Reviews, Etc.

BOOK NEWS: July 30, 2024

BOOK NEWS: July 30, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books out this week:

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Fowl Play – Chloe believes her favorite uncle might have been murdered, and she decides to do some investigating. This is described as Knives Out meets Finding Orion, and that was all I needed to know!
The Night Librarian (Graphic Novel) – Twins take on a secret mission to find their dad’s missing edition of Dracula and uncover a world where literary characters have broken free from their stories.
The Grandest Game – First in the new Grandest Game series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a companion series to the Inheritance Games series. Avery and the Hawthorne Brothers have created an annual game to win fame and fortune, and seven participants with secrets to hide show up hoping to win. I will absolutely be reading this!
Such Charming Liars – The latest thriller from Karen M. McManus. Mother-and-daughter grifters run into  unexpected guests at their last score before going straight. These are always top notch!

Books for Adults

Between Friends & Lovers (Trade Paperback) – An Instagram celebrity is struggling over the areas of her life that don’t live up to her image including her unrequited crush who shows up at an event with her childhood bully. So instead, she takes up with a writer who has found fast and unexpected fame. I’m really curious about this one!
The Bookshop Sisterhood (Trade Paperback) – Four women about to achieve their dream of opening a bookshop together each get news that puts their dream in jeopardy.
The Fiancé Dilemma (Trade Paperback) – Josie creates a fake engagement to help her with some bad PR. This sounds cute!
Name Your Price (Trade Paperback) – Two exes get drawn into a reality TV show where they have to spend a month locked together in a house. This sounds cute, too!
Cross Stitch in the Forest (Nonfiction) – A cross stitch collection from Max Pigeon/Pigeon Coop. I LOVE this designer, and I pre-ordered this ages ago. Can’t wait to see it in person!
Star Trek: Illustrated Oral History (Hardcover – nonfiction) – The story of Star Trek told by the cast of the Original Series.
Take Care of Your Friends: An Enneagram Guide to Interpersonal Relationships (Hardcover – nonfiction) – I’ll be reviewing this one soon.

 

REVIEW: Mothman Learns the ABCs by Michael Schang

REVIEW: Mothman Learns the ABCs by Michael Schang

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

My husband is friends with the illustrator for this book, Danner Seyffer-Sprague of ConjureDustDesigns, and I found this at his booth at a cryptid convention this summer. As we already love – and own – a good bit of his art, I had to pick up this darling picture book.

There are 26 layouts of Mothman doing activities like flying on an AIRPLANE, meeting a BEE, and looking at COMICS in the book – and they are darling.  The backmatter includes brief descriptions of Mothman and his cryptid friends featured in the book.

This would be a fun gift for your cryptid-loving – and art-loving – friends and family.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

 

 

REVIEW: Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Marcus Clark has saved Andy’s life multiple times while working as his investigator. So when Marcus asks for a favor, of course Andy says yes. Even if it means doing something Andy would love to never do again – be a lawyer.

Six people were recently killed at a local law office, and Nick Williams is the prime suspect. He’s a young man Marcus has mentored. And Marcus doesn’t believe Nick is guilty.

Nick’s story is hard to believe. But when the team starts digging into it, they find some unexpected developments that make Marcus’s faith in Nick seem well placed. But Andy still has to get a jury to believe Nick – and this case won’t give up its secrets quickly or easily.

Review

This was another fascinating case for Andy and his team. I was able to puzzle some of it out on my own, but there were still some surprises when it was all laid out.

Andy is as sassy as always – one of the primary reasons I love these books. But he really had to dig deep for the solution here. It’s a very satisfying mystery. Series fans will get to see all of the usual folks in action, including the awesome tech team Andy uses. And the dog connection gets a happy ending.

Newcomers could probably start here without too much trouble. I started this series with something like the 9th book in the series, and I had no trouble jumping right in. Sometimes, though, I think Andy might “play” better on the page for folks who have been with him for awhile. For that reason, I think readers should maybe read the first few books in order – after that, you can jump in anywhere without issue. You can see my list of favorite books in the series as part of a review here. This is book  29 in the Andy Carpenter series, and book 30, The More the Terrier, will release in October. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

BOOK NEWS: July 23, 2024

BOOK NEWS: July 23, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books out this week:

Books for Kids

When Beavers Flew: An Incredible True Story of Rescue and Relocation – The story of a Fish and Wildlife Game Warden who relocated beavers with parachutes in Idaho to save both a new town and the wetlands.

Books for Teens/Young Adults

The Ghostkeeper (LGBTQ+, Graphic Novel) – The story of a man who can see ghosts trying to help them move on when the key to the Doors of Death goes missing and the ghosts are trapped here with humans who want to destroy them.

Books for Adults

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop (Trade Paperback) – First in a new Halloween Bookshop Mystery series by Emmaline Duncan. The new manager of Lazy Bones Books finds herself a murder suspect when someone dies at the start of the Lit Festival she’s hosting.
A Cup of Flour, a Pinch of Death (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Baker Street Mystery series. Maddy is suspected of murder when her rival comes to town and their argument goes viral before the woman is killed.
Do Me a Favor (Trade Paperback) – A blocked cookbook ghostwriter finds inspiration in the handyman who is her new next door neighbor. There are some fun details of this second chance romance – such as a career as a cookbook ghostwriter – that make me want to pick this one up!
Jewel Me Twice (Trade Paperback) – Former lovers reunite for one last heist while trying to ignore the chemistry between them.
Ne’er Duke Well (Trade Paperback) – A new duke trying to become “respectable” hires someone to help him.  Over time, she starts to think that she could be the perfect wife for him… if it weren’t for the secret erotic library she runs.
The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series by India Holton. Rival ornithologists are drawn into a competition to be named the Birder of the Year. If I didn’t already love Holton’s Dangerous Damsels series, I might not give this a try. But I AM a fan of that quirky series, so I will absolutely be checking this one out!
Star Trek: The Original Series: Lost to Eternity (Trade Paperback) – A follow-up story to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (The One with the Whales). Yes, please!
A Very Woodsy Murder (Hardcover) – First in the new Golden Motel Mystery series. A sitcom writer and her first ex-husband decide to renovate a remote motel. Among the many things they aren’t prepared for is a murder.

 

REVIEW: Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

REVIEW: Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Lee and Wren have been best friends since 8th grade. Prank partners. Ride or die – even after Lee moved across the country when his mom got a new job. It doesn’t matter that he’s Moonstruck, and she’s a Mundane without any magick. He’s her person. Period.

Lee is off to Moon Isle for school where Wren just can’t go. She’s been trying to figure out her next steps while his have been laid out for him his whole life. They won’t be able to talk to one another at all while he’s away. But at midnight on Wren’s 18th birthday, everything changes. She’s literally Moonstruck.

While mysterious, this development ensures that Wren gets to go to Moon Isle with Lee and her other Moonstruck friend, Sam. But the mysteries don’t stop once Wren gets there. While she questions whether she’ll ever feel like she belongs – and her feelings for Lee – Wren starts getting odd, cryptic messages. Those lead her to more questions, especially about what really happened to Lee’s older sister when she was at Moon Isle.

Review

Arrgh! I don’t love cliffhangers, especially at the end of a captivating book. And this was captivating from start to finish.

I really enjoyed this – I was drawn in by the magical system here, and I enjoyed the magical school setting. This book gives readers the barest bits of information and clues to draw you from chapter to chapter. And then that cliffhanger?! Really?! I literally shouted “No!” at the end.

I’m eager to read the sequel when it comes out so I can see all of the pieces put together. My only hesitation is that I did not love the romantic sub-plot. The female and non-binary characters in this are fantastic! But I didn’t love Lee at all. I am hoping that I get a better sense of him in book 2.

Fantasy fans and fans of the authors should definitely check this out. The second book of this duology is scheduled to release in the spring of 2025. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

 

REVIEW: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

REVIEW: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When Viv (Legends & Lattes) is injured fighting the necromancer Varine, her mercenary group moves on without her to hunt Varine while Viv stays in Murk to heal.

Viv is desperate to get back to “fighting strength” to rejoin the hunt, but pushing herself only makes things worse. So she slowly finds ways to make herself useful in Murk while she heals. But while Viv is making friends and helping at a local down-and-almost-out bookstore, Varine is still at large. And she might not be as far away as Viv thinks she is.

Review

Another fun “cozy fantasy” from Travis Baldree, this prequel to Legends & Lattes gives us a look at a younger Viv, earlier in her fighting career. Once again, the bulk of the pages were devoted to Viv and her new community and friends. And I loved it! The community has a different feel than the one in L&L, but both are great. There’s a lot of book-love in this story, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. And there’s a lovely book-related tie-in to L&L in the epilogue that I enjoyed.

I think I clicked with Viv’s journey and community a little more in L&L than I did here. This made me want to re-read the first book (publication-wise) to see how Viv grows and changes between this prequel and that book.

Fans of book 1 should absolutely pick this up. I think newcomers could start here without issue, but I liked reading these in publication order instead. I feel like L&L has the stronger set up for the character. I even tabbed this while I was reading it, which is an experience I am liking more and more. It helps me stay more connected to what I am reading and to think about how threads weave through a book. (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

BOOK NEWS: July 16, 2024

BOOK NEWS: July 16, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books out this week:

Books for Kids

Little Ghost Makes a Friend – Little Ghost gets a new neighbor, and he wants to figure out how to make a friend. This looks DARLING!
The Quacken – Hector breaks the campground’s rule about feeding the ducks and releases the Quacken. The sample pictures of this crack me up!
Scare School Diaries: Welcome to Scare School – First in a new chapter book series by Jarrett Lerner. A young ghost feels nervous about heading to Scare School for the first time.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Gamerville (Graphic Novel) – A gamer is sent to Camp Reset for the summer where electronics aren’t allowed.
Wicked Marigold – Princess Marigold is 11 when her perfect and beloved older sister escapes her captivity and returns home, leaving Marigold wondering if that means she is supposed to become a wicked princess. Yes, please!
Dashed – Margaret Dashwood is looking forward to a vacation with her sensible older sister Elinor before she heads to college, but instead, their trip is crashed by Marianne, lamenting yet another broken heart. YES! I am here for this contemporary take on Sense and Sensibility.

Books for Adults

Au Pair Affair (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Big Shots series. A divorced hockey player hires an au pair for his tween who just wants to see her parents get back together, despite the obvious chemistry between the hockey player and the au pair.
The Bang-Bang Sisters (Hardcover) – Full time rock stars and part-time vigilantes find themselves in a mobster’s crosshairs where he pits them against one another where only one can survive. Yikes!
The Body in the Backyard (Trade Paperback) – Book 4 in my new FAVORITE series! Riley’s ex comes to Santiago Investigations when he thinks someone is trying to kill him.
The Ex Vows (Trade Paperback) – Two exes team up to help their mutual friend salvage his wedding when the venue is destroyed in a fire.
It Had to Be You (Hardcover) – Two strangers hook up on a train, never expecting to see each other again. But they run into each other again when they discover they are both contract killers – and she’s been hired to kill him.
The Lost Story (Hardcover) – Two boys who went missing for 6 months are now adults and must return to the place where they disappeared to in order to find another missing person.
What Happens in Idaho (Trade Paperback) – A grieving doctor gets stuck in a small Idaho town when her car loses it’s battle with a cow.
This Is Going to Hurt : Following Jesus in a Divided America (Trade Paperback – nonfiction) – The author looks at 6 hot-button issues including Covid and abortion and how Christians have developed an us vs them mindset about the issues of today.

 

REVIEW: The Enneagram for Teens by Ainsley Britain

REVIEW: The Enneagram for Teens by Ainsley Britain

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary and Review

This Enneagram book for teens lays out a great introduction of the personality system in an approachable way. The author comes from the Your Enneagram Coach approach to the Enneagram, and this includes religious/faith components.

The type chapters include two narrative examples for the number along with the usual details like core fear, wounding message, core desire, stress/security, etc.. The sections on career and faith were among my favorite parts – I thought the approach to these areas was great.

The writing style and voice here is good. This is a solid introduction for teens who keep hearing about this Enneagram thing and want to know what it’s about in a simple, approachable way. The chapter on my type felt spot on. I was disappointed that the author indicates that an Enneagram “test” could be helpful to readers. My bias is that tests are more often wrong than right. I think that’s even more complicated for teens whose identity and self-reflection is still in development.

I would be comfortable handing this to a teen who wants to start reading about the Enneagram. But I would follow it up with either podcasts by Enneagram-masters or other books rather than suggest teens try a test. I would also caution teens that their self-perception is still in development, so they might hold their ideas of their type loosely while they continue to mature.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great!

 

REVIEW: The Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score

REVIEW: The Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Riley is not quite “living the dream.” She’s divorced, broke, and renting a room at a house full of octogenarians. Her job is a regular disappointment. And she has can’t-be-ignored messages and premonitions from the dead.

All of that is bad enough. But when a premonition about her neighbor’s murder comes true, the police think Riley could be the killer.

One person on Riley’s side, though, is the gorgeous – and annoying – PI who had been trying to find Riley’s neighbor before he died. Now Riley and Nick are something of a team, pretending to be engaged and trying to find – and arrest – a killer. But the scorching, flirty thing between them is only going to complicate an already ridiculous situation.

Review

Fantastic!! It took me forever to finish this because I was only reading a chapter or two at night before bed, but I was always looking forward to reading a few more chapters. This is quirky in all of my favorite ways – a funny combo mystery/romance with a psychic/paranormal twist. There are fun, eccentric characters who are interesting and funny, but not obnoxious. The mystery is rich and meaty, and it kept me flipping pages night after night. The two main characters are perfect – they have great chemistry and respect one another’s abilities about the case. Their banter is hilarious! I was rooting for them all the way through. I loved the writing in this so much I ended up tabbing this book as I read.

The premise was so great that I took the risk and bought books 1 and 2 at the same time. And when it was clear that these characters and the author’s storytelling were going to be perfect for me, I bought book 3 and pre-ordered book 4 so I could zoom through the whole series as it stands now. I am saving books 2 and 3 for summer vacation because the romance/mystery/humor combo is exactly the vacation vibe I want. I’m looking forward to tabbing the entire series as I cackle through Riley’s next adventures. Highly recommend! (Language, sex, paranormal elements like tarot readings, spirit guides, clairvoyance, etc..)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

BOOK NEWS: July 9, 2024

BOOK NEWS: July 9, 2024

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books out this week:

Books for Kids

Spider-Man: Cosmic Chaos – Book 3 in the Mighty Marvel Team-Up series. Spider-Man teams up with the Guardians of the Galaxy on a new mission. I already pre-ordered this one. I love this series!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Illinois, Indiana & Ohio: 50 Hikes with Kids – Hikes and nature scavenger hunts you can do with kids in the Midwest.
The Darkness Within Us – A companion novel to the fantastic The Shadows Between Us. Chrysantha’s schemes are starting to pay off when someone tries to steal her inheritance. She can’t have that now, can she? I cannot wait to read this!!
Hearts Overboard – After a very public and humiliating breakup, Savannah tries to change her reputation – and her nemesis says he’ll help. This looks cute!
Heir, Apparently – Sequel to The Prince & the Apocalypse. Wren and her accidental prince-husband and his family and retainers are stranded on a tropical island after a plane crash. I am hoping to read book 1 this summer so I can catch up on this fun-sounding series.
The Umbrella Academy: Young Blood – A prequel book to the Netflix series. When things at home get stressful, Klaus suggests his siblings kick back at a party like normal teens.
The Enneagram for Teens – A book about the Enneagram targeted to teens.

Books for Adults

The Blind Devotion of Imogene (ebook) – Book 1 in a new series. Imogene Taylor is an elderly parolee trying to help her neighbor’s daughter deal with a dead body. This is a quirky sounding story – I can’t wait to check it out!
It’s Elementary (Trade Paperback) – An overwhelmed mom gets coerced into heading up a new diversity and inclusion committee for her daughter’s school. But her increased involvement at the school means she sees the PTA president acting strangely at the same time the principal who ticked the woman off goes missing. This is going to be fantastic!
The Next Best Fling (Trade Paperback) – First in a new Librarians in Love series. She’s in love with his brother who is engaged to someone else – and he’s in love with the fiancée. So they agree to pretend to be a couple and keep their true feelings to themselves. Until new feelings start to develop – for one another.
The Sky on Fire (Hardcover) – A new fantasy novel taking place in a world with dragons!
Sounds Like a Plan (Trade Paperback) – Rival PIs team up when they are set up to take the fall for murder.
Spellshop (Hardcover) – A new book by Sarah Beth Durst. A magic library’s librarian flees to her cozy home town after her library is destroyed – and she starts to build a new life. This sounds precisely like my kind of cozy fantasy novel!
Until Next Summer (Trade Paperback) – A new summer novel from Ali Brady. When she hears the camp where she works will be sold, Jessie decides to have one last hurrah – an adults-only camp where former campers are invited to return. Sounds like another great summer vacation read!