Reviews, Etc.

REVIEW: Tell Her Story by Nijay Gupta

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

Summary and Review


Dr. Gupta explores the women named in the New Testament as leaders of the early Church, but first he goes back to the Old Testament to review the Biblical record of Deborah and the creation story. As he moves forward in time to examine roles of women in the Roman world, he explores evidence of a full range of responsibilities from wife and mother to business owner to cult priestess. Then he looks at the women in Jesus’ life before moving on to the women who help launch the Church.

I had a teaser of some of this material a couple years ago when I heard the author speak. I was fascinated by what he shared and eager to hear more. The writing here is super engaging. There are plenty of reference notes for those approaching this topic and material as scholars. But there’s tons here to enjoy if you just picked this up to augment your own Bible study. I did a lot of underlining as I read, and came across references to other resources I might want to look at on my own.

Reading this made me want to pull a group of women together with this book and an unmarked Bible to dig into the passages with fresh eyes. I think it would be a moving, memorable study experience. I highly recommend this whether you are looking for a text book or reference for academic work or if you are looking for something for personal study.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BOOK NEWS: March 14, 2023

Let’s see what new books are releasing this week!

Books for Kids


 

Fish and Crab (Picture Book) – At bedtime, Crab is ready to go to sleep, but his best friend Fish has a lot of questions.
The Recess Genius: Open for Business (Picture Book) – A girl who feels most at home with her books becomes the playground fixer, but that doesn’t leave her much time to read.
Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem (Nonfiction Picture Book) – Whale fall is when a whale dies in the ocean and sinks to the ocean floor, becoming home and food for other ocean life. I have heard rave reviews of this book – great for budding oceanographers and marine biologists.
The Cryptid Club: A Nessie Situation (Chapter Book) – Book 2 in the Cryptid Club series. When a mysterious monster starts popping out of toilets, the principal shuts down the school bathrooms. It’s the Cryptid Club to the rescue, so their peers don’t have to hold it any longer!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Bruce Wayne Not Super (Graphic Novel) – First in a new series. Bruce is attending a school for the super-powered, which leaves him feeling pretty un-super. But when he discovers some students are using their powers to bully others, he’s determined to make a difference. I can’t wait to read this one!
Hoops (Graphic Novel) – Inspired by a true story. A girls basketball team in Indiana in 1975 might have no resources, making their own uniforms and practicing in another school’s gym, but they keep winning! I have heard rave reviews about this one too!
Midnight Strikes – A commoner finds herself trapped in a time loop when the royal palace explodes during a royal ball. Yes please!
The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway – The latest from the author of the outstanding Amelia Unabridged. When her late mother’s beloved Ren Faire comes under new management, Gwen is initially resistant to any change. The loss of her mom was more change than she can bear. But as she gets to know the son of the new owner, and she cautiously steps into some of the changes, she finds she might actually enjoy them. I cannot wait to read this!!
Whistleblower – A college journalist risks everything to write a story no one wants to come to light.

Books for Adults


The Fun Widow’s Book Tour (Trade Paperback) – A widow struggling to motivate herself for a book tour is rescued by her best friends who plan a tour for her in their home cities. In return, the widow plans to help fix some of their struggles while she’s in town as a way to thank them for their support. Fascinating!
Good Dog, Bad Cop (Hardcover) – Book 4 in the K-Team series by David Rosenfelt. The K-Team digs into a cold case featuring Corey’s former mentor. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Love and Other Flight Delays (Trade Paperback) – A collection of novellas set at the airport, including fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, and friends to lovers. These sound cute!
The Love Wager (Trade Paperback) – A new story from Lynn Painter. After a hookup gone wrong, a couple decide to be friends – and wing-persons – instead, and they even make a bet over who can find love first.  Sounds like a winner!
Not that Kind of Ever After (Trade Paperback) – A want-to-be writer finds her angle when she posts a fairytale retelling of a disastrous one night stand. This sounds awesome!
Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church (Trade Paperback) – Explore the many ways women were active parts of the early Christian church. I  heard Dr. Nijay Gupta speak a couple years ago on this very topic. I can’t wait to dig into this one! I’ll be reviewing it soon.

 

 

REVIEW: Gina and the Last City on Earth by Judd Winick

Summary


Hilo has been captured by the magical rulers of an alternate Earth. They want to prevent a prophecy that says two magical humans will take the Earth from them. And they believe those humans are Hilo’s friends.

Gina has connected with her ancestor, Regina, who has been serving as a magical guardian for ages. She has kept countless magical creatures from invading Earth. But with the arrival of Gina and her friends, Regina realizes things aren’t what they seem in her magical world.

Review


I wasn’t supposed to be reviewing this book today. I’m having a hard time catching up on my reading from the first of the year. But when the library notice came through that this was in my hold list, I dropped everything to read through it. This is one of my “ride or die” graphic novel series. And this entry did not disappoint.

I continue to be awed by how this funny, action-packed series can also deal with grief and loss so well. There’s just the right amount of heart-tugging  that comes from how much readers care about these characters. But that is well-balanced with the action and humor. Graphic novel fans should definitely start this series at the beginning – there’s just too much to catch up on if you were to jump in here. But it’s worth the time because this series is amazing. I already have book 10, Rise of the Cat, on my wish list for 2024.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Conquer the Kingdom by Jennifer Estep

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

Summary


While Gemma and Leonides and their friends and family have survived Milo’s attempted assassinations, they are wary and on guard. Milo survived, too, and has gone into hiding with a huge bounty on his head. While some speculate that he will flee, Gemma feels it’s more likely he’s plotting something else, maybe for the upcoming Sword and Shield Tournament.

Gemma invites Queen Maeven and Princess Delmira as her guests for the tournament, hoping to lure Milo out of hiding to take another shot at his mother. The animosity between the Ripleys and the Morricones simmers as they kick off the tournament and wait for Milo to make his move. And Gemma and Leo are caught by their family loyalties and the history of plots and schemes – and murder – between the families. While they hope to eventually triumph over Milo, their love seems doomed to fail.

Review


I have loved this series – this world – since I first read Kill the Queen, first in the Crown of Shards series. The author has said this is the last book from this world, at least for awhile, and I’m a little sad it’s all over.

Gemma gets to have another showdown with the Morricones here – actually a few of them. And they are epic! If you love the big battles in this series, you will not be disappointed here. Most of the threads of Gemma’s story are tied up here, so the ending is satisfying. There are definitely a few loose ends for the author to play with if she ever comes back to this world. But if this is truly the end, I think fans will be satisfied.

I have to be honest. There were a few moments where I felt the plot was engineered to draw out the drama. I realize that’s fiction. Duh! But I mean moments where something happened – or didn’t happen – that felt out of character or so out of the flow that it pulled me out of the story with “Wait, what?” These moments didn’t ruin the story, and they weren’t *big* things. But they did shake up the flow of things for me. And then they sat in the back of my brain for the rest of my reading experience.

That said, there’s been some brilliant plotting in this trilogy. The teasers from earlier books get to resolve here in fantastic ways. I will definitely read this again once my personal copy arrives. I tabbed my way through a re-read of the first two Gargoyle Queen books, and I am eager to tab this as well to note where all the payoffs come.

Series fans should definitely pick this up asap. New readers should at least go back to the start of this series, Capture the Crown, if not all the way back to Kill the Queen to get the full experience with this awesome world and these fantastic characters. And remember, these are adult fantasy novels (language, sex, violence), not YA.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

BOOK NEWS: March 7, 2023

It’s the first release week of March – let’s see what books are out this week! I know there are some on this week’s list that I have been waiting for for ages!

Books for Kids


When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left – A picture book that looks at taking ownership over your own path.
Stink: Superhero Superfan – Book 13 in the series. Stink discovers a new superhero when he finds some comics at a yard sale.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Squished (Graphic Novel) – A girl in a large family is looking for some space of her own.
The Tapestry of Tales – Book 2 in the Unraveled series. Just as Cia is wrestling with her desire to be cool and fit in at school she discovers the Evil Queen’s latest plot. This sounds like a fun series!
What Do We Know About the Roswell Incident? 
What Is the Story of Captain Picard?
The Jump – The latest from Brittney Morris. When a vigilante group hijacks a scavenger hunting forum offering a life-changing prize, four teens see it as a chance to change the future for their families and their community.
Missing Clarissa – Twenty years after Clarissa goes missing without a trace from a party in the woods, two teens start a true crime podcast, determined to find out what really happened all those years ago.
Rosewood: A Midsummer Meet Cute – A Sense and Sensibility retelling at a camp where kids are being scouted for a Bridgerton-type TV show.
Royal Blood – The King of England’s somewhat secret illegitimate daughter is outed to the press and then becomes a suspect in a murder. I’m super excited about this one!
Teen Titans: Robin (Graphic Novel) – Book 4 in the Teen Titans series by Kami Garcia. Damian has teamed up with Raven, Garth, and Maxine to dodge Slade Wilson and HIVE. It’s FINALLY HERE!!! I pre-ordered this almost a year ago. I cannot wait!

 

Books for Adults


Conquer the Kingdom (Trade Paperback) – The third and final book in the Gargoyle Queen series, the excellent follow up to the Crown of Shards series. While I am THRILLED this book is out, it’s also a little bittersweet knowing it’s the end of new content in this world that I adore. As a gladiator contest comes to Andvari, it’s making it harder for Gemma to determine who is friend and who is foe while she hunts for the one who is trying to destroy her family and her kingdom.
Final Draft (Trade Paperback) – First book in the new Olivia Lively Mystery series. A graduate student asks private investigator Olivia Lively to prove his professor stole his manuscript.
Mr. & Mrs. Witch (Trade Paperback) – Just as Savvy and Griffin are about to get married they discover they are spies in rival agencies that now want them to kill each other to prove their loyalty. I reviewed this last week – it’s so fun!
Queen of Deception (Trade Paperback) – From the Marvel Legends of Asgard series. Hela, Lady Sif, and a valkyrie are drawn to a burst of magic in Elizabethan-era Midgard, but the magic has also attracted the attention of a group of Dark Elves.
The Ultimate Infographic Guide to the Bible (Hardcover) – A visual resource on the Bible.

 

REVIEW: The House Swap by Yvette Clark

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

Summary


Sage is worried her parents might be getting a divorce. So when her mom announces they will be going to England for vacation – without her dad – she finds it hard to feel excited. Plus, the trip is a house swap, so there will be strangers living in their house which will just be weird.

Allie finds herself feeling at turns overlooked and then smothered as the middle kid in her family. No one takes her desire for some order and boundaries seriously. Her parents always seem to indulge her older brother and baby sister, leaving Allie to fend for herself in family dynamics.

Sage and Allie get a few days together in England before Allie leaves, and in that time Sage shares her worries about her parents. So Allie helps her come up with a plan to “Parent Trap” her parents in order to save their marriage.

Review


The set up here is cute. I loved how the author arranged things so the two girls are together and get to know one another for a few days before the full swap. I loved the two girls together.

The conflicts the girls are facing are pretty typical for middle grade stories, and they are well-executed here. I really felt for Allie as she struggles to be heard and understood in her family.  The “Parent Trap” plan was as stressful to read as you might imagine. I think kids will enjoy the drama of it all.

This would be a nice selection for a read aloud or a book group. There’s a lot of family dynamics here for discussion or reflection. Kids could talk about which of the girls they related to the most, both in their different personalities and also in the conflicts they are facing. Both girls end up working on giving voice to their feelings and asking for what they need. These are great life skills for kids to read about and talk about.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Mr. & Mrs. Witch by Gwenda Bond

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St Martin’s Griffin in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases March 7th.]

Summary


CRONE is an association of witches that works in secret to keep the world safe from dark, magical things it’s not ready for.

HUNTER is a similar organization, but their roots go back to the days of hunting witches. The two groups may be co-existing these days, but the peace between them feels tenuous at best.

The two groups come face to face at Savvy and Griffin’s wedding. Neither has any idea that the other is technically a “sworn enemy.” But a blow up at the wedding exposes both sides. Instead of beginning their life together as husband and wife, Savvy and Griffin have to kill each other to get back in the good graces of their respective groups.

It’s soon apparent that something much bigger is going on. And Savvy and Griffin might have to help each other out of they want to survive. But the trust between them is broken. How can they ever get past the betrayal of falling for a sworn enemy?

Review


This was fun! The plot has a familiar Mr and Mrs Smith/rival-spies-fall-in-love vibe, and I was here for it. I liked the two main characters a lot, and the magical world was intriguing. I would have liked a little more on the world-building, but what is here is a satisfying support to the larger story, keeping the romance the focus.

This definitely feels like something that could launch a series. The events of the book set some things in motion that could build into more storytelling. And the usual friend and family groups could become central characters for future stories. And I am here for more.

The romance here is lovely. The chemistry is great. The timeline jumps work perfectly to get the reader right into the conflict of the story while still building the relationship of the main couple.

While I have always enjoyed magical fantasy stories, I am always guarded for ones that might veer toward horror or the occult. This one gave me no issues, but if you are also wary, the magical elements here include covens (groups of witches), familiars (animals that can shape shift and bond to their owners), gorgons, necromancy, and spells/magic powers.

Readers who enjoy their romance with a healthy side of fantasy and magic – books like Not the Witch You Wed, Not Your Ex’s Hexes, The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, Capture the Crown, Dead Romantics, etc. – should definitely pick this up! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great – Might re-read

BOOK NEWS: February 28, 2023

It’s the final release week of February – let’s take a look at some of the books releasing his week.

Books for Kids


The Recess Genius – A book-loving girl becomes the playground fixer, but it doesn’t leave her much time for reading. This is from the author of the delightful Help Wanted: Must Love Books, so I will definitely be picking this one up!

Books for Older Kids


Finally Seen – A girl left behind in China with her grandmother while her parents and younger sister moved to the US is finally reunited with them after five years. But her transition is much harder than she imagined. And her hurt feelings compound things. So when a book at school that makes her feel seen comes under attack, she will have to decide if she is willing to fight for herself in this new land where she feels like such an outsider. This is on my list, too!
Hilo: Gina and the Last City on Earth (Graphic Novel) – Book 9 in the fantastic Hilo series. Gina and her friends are back to try to save the world! This is going to be fantastic!
The House Swap – Two girls find common ground when their families do a house swap. This looks awesome!
A First Time for Everything (Upper Middle Grade – nonfiction graphic novel) – Coming of age memoir from Dan Santat.

Books for Adults


The Neighbor Favor (Trade Paperback) – A woman looking to exert some control of her life, starting with securing a date for her sister’s wedding, reaches out to her sexy new neighbor for help.  But she has no idea he’s the reclusive author she was emailing for months, growing closer, until he ghosted her. I am all in on this one!

REVIEW: The Art of Getting Noticed by Campbell/Knetzger

Summary


Bigfoot Littletoe III isn’t sure he fits in with his family. No matter how hard he tries, he never gets captured on film The rest of his family members are regularly part of Bigfoot sightings.

Bigfoot stumbles across a new friend named Nessie who is in town on vacation. And she encourages Bigfoot to stop trying to be who he thinks he’s supposed to be and instead have fun and find out who he really is.

But when Nessie is discovered, she has to go back home. And Bigfoot struggles to find joy in his new activities without his new friend.

Review


This is a cute and colorful early chapter book for kids between 7 and 10. At its core, it’s a friendship story. It also introduces the idea of trying to fit in vs finding your own path. And it touches on the question of where our satisfaction should come from – an audience of fickle strangers or from yourself and those who really care about you? That’s a lot to pack into an early chapter book!

I think the cryptid characters – mainly Bigfoot, Nessie, and an unexpected surprise appearance – give this a fun, unique take on a friendship story. Cryptid fans should give this a try. I would read more adventures with these characters.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

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

Summary


Murder follows Mallory Viridian. She lost relationships over these murders, like the one that happened two rows away from where her boyfriend was trying to propose. She can’t live near her family because they are afraid of her. She even dropped out of college after witnessing a double murder.

One tiny upside is that Mallory is brilliant at helping solve the murders. But everyone mistrusts her so much, she can’t actually go into law enforcement. It got so bad on Earth that Mallory fled to a space station where there’s only one other human. And she thought she was finally safe.

Then the space station agreed to accept more human residents.

Review


This was a unique story. There’s multiple narrators, as well as several time jumps. Then the author builds a clever and unique space station with alien species. In some ways this is a hard story to tell. The main action is at Station Eternity, centered around the arrival of the humans and the fallout of what happens when they arrive. But all of the contemporary story is built on dozens of past moments – experiences for the main character as well as ways the larger cast links together. The author does a great job of weaving all of those things together. But it makes for a story that feels long and slow at times.

The story was different and intriguing enough to keep me pushing forward with it. But there were times I thought about cutting it loose. I’m glad I stuck with it because the pieces come together well in the end, and the story was satisfying as a whole. And I am intrigued enough by the whole thing that I would consider reading book 2 when it comes out.

Sci-fi fans and mystery fans should check this one out. Give the story time to play out, trusting that you will be rewarded in the end. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +