Reviews, Etc.

BOOK NEWS: May 9, 2023

BOOK NEWS: May 9, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books out this week!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/ Young Adults

The Greatest Kid in the World – When Zeke is chosen to compete in a competition to be named Greatest Kid in the World, he’s not sure how he even got into the contest. But his family needs the prize money so he will do what he can to win. I don’t think you can go wrong with a book by John David Anderson!
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame – Book 2 in the series. Loki is trying to prove to Odin that he can be good enough for Asgard, but it’s tough to be good when his only friend now has a new friend and when he’s accused of stealing Mjolnir.
Breaking In – A film student wants to make a tribute movie about her dad, but her school gets shut down and the big-time director who ran it steals her idea and makes his own movie. *adds to cart* Need it!
Cursed Crowns – Sequel to Twin Crowns (which I have on my TBR shelves – I hate when I get “lapped” and a sequel is released before I get to read the first book.) The twin queens are pulled in different directions by their rival goals and ideas of what they should do next for their kingdom.
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Graphic Novel) – A young woman disguises herself as a Count in order to keep her inheritance, but when she starts to fall for Princess Brie, her secret is in danger.
The Truth About the Spy (ebook) – A teen spy’s secret life – and her best friend – are in danger when one of her missions goes awry.

 

Books for Adults

The Boyfriend Candidate (Trade Paperback) – A shy school librarian trying to become more bold ends up in the middle of a political scandal when  her one night stand turns out to be running for governor and pictures of the two of them go viral. He proposes they fake date until after the election. You all know how I feel about fake dating stories!! This is on my list.
The Comeback Summer (Trade Paperback) – In order to hook a new client for their struggling business, two sisters agree to complete individual challenges for the client. This is one I couldn’t buy fast enough. Sounds perfect!

 

Playing Catch Up, part 2

Playing Catch Up, part 2

Posted on by Jaymie

Thanks so much for visiting The Neverending TBR today. I don’t have a review to post. As I am writing this, I am in the middle of three books – one is an ARC, one is a library book, and one is a personal favorite I have read a dozen times. And I can’t seem to get any traction on any of them, even though I am enjoying all three. Life is super busy right now with work and family which isn’t leaving a lot of reading time. So I am going to take a couple weeks off from reviews and see if I can get caught up.

Instead, I thought I would share some favorites from 2023 so far!

One of my favorite YA reads this year was The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway – you can read my full review here.

Playing Catch Up, part 1

Playing Catch Up, part 1

Posted on by Jaymie

Thanks so much for visiting The Neverending TBR today. I don’t have a review to post. As I am writing this, I am in the middle of three books – one is an ARC, one is a library book, and one is a personal favorite I have read a dozen times. And I can’t seem to get any traction on any of them, even though I am enjoying all three. Life is super busy right now with work and family which isn’t leaving a lot of reading time. So I am going to take a couple weeks off from reviews and see if I can get caught up.

Instead, I thought I would share some favorites from 2023 so far!

My first five star review of the year was for Tell Her Story – you can read my full review here.

BOOK NEWS: May 2, 2023

BOOK NEWS: May 2, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the first week of May – and readers are in for a month FULL of great books. Let’s see some of the new releases for this week:

Books for Kids

Pluto!: Not a Planet? Not a Problem! – Book 7 in Stacy McAnulty’s Our Universe series focuses on Pluto.
Real to Me – What do you do when your imaginary friend disappears?
Weather Together – Part of the Not Quite Narwhal and Friends series. Nimbus and Kelp are best friends, but what happens when Nimbus’ cloudy moods turn into a storm because she tries to hide them from her friend?
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse: Under the Weather – Book 20 in the Sophie Mouse series. Sophie feels jealous when she sees the attention her brother gets because he is sick.
Owl Diaries: The Nature Club  – When Eva’s class starts working on a Nature Day party, she’s put in a different planning group from her friends.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

 

The Firefly Summer – Ryanna spends the summer with her late-mother’s extended family, people she’s never met before who can help her learn about her mother. This sounds like my kind of middle grade story!
The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor – Will a young girl feeling out of place end up trading her beloved books and stories for a chance to experience real magic?
The Sun and the Star (Older Middle Grade) – Nico and Will (from the Percy Jackson novels) travel to Tartarus to try to save an old friend. I have had this pre-ordered since last October. It’s finally time!!!
A Work in Progress (Older Middle Grade, Graphic Novel) – A “round” boy at a school full of “string beans” tries to change his appearance to fit in. I have been waiting for this one for months, too. I hope to review this one soon. There is a trigger warning with this one, so be sure to check that out before reading.
Imogen Obviously – A fervent ally to her queer friends, Imogen starts to wonder if maybe she’s more part of the LGBTQ+ community than she realized. I hope to review this one soon as well!
Liar’s Beach – A prep school outsider and his childhood best friend try to solve the mystery of an “accident” at a Martha’s Vineyard house party.  Sounds fantastic!
Lying in the Deep – A girl looking to escape her ex and his new girlfriend – her ex-best friend – signs on for a semester on a cruise ship traveling the world. As if it wasn’t surprising enough to find her ex on board, there’s also a murderer.
Might as Well Be Dead (May 5) – A teen still reeling from his mother’s abrupt departure and trying to help his dad through at the same time, starts to see a ghost who wants to help him – but who also has a favor to ask.
The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom – A standout performer is challenged to develop some humility by not singing at her new boarding school. I’m intrigued by this one!
Your Plantation Prom Is Not Okay – Harriet and her father run an enslaved persons museum on the site of an old plantation. When an influencer and her mother move in next door with plans to turn that plantation into an antebellum showplace for a prestigious Hollywood couple’s wedding – and the site is also chosen for their high school’s prom – Harriet is fed up with the whole racist mess. I have this one on my list for May!

 

Books for Adults

Best Men (Trade Paperback) – Two best men in a wedding party start to fall for each other. Yes, please!
Fourth Wing (Hardcover) – Book one of The Empyrean series. Instead of following her plans to become a scribe and enjoy a quiet, bookish life, Violet is forced to compete with those who want to be DRAGON riders in the war! The dragons have become choosy about who they will bond with, so Violet becomes a target for those who want to thin the ranks, doing whatever it takes in order to have their chance. Dragons! And this book has decorative page edges – I couldn’t hit the buy button fast enough! I hope the story lives up to the gorgeous packaging.
Jana Goes Wild (Trade Paperback) – Jana wants nothing to do with her ex, but he’s hard to avoid when they are both attending the same destination wedding. But her friends come to the rescue with a “Go Wild” list of things for Jana to do to keep her busy and way from Anil.
Love Buzz (Trade Paperback) – A chance-meeting at a destination bachelorette party leaves Serena tossing away the facets of her carefully crafted life as she searches for a man she knows only by his first name in one of the largest cities in America.
Practice Makes Perfect (Trade Paperback) – When Annie starts to think she might be too boring to find love, she convinces her brother’s fiancée’s bodyguard to help her learn to be more flirty and fun.
Star Trek: Lower Decks (Graphic Novel) – A new mission for the crew of the Ceritos
Sugar Spice and Can’t Play Nice (Trade Paperback) – Two young people agree to an arranged marriage to avoid family drama and to achieve their personal agendas, but along they way they start to wonder if there’s more to this engagement than just a means to an end.
Super Bloom (Trade Paperback) – Joan agrees to funnel gossip to a romance author at the spa where she works so the author can use the tidbits in her next book. But then Joan takes up writing as well, crafting an imagined future she would never get with her late boyfriend. When the author tries to steal Joan’s novel and pass it off as her own, Joan’s quirky group of friends pitch in to help her get it back. Yes, please!

 

REVIEW: Bruce Wayne Not Super by Stuart Gibbs

REVIEW: Bruce Wayne Not Super by Stuart Gibbs

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Bruce is the only non-powered kid at his middle school which makes him feel like a nobody. His driving desire is to clean up his city and protect others. But between school administration and Alfred, his dream of being a vigilante is getting a lot of push back.

Review

This was a fun story! I enjoyed the characters in a middle school context, and Bruce’s quest to find a way to make his mark at the school and in Gotham. The illustrations here are excellent. I loved pouring over the pictures to find all the familiar DC characters.

My only complaint here is about the portrayal of some of those characters. The portrayal of Clark Kent, for example, did not fit the historic Clark Kent at all. I don’t know if the thinking there was “these are kids who will grow into their better selves,” but it was distracting. (I have seen other reviews bring up these same issues.)

I would definitely read a sequel to see how they continue to build this new take on the characters.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: An Heiress's Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins

REVIEW: An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It was problematic enough for Caroline and Valentine as a couple when he was the duke’s spare. Her family had plenty of money, but they had earned it rather than inherited it. But with the death of Val’s older brother, he’s now the heir. No matter what she feels for him – including aggrevation – he’s made the clear choice of duty over love.

When Val’s cousin is attacked and his girlfriend potentially kidnapped, Caro and Lady Katherine are called in to investigate along with Kate’s detective husband. Val is there to represent the family’s interests – and irritate Caro to no end. But in the course of their investigation, Caro has to “admit” to her betrothal to Val to keep her honor intact. The sparks between them haven’t dulled at all in the four years since they broke things off. And Val insists he’s a different man now – one who will fight for Caro and for love rather than give into expectations. But can Caro really trust him again?

Review

This is book 2 in the Ladies Most Scandalous series after A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem (♥♥♥♥) and before A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes. I somehow missed this one, reading book 1 and then book 3. But I fixed that oversight immediately after finishing book 3.

This was a great romance/mystery! I thought the humor in this one was punchier than in Spinster’s Guide. Val and Caro together are a sassy delight. And the mystery, again, is top notch! I read this series for the mysteries, and they never disappoint. The fun romantic pairs are a bonus!

I think the books in this series can stand alone. While I read them out of order, I had no issues in following the stories. I hardly even remembered the details of book one while I was reading number three (other than I adored it), and it didn’t impact my enjoyment at all. I think readers will want to grab all three books and blitz through all of them – they are THAT good. Then we can all wait eagerly, together, for a fourth book in the series! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

BOOK NEWS: April 25, 2023

BOOK NEWS: April 25, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

This is the final release week of April – wow, that month went fast! Here are some of the books releasing this week:

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

What Was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921? – The Tulsa Race Massacre is also known as the destruction of Black Wall Street. This will likely be a troubling read, but a necessary part of history to face and understand.
Harley Quinn: Ravenous – Sequel to Harley Quinn: Reckoning. Harley starts an internship at Arkham where she works with Talia al Ghūl. This is NOT where I thought this next book was going, but I will definitely be reading this one.
That Self-Same Metal – First in a new series. A craftswoman with power over metal finds herself in a strange situation with the Fae in the time of Shakespeare. This is a fascinating  set up.

Books for Adults

Ashes to Ashes Crust to Crust (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Deep Dish Mystery series after Six Feet Deep Dish. Delilah is hoping to win a Taste of Wisconsin contest which will help her business a lot, but things get complicated when someone dies at her contest – and romantic – rival’s juice bar. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Bear With Me Now (Trade Paperback) – An executive at a wilderness therapy retreat starts to fall for the handywoman who saves him from a bear.
French Holiday (Trade Paperback – April 26) – Merry’s sister has married the only man Merry has ever loved, so she needs an escape plan, and fast. A castle in the French countryside sounds like the perfect solution, except her nemesis is there as well.
Happy Place (Hardcover) – Two exes pretend to still be together for the friend group’s annual vacation since they never told anyone they had broken up. Yes, please! That sounds awesome!
Moorewood Family Rules (Hardcover) – She might have gone to prison to save all of their butts, but now that she’s out, Jillian has some new rules for the con artists and rogues in her family. This sounds amazing!
#TagMe for Murder (e-book) – Book 2 in the Trending Topic Mystery series. New neighbors threaten Coco’s and Jasper’s business empires, and when one of the neighbors is murdered, Jasper becomes the prime suspect.
Zora Books Her Happy Ever After (Trade Paperback) – A bookstore owner meets her author-crush – and his grumpy best friend – and soon finds herself in a love triangle with both men. But she’s also certain they are keeping something from her. It seems obvious what the “secret” is going to be, but I don’t even care. This sounds awesome!
The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence (Trade Paperback) – The Enneagram meets Emotional Intelligence (EQ)? Yep, I’ll be checking that one out!
Wisdom for Faithful Reading: Principles and Practices for Old Testament Interpretation (Paperback) – Best practices for reading and studying the Old Testament. During the pandemic, I started watching a teaching series from the author of this book, and I really liked him! I’m eager to try this and see if it’s as engaging as he was in the video series.

REVIEW: Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

REVIEW: Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases on Tuesday, April 25th.]

Summary

Delilah is hoping the Geneva Bay Taste of Wisconsin contest will net her enough money to get through the typical lean winter in her touristy Wisconsin town. But her chances of that keep taking hits.

First, the “celebrity judge” has a history with her business partner. And it’s not a good history – Sonja slept with the man’s wife. It’s highly unlikely that he would choose Delilah’s food as the winning entry, no matter how good it is.

Then, there is a mysterious death in Geneva Bay – and another person is poisoned. The poisoning victim happens to be another contestant – the woman Delilah’s ex is dating.

And if all that wasn’t complicated enough, the celebrity judge is later murdered. Delilah has her hands full with her floundering business, her aging aunt who is hiding something from her, and her custody agreement with her ex over their cat. She really doesn’t have time to investigate a murder! But she also can’t let any of their friends go down for a crime they didn’t commit.

Review

This is book 2 in the Deep Dish Mystery series, and I thought it was great! Stronger than the first book, in my opinion.

One essential element of a good cozy mystery, for me, is the ensemble cast. This has a great one! It’s large enough to be interesting and small enough to track easily. I also enjoyed the hints at a possible future romance for Delilah.

The mystery here is excellent – there are several crimes that weave in and out of the day to day events for Delilah and her friends. It was super satisfying to read – lots to puzzle out, and “busy” enough to keep me engaged without feeling overwhelmed. It was just the right balance of elements.

I don’t know that you have to read these two books in order, but as always, it does help with establishing the character relationships. If you tried book 1 and enjoyed it, you are in for an even bigger treat here!

(I know it’s Friday, and there would normally be a review here for a book for kids or for teens, but I have been overrun with review copies of adult books, so adult readers get a bonus review this week. Come back next week for something for younger readers!)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Damsel by Evelyn Skye

REVIEW: Damsel by Evelyn Skye

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lady Elodie Bayford, eldest daughter of the Duke of Inophe, loves her home. Yes, the country is poor and barren. Their people must rely on trade with one another and the generosity of the duke to get by. But Elodie is devoted to the people and the land. She would do a lot for her people. But the arranged marriage still took her by surprise.

Elodie would be marrying Prince Henry of Aurea, and her marriage in turn would save her country. But while excited about the match – and her future on the gorgeous and lush Isle of Aurea with the handsome and charming Henry – she is puzzled by what the prosperous country is getting in return for this arrangement.

And then she finds out about the dragon.

Review

This is a novel based on a screenplay which will be a Netflix movie this fall (October 13, 2023). And it is AMAZING!

I loved Elodie from the beginning. I was rivetted from the first few pages as I was watching for Elodie to discover the dragon and role she is to play in Aurea in exchange for resources to save her people. And once she knew the whole arrangement, I couldn’t put the book down until the end. This is going to make an amazing movie!

When I first picked this up and realized I had read this author before (Circle of Shadows was fantastic!), I was even more excited to read this. And Evelyn Skye did not disappoint. I was concerned that because Elodie was going to be alone, trying to survive the dragon, for a large portion of the book, that there would be a lot of long, dry sections of description. The sorts of things I usually skip over to get to the dialogue. But that wasn’t the case at all. This is super engaging, and I felt like I couldn’t skip past anything because I had to know it all. This is simply excellent.

Fantasy fans, there’s so much here to love – dragons, royalty, secrets, family, betrayal. I think this works for both adult readers and YA readers. And the bonus material at the end was FASCINATING – do not skip that part! I can’t recommend this highly enough – don’t miss this one! (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BOOK NEWS: April 18, 2023

BOOK NEWS: April 18, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books out this week – what’s on your wish list?

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Swallowtail Legacy: Betrayal By the Book – Book 2 in the series; from the author of the fantastic Red Blazer Girls. Lark’s favorite author comes to the island, but she’s not at all what Lark expected – and not in a good way. And then the woman’s assistant is killed. I loved the Red Blazer Girls, so I am intrigued about this new middle grade mystery series – especially one with a book focus!
Against the Stars – Two boys find friendship turning into something more as they negotiate a world where people can see a Glimpse of their future. And things take a turn when people realize no one has ever had a Glimpse beyond a certain day on the calendar. The sci-fi tech of this is fascinating! I have to check this one out!
A Hunger of Thorns – Maude’s best friend, always drawn toward dark, powerful magic, has gone missing and Maude seems to be the only one who can figure out where she went – and the only one determined enough to step into the unknown in order to find her.
No Boy Summer – Feeling fed up with relationship drama, two sisters swear off boys for the summer. But when one starts to have feelings for a girl she meets through her summer job. she wonders if it’s breaking her promise to her sister if the relationship is technically not with a boy.
Sunshine (Graphic Novel Memoir) – A follow up to the fantastic Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka. The author turns to his time at Camp Sunshine working with seriously ill children in his second graphic novel memoir.

 

Books for Adults

The Blood Gift (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the duology, the follow up to The Blood Trials. This feels like an IYKYK situation. If you aren’t familiar with book one, start there. It’s on my wishlist!
The Bone Shard War (Hardcover) – The third and final book in the Drowning Empire series. This is another fantasy title on my TBR.
Damsel (Hardcover) – Soon to be on Netflix. A young woman agrees to an arranged marriage in order to save her people, but she discovers they intend to sacrifice her to a dragon. I will be reviewing this one soon.
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Dangerous Damsels series. Rival spies must pose as husband and wife to infiltrate a pirate house party in search of an assassin. I have this on hold from the library.
365 Gays of the Year: Discover LGBTQ+ History One Day at a Time (Hardcover Nonfiction) – I received a free review copy of this book from Netgalley, and I spent an evening reading through a variety of the short biographies. This was a fascinating read, and I really enjoyed it. (♥♥♥♥)
Sticks AND Stones – Two new Bible studies by Kat Armstrong. I picked up Mountains as well as Valleys when they released earlier this year. I really like the structure and set up of these and I am looking forward to more in this collection.