery series. A woman and her ghost friend try to help the police solve a murder.
Business or Pleasure (Trade Paperback) – When a ghostwriter meets the next personality she is working with, it turns out to be they guy from that disappointing one night stand. So in addition to helping him with his book, she offers to help him in the bedroom, too.
Dane of My Existence (Trade Paperback) – From the author of For the Love of the Bard. A lawyer in Bard’s Rest on sabbatical runs into a developer who wants to take out the town’s outdoor theatre. I have book one on my TBR – I need to catch up on this series!
Excavations (Hardcover) – Four women at an archaeological dig have to team up to dig into a mystery surrounding an artifact they have discovered. I am intrigued by this one!
Flop Dead Gorgeous (Hardcover) – Book 27 in the delightful Andy Carpenter series.  Andy’s high school girlfriend – now a famous actress – is accused of murdering her co-star. Of course, Andy takes the case. I’ll be reviewing this one soon!
Marvel Wastelanders: Star-Lord (Trade Paperback) – Novelization of a scripted podcast. Star-Lord and Rocket are on Earth – in Doctor Doom’s Wastelands – at the behest of the Collector, looking for an ancient relic.
Don’t Let Them Bury My Story (Hardcover) – The oldest living survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre shares her story.
Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away (Trade Paperback) – How to say yes to Jesus while saying no to church politics and burnout.

REVIEW: Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzales and Gabriela Epstein

REVIEW: Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzales and Gabriela Epstein

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Five Latino students are dumped together to do community service in their middle school cafeteria. Through their service hours they learn to look past their assumptions about one another while also trying to help someone in need.

Review

This is an excellent, richly layered story! I love how they told so much in both English and Spanish (The author’s note on this is excellent – don’t miss it!) And the storyline of helping someone else both pulled the five individuals into a team, but it also balanced the rest of the story which focuses on the challenges for the five kids.

This would be an excellent addition to a classroom or library graphic novel collection. Also a fun addition to Spanish classes! This would be a fantastic choice for a book group where each reader could read a copy and discuss together the various layers of the story.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio

REVIEW: The Gay Best Friend by Nicolas DiDomizio

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Domenic Marino is a man caught in the middle. He and Patrick have been best friends since they were kids. Of course he’s the best man for Patrick’s wedding. And of course that means he’s planning the bachelor party.

When Patrick and Kate got together, Dom and Kate also became best friends. And he’ll be attending her bachelorette party, too.

But there are a couple things casting a pall on the festivities. First, Dom’s break up – and wedding cancellation – is still fresh and painful. On top of that, he’s getting pulled between Patrick and Kate as Patrick is keeping secrets, and Kate expects Dom to act as her spy.

But when Dom hangs out with Bucky – who is a PGA star who can’t afford bad press – in order to avoid the bachelor party shenanigans that would put him in an even more awkward secret-keeping position, it’s a great break from the pressure. Until it leads to even more secrets.

Review

Reading this was a journey. I loved Dom at the start. He has a great “voice” at the start of the book with just the right amount of sass. But as the story goes on and things start to unravel, Dom’s issues become more obvious. And the dynamics in the two parts of the wedding party aren’t much better. I kept thinking, “Dom needs a therapist. All of these people need a therapist.”

By the end, I was pleased with how it all came together. The romance was both sweet and steamy while also being part of the overall mess. The whole middle of the book was something I had to push through because I really wanted to know what would happen. It was a lot at times. But the resolution was super satisfying! Totally worth the middle messes.

If you love a romance where it all falls apart before the characters have to rebuild somewhat from scratch, you should absolutely give this a try! (language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great!

BOOK NEWS: June 27, 2023

BOOK NEWS: June 27, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the last release week of June – here’s a quick look at some of the books out this week!

Books for Kids

Molly’s Tuxedo – Molly’s had enough experiences with uncomfortable dresses (with no pockets!) that she knows she can’t wear one for picture day. She wants to wear her brother’s tux instead – but her mother isn’t quite on board with that plan. Published in partnership with GLAAD.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Manslaughter Park – Book 3 in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series after Pride and Premeditation and Sense and Second-Degree Murder (♥♥♥♥). A queer retelling of Mansfield Park. When Fanny’s uncle dies in an accident, she finds evidence that it might have been murder.
Plus One – A matchmaker gets pushed into find a match for herself to spite her cousin.
The Quiet Part Out Loud – High school sweethearts watch their plans to be together at college blow up and they go their separate ways. Five months later they cross paths, but before they can really deal with their feelings about their past, an earthquake hits. Fascinating set up for this one!

 

Books for Adults

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective (Trade Paperback) – Charlotte hung up her blue landline phone – and stashed it in her mother’s garage – after middle school when she stopped being a kid detective. Now as a young woman, the blue phone has rung again and she’s back on the case. I’m so excited about this one! I found it free for Kindle a couple weeks ago, and I snapped that up!
Murder Is a Piece of Cake (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Baker Street Mystery series. A rival bakery is coming to New Bison, and when the owner is found dead Maddy is the prime suspect. I loved the first book in this series – can’t wait to read this one!
A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune and Murder (Hardcover) – Book 6 in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series.  George and Frances join forces when Frances thinks someone might be trying to kill her latest “client” who asked for Frances’ help preparing her niece to meet the queen. I adore this series and can’t wait to read this one.
Playing for Keeps (Trade Paperback) – An amusing coffee house meet-cute leads to a gaming contest between a woman with a big personality that hides her lack of self-confidence and an overworked businessman. I’ve already pre-ordered this one!
Road to Roswell (Hardcover) – While in Roswell for a UFO-themed wedding, a skeptic is abducted by aliens. She ultimately believes she needs to  help the alien with something, but she’s not quite sure what. I have this on my list for this week!
Role Playing (Trade Paperback, July 1) – A grumpy-sunshine story starring two gamers who only know each other online and who have made some faulty assumptions about one another. Amazon offered this is a free read for June, and I snapped it up!
The Seven Year Slip (Trade Paperback) – A young woman in search of love – and afraid to let herself find it – starts to fall for a man she meets in her apartment. A man who lives seven years in her past. This is the next paranormal/science fiction romance from the amazing Ashely Poston, and I can’t wait to read it!
Will They Or Won’t They (Trade Paperback) – Two actors who have despised each other for years after a secret fling reunite on their hit show for the final season where their characters are supposed to (finally) get together. Sounds amazing!
You’ve Been Served (Trade Paperback) – Simone is finding that law school is not all the romantic comedies would have led her to believe. But she’s determined to finish, despite the professor who wants her to fail and the gorgeous suck- up in her class who infuriates her.
Freaks, Gleeks & Dawson’s Creek (Hardcover) – The behind-the-scenes stories of shows like Glee, Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek, Fresh Prince, and Friday Night Lights and their impact on television.