Reviews, Etc.

REVIEW: Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels, Book 1 by Serena Blasco

REVIEW: Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels, Book 1 by Serena Blasco

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The first three Enola Holmes novels by Nancy Springer have been adapted into graphic novels – The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, and The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets.

Enola is on the run from her older brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock, as she looks for their missing mother. Along the way, Enola dodges her brothers and solves mysteries.

Review

This is a fun, colorful adaptation of the first three novels in this middle grade mystery series. Fans of the books will enjoy the visual delivery of familiar stories. Fans of the Netflix movie will see a few points of similarity as well as many changes for the movie’s purposes. Newcomers should absolutely check this out as a teaser to the full books.

Book 2 in the graphic novel adaptation will release in October. You can read my review of the latest Enola Holmes novel for young adults here; a second book in that series, Enola Holmes and the Elegant Escapade, will release in September.

REVIEW: Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry

REVIEW: Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Thriller writer Tess Harrow and her teenage daughter Gertie are staying in a rustic cabin Tess inherited. It’s what Tess needs to get away and get some writing done. It’s what both of them need to recover from Tess’s recent divorce. But before they ever get inside the cabin, explosions shake the property. And dead fish – and human body parts – rain down.

Tess is fascinated by the local sheriff who is so much like the main character in her books. So she tries to keep an eye on the investigation. But the case starts to get more dangerous – and then Tess’s ex shows up and insists it’s too dangerous for Gertie to stay with her mother.

But before long the case leaves Tess wondering if she can trust any of her new friends in this town. Someone here is up to no good.

Review

This was outstanding! I loved all of it – the thriller writer bits, the parallels between the sheriff and the book character, the relationship between Tess and Gertie, the quirky townspeople, and the twisty mystery. This was a perfect read for me. A start- to-finish-in-the-wee-hours-of-the-night read. I can’t wait for book 2, On Spine of Death, to release in November. It’s a must-read for me. You can see some of my reviews for the author’s other books published under the name Lucy Gilmore here.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BOOK NEWS: May 24, 2022

BOOK NEWS: May 24, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

I’ve got my eyes on the long weekend ahead, and I’m hoping to get a lot of reading in. Here are some of the new books out this week that you might check out for a long weekend of reading, too!

Books for Kids

Wednesday and Woof: Catastrophe – A girl and her service dog solve mysteries together. You can read my review of this one here.

Books for Older Kids/Teens

The Civil War of Amos Abernathy – A history loving boy goes looking through records to find people like him represented in history. When he discovers a Civil War solider who today might have identified as a trans man, Amos looks for a way to share the soldier’s story. I have requested this one from the library.
Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels, Vol 1 – The first three Enola Holmes middle grade novels get the graphic novel treatment. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Problem with Prophecies – First in a new Celia Cleary series. When a girl who inherited a gift of prophecy sees the death of a neighbor boy, she does everything she can to keep that vision from coming true.

Books for Adults

Buried in a Good Book (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new By the Book mystery series. A thriller writer and her daughter arrive at the family cabin looking for some healing – and writing time – when their retreat is spoiled by an explosion – and a murder. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

REVIEW: Wednesday and Woof: Catastrophe by Sherri Winston

REVIEW: Wednesday and Woof: Catastrophe by Sherri Winston

Posted on by Jaymie

[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. This book releases on May 24, 2022.]

Summary

Walia and her service dog, Woof, together make up the detective team of Wednesday (Walia’s lucky day) and Woof. Walia’s neighbor, Mrs. Winters, is getting ready to go on vacation, but her cat, Autumn, has gone missing. Walia saw some older boys acting sneaky. Maybe they took Autumn for her diamond collar!

But in order to work her case, Walia is going to have to dodge a bully – and convince her dad that her sleuthing won’t aggravate her juvenile arthritis.

Review

This is a fun early chapter book mystery and series launch. Walia and Woof are a great team. There’s a nice balance between the story, Walia’s notes about being a detective, and information on her JA. I think kids are going to enjoy this new sleuthing team while also learning about JA, service dogs, and being a detective.

A second book in the series, Wednesday and Woof: New Pup on the Block, also releases next week. Book 3, Wednesday and Woof: The Runaway Robot, releases in November.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Adult Assembly Required by Abby Waxman

REVIEW: Adult Assembly Required by Abby Waxman

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Laura is new in town and trying to get settled before starting grad school when her apartment building burns down leaving her alone in a strange city with no where to live and the clothes on her back. And wet clothes at that since she got caught in a downpour.

She finds herself at Knight’s, an independent bookstore where the staff take her in, helping her get warm and dry – and finding her a place to live.

As Laura gets to know her new housemates and friends, she starts to feel like she might find a “home” in LA. But her past – and her family – keep trying to drag her back to where she’s been

Review

I read The Bookish Life of Nina Hill a few years ago, and I completely fell in love – with the character, the story, and the writer. While I knew this was by the same author, I didn’t realized when I picked this up that I would be going back to this community and the characters I loved. What a treat!

While this is Laura’s story, there are threads woven in about the others living at the house with her. I was impressed with the author’s ability to build such a broad story while never losing the ultimate focus on Laura.

This is a romance, but it’s also a story of friendship, second chances, mental health, adulthood and independence, and so many other things. And I enjoyed every bit of it.

Aside from the fantastic cast of characters here, I loved this book for the humor. I laughed often – and loudly. One scene even left me cackling, with tears rolling down my face. It was a delight to spend a few hours with this collection of folks.

You don’t have to have read Nina to enjoy this, but I highly recommend you read both books, in any order. (Language, PTSD)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

BOOK NEWS: May 17, 2022

BOOK NEWS: May 17, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books out this week that I have on my watch list!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

This Is Not a Drill – After a disastrous day, Ava is taking a moment in the bathroom when her school goes on lockdown – and she discovers it is not a drill. I have requested this one from our library.
See You Yesterday – After a horrendous first day of college, Barrett finds herself reliving the same day over. To make things worse, her nemesis is reliving the day, too. And he has been for months. This is already on my library list!
Twin Crowns – Twin princesses, raised apart – one raised to rule and the other raised to usurp the throne. This is exactly my kind of story!

Books for Adults

Adult Assembly Required (Trade Paperback) – The latest from Abbi Waxman. A young woman trying to start over in LA finds herself homeless after just a week and her life takes some wild turns. This is on my review list, so stay tuned!
From Bad to Cursed (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Witches of Thistle Grove series, after Payback’s a Witch. Issa teams up with a member of a rival family to investigate sabotage caused by mysterious dark magic. I have book one on my TBR – I need to get to that one soon!
Hotel California (Hardcover) – A Music and Murder Mystery collection. Includes a new Jack Reacher story!
We Were Dreamers (Hardcover Nonfiction) – We have adored Simu Liu since we first watched Shang Chi (a Marvel movie I wasn’t sure I wanted to watch which has now become a favorite). I am so looking forward to reading this memoir.

REVIEW: The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

REVIEW: The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Last summer, Alice returned from Egypt to news that her best friend, Brooke, and her boyfriend, Steve, had “fallen in love” while Alice was out of the country. In her rage and heartbreak, Alice decides to pull an Agatha Christie and disappear. When she returns, her whole town has turned against her for the stunt. She ends up on house arrest.

Back at school in October, Alice is a social outcast. No one will have anything to do with her – except Iris, the tutor Alice’s parents have hired to help her catch up at school. But Iris is only doing it for the money.

But when Brooke goes missing after a Halloween party, and Iris and Alice are among the last people to have seen her before she disappeared,  they team up to look for clues, asking “What would Agatha Christie do?”

Review

This was exceptionally good – a perfect read for me! I loved Alice and Iris. Their individual journeys were engaging and dovetailed nicely with the mystery. I cared about the girls and loved seeing them start to lean on each other. The rest of the crew that helps with the case was great too – I’d love to see more of them.

The mystery is excellent! The pacing was perfect. There were no slow spots and plenty of twists. I loved it! This will be one of my favorite books of 2022.

By the end, I was thinking, “Please be a series. Please be a series.” There are a couple other events the characters could dig into, so I have my fingers crossed. Amazon has the Kindle version listed as book 1, so here’s hoping. I am here for anything these creators want to put out starring these characters.

Mystery fans should run right out and pick this one up. It’s outstanding! (Language, references to sex and domestic violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best

REVIEW: Speaking by the Numbers by Sean Palmer

REVIEW: Speaking by the Numbers by Sean Palmer

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

The book introduces the Enneagram and the author’s premise and then digs into stances (dependent – 1, 2,6; aggressive – 3, 7, 8; withdrawing – 4, 5, 9). Within the stances sections he talks a little about orientation to time and a lot about repressed centers. From there he talks about the importance of raising repressed centers and ties that into speech-making (teaching, sermons, speeches, etc.). Each stance section includes the text of a speech and tips for speakers in that stance.

Review

This is an interesting approach to the Enneagram and a valuable niche to explore. I’ve not read an Enneagram resource from this angle before. This is definitely a second-tier resource. I would not hand this to an Enneagram novice. This will make more sense to individuals who understand not only their own number but the basics of the Enneagram as a whole. Stance information is helpful, too, although this does provide more information on that level.

This didn’t go as deep as I was hoping when I first asked to read it. Large sections of the book are taken up by the three speeches, one for each stance, that the author includes to show a technique to help raise a certain center. I would have enjoyed this more and gotten more out of it if those speeches had at least been annotated. Even better might have been a lot more shorter examples or even one section of a speech written in three ways to show the difference in how to speak to each stance. An exercise to help readers craft a message that speaks to all three stances would have been invaluable.

Ultimately this feels like a good resource on stances, but only a starting point on growing as a communicator who can think and write to engage every listener regardless of Enneagram type.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ = Good, solid, fine

BOOK NEWS: May 10, 2022

BOOK NEWS: May 10, 2022

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books releasing this week!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Answers in the Pages – A boy struggles to understand why his whole town is freaking out over the adventure book he was reading. But the book’s gay main characters are the reason his mom is trying to get the book banned from his school. This is a timely story, so I already have this one in my shopping cart.
A Show for Two – The latest from the author of Counting Down with You. Mina agrees to help a TV star undercover at her school to do research for a role in exchange for him helping her by starring in her short film for a contest. This is on my list because I loved Counting Down SO much!

Books for Adults

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies (Hardcover) – First in a new Pies Before Guys Mystery series about a woman who “bakes vengeance into her pastries.” I am LOVING the recent release of these mysteries that don’t follow the usual pattern. I can’t wait to read this one – I already have it on hold at the library!
Speaking By the Numbers (Hardcover Nonfiction) – The Enneagram for teachers, pastors and communicators. I’ll be reviewing this one soon!

REVIEW: The Joy of Reading by Donalyn Miller and Teri S. Lesesne

REVIEW: The Joy of Reading by Donalyn Miller and Teri S. Lesesne

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Heinemann in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Normally I would be reviewing a book for kids or teens today, but the one I had scheduled wasn’t a good fit for me, so I am subbing this in. ]

Summary

This book highlights 7 joys of reading identified by the authors including familiarity and surprise. It contains exercises that instructors can do with students as well as some teachers might choose to do as they think about their own reading lives. Includes information, instructions, or discussion of things like:

  • completing a reading autobiography
  • reading conferences
  • reader response activities
  • studies related to reading
  • tips for building a classroom library
  • book access and book diversity
  • what to do with reading levels
  • tips for busy professionals to increase their own book knowledge
  • reader’s notebooks
  • tips for book talking
  • a classroom activity called book pass
  • tips for dealing with reading slumps
  • delightful classroom anecdotes
  • illustrations of book stacks with real titles in subject-centered categories

Review

This resource from “The Book Whisperer,” Donalyn Miller, and the late “Professor Nana,” Teri Lesesne is a gold standard for teachers. I heard Donalyn speak many times while I was teaching, and her talks were always a highlight of the event – informative and inspiring! Her previous books – The Book Whisperer (♥♥♥♥♥) and Reading in the Wild (♥♥♥♥♥) – were the foundation I used to develop my philosophy as a teacher/librarian, and I shared her earlier books with any teacher who gave me an opening.

This contains the same general philosophy I have read and heard before from Miller, Lesesne, and other Nerdy Book Club members and teaching professionals – let kids read! But the focus here is on finding, building, and maintaining the joy of reading for students and readers in general.

The content here flows from inspiring class examples and anecdotes to practical advice for professionals. The writing is engaging and conversational. There’s something here for veteran teachers, newbies, and everyone in between. Do not miss this if you are or know and love a teacher. This would be a stupendous gift for a graduate going into the classroom for the first time, and a marvelous addition to instructional programs preparing future teachers.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!