Happy Thanksgiving from The Neverending TBR. Hope your holiday is filled with good food and gratitude. I know 2020 has been weird. And it’s likely that your holiday this year looks nothing like (a) you imagined and/or (b) past years. But I hope you are able to make the best of it.
If you are working on your holiday shopping lists, be sure to review this year’s Holiday Hint List, and all the previous years’ lists, here.
[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Zo Jones has an eclectic existence in Spirit Canyon. She owns The Happy Camper, a gift shop in town that caters to tourists. She rents bikes and kayaks and also gives tours of the area. On top of that, she writes a weekly column for the local newspaper. She loves the quirky vibe of her South Dakota community.
Zo’s childhood friend, Beth, is back in town just in time for the Memorial Day weekend launch of the tourist season. Beth inherited the Spirit Canyon Lodge and is hosting her first guests for the holiday weekend.
The Lodge’s first guests are a group of college friends and a newly engaged couple. They are also playing host to Enid Barrett. Enid owns two resorts in the area herself, so it’s a puzzle why she would be at the Lodge. And she’s horrid to everyone there, including Beth. She even offers to buy Beth out so she’ll close the Lodge. But Beth turns her down.
When Enid is found dead from a likely heart attack, it’s a shame for a death to mar the opening weekend for Beth and her family. But local police find the death suspicious. And as Enid’s “business rival,” Beth is their favorite suspect. Zo is determined to clear her friend’s name and salvage the Lodge’s reputation.
I enjoyed the South Dakota/Black Hills setting for this new mystery series. The core group of characters – Zo, Beth and her family, the potential love interest, the librarian, the neighbor, and the jerk law enforcement officer – make for a solid group to build the series around. Zo’s shop sounds fun. I enjoyed the scenes where the author described the store and Zo’s stock.
The mystery was solid. I was able to figure out about half of what happened on my own, but there were other pieces where I needed Zo’s help. The case didn’t really grab me, though. While Enid was a nasty piece of work, I wasn’t invested in her as a victim or in any of the potential suspects. Everything in this was fine, but I’m not sure I will come back for a second book in the series.
Cozy fans who are excited about the South Dakota setting should check this out. The setting and Zo’s shop were fun components for this story. There are some new age bits to this – dream interpretation as well as references to tarot readings and seances – which might also appeal to some readers.
*♥♥♥ = Good/fine/solid
[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Keeley has taken up the title of The Blacksmith Queen out of obligation. Her soulless younger sister, Beatrix, has married the Old King’s merciless son, Marius. She helps him in his quest to kill his brothers and have the throne to himself. Although her true aims have nothing to do with her husband. He is a means to an end. Keeley can’t have the murderous couple in charge. So while she’d rather return to her forge and her comparatively quiet life, she leads and she fights.
Keeley’s sister, Gemma, fights at her side. The two also fight with each other every chance they get. But when push comes to shove, they always have each other’s backs.
When someone starts wiping out the various religious orders in the land, including Gemma’s War Monks, she returns to her old order, hoping to convince them to take Keeley’s offer of sanctuary. But Gemma’s order has changed a lot in the two years since she left.
While Gemma deals with the War Monks, Keeley is still trying to figure out what Beatrix is up to and how to stop her. It may seem like all of their worries when this began two years ago were unfounded. But anyone who knew Beatrix would know she’ll stop at nothing but full control and domination. They may not yet see or know what she is plotting, but there is no doubt she is up to no good.
I cannot get enough of this series! I reread book 1, The Blacksmith Queen (♥♥♥♥♥) to prepare for this, and then read this cover to cover. In fact, I’m ready to read this again, and I just finished. This is far more gory and violent than I usually like or read, but the story and the characters are outstanding enough that I push past the yuck to stick with the awesome rest.
You will likely find this in the romance section of the bookstore, but for me this is a fantasy series first and foremost. Yes, there’s a romance in each book. But the real focus here is on the world, the political and religious action, and on this particular family.
I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy the shift from Keeley as the focus in book 1 to Gemma as the focus here. But it was perfect! We get a tremendous amount of information and understanding for Gemma here, and I loved it. This made me like her more than I did in book 1. I have my fingers crossed that Ainsley is the focus of book 3 because she was probably my favorite character in this book full of awesome characters.
I keep coming back to this series for the excellent world-building, the humor and sass in the writing, and the fantastic characters. There are tons of fantasy elements here – magic, sword fights, allies and enemies – with some romance thrown in. For me, this is the perfect blend of genres! (Language, sex, violence/gore, LGBTQ+, TW: Sexual assault)
*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!
Cat – 12 years old. Daughter of 2 famous comics writers. Geekicon pro. And this year at Geekicon, she is determined to win the Quest – an unsanctioned scavenger hunt set at the con. Winners get to do charity work for a week with a major movie star.
Alex – Cat’s twin brother. Artist. Gamer. On the autism spectrum. Megafan of Epic, the comic. Alex would be happy to spend the day in Artist’s Alley talking to other creators. But at Geekicon, he can get the autograph of his favorite artist. The fact that he can use that opportunity to help his sister in the Quest is icing on the cake.
Fi – 14 years old. The twins’ older sister. Charged with watching them at the con. If she can show her responsibility here, her parents might let her go on a camping trip with the cool kids from school. But first she has to survive the wall-to-wall people at the smelly nerdfest – and not lose track of the twins.
This was SO FUN! I am a huge fan of comic and fan conventions. And a huge fan of books set at conventions. This is a great addition to that book niche. The convention here is clearly a SDCC-ish event, although the description easily fit my smaller con experience, too. Con fans will recognize the cosplay, con food, the thrill of discovering a new artist, and meeting a celebrity experiences. There’s tons to love here!
Alex, Cat and Fi take turns telling the story, which is great. There’s a lot of sibling stuff going on here. Alex wants Cat to treat him as an equal partner. Cat is so used to behavioral hiccups with Alex that she bulldozes over him a lot of the time. This dynamic between Cat and Alex was one of my favorite parts of the book. And Fi is so desperate to fit in with the popular kids, it makes her a tyrant with her younger siblings at this convention. Fi changes the most over the course of the story, but Alex and Cat get to grow as well.
At times, the Quest feels like it’s taking the fun out of the con. Cat gets so driven that she rushes Alex away from things he enjoys but aren’t achieving anything for her. Thankfully, the scavenger hunt is only during one day of the event, so there’s always hope that they will get to just enjoy themselves after it’s over. There’s a lot of push and pull here about the goals of the characters for this event.
I’m not used to middle grade books having romantic plot lines beyond crushes. I read another one this year where there was a romance between the main characters, and for me it felt like it pushed the audience up into the 10-14 range rather than the typical 8-12 for middle grade. I tend to fall on the more conservative side, though, when it comes to dating and boyfriends/girlfriends in elementary school. That said, there is a romantic element here between Fi and a girl she knows from school who is at the convention. The fact that Fi is a point of view character draws the romance a little closer to the reader. But the fact that Fi is older might also give it some distance for the typical middle grade reader. It’s something to keep in mind. Third graders reading middle grade might have a different reaction to the romantic plot than 6th graders. Personally, I would set this for the older 10-14 crowd.
Convention fans should be sure to check this one out. I enjoyed the journey with Alex, Cat and Fi, especially in 2020 when the only cons we are attending are virtual! (LGBTQ+)
*♥♥♥♥½ = Loved it! Would re-read.
It’s Her Story: Rosa Parks (Graphic Novel) – A picture book biography of Rosa Parks
The Library Bus – Based on the author’s experiences of growing up in Afghanistan where his sister was not allowed to learn to read. A girl assists her mother on the library bus while thinking of the future when she will learn to read and write.
Roller Bears – A rhyming book about bears on roller skates.
Blades of Freedom (Graphic Novel) – Book 10 in the stellar Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales nonfiction graphic novel series. This one focuses on the Haitian Revolution and Napoleon. This is a piece of history about which I know nothing. I’m eager to read this one.
Defending the Galaxy – Book 3 in the Sentinels of the Galaxy series. No one believes Ara’s discovery. In fact, her parents think it’s a delusion brought on by stress. And their disbelief is getting in the way of Ara doing her job to protect the Milky Way from being overrun. I picked up the first book in this series to give it a try. It sounds awesome!
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories – An illustrated addition to the Folk of Air trilogy with an emphasis on Cardan, including stories from before The Cruel Prince.
The Awakening (Hardcover) – First in the new Dragon Heart Legacy series from the prolific Nora Roberts. When a young woman discovers a secret bank account in her name worth over 4 million dollars, she has no idea the secrets that will be unlocked when she uses some of the money to travel to Ireland, including a portal to a land of magical creatures. This is at the top of my wishlist for the week!
Eggnog, Extortion, and Evergreens (e-book, November 28) – Book 14 in the Camper and Criminals Mystery series. After recovering from a coma due to an accident, Mae has flashes of memory that she can’t quite sort out but that seem to point to a murder. This sounds fascinating and different. At the time of this writing, Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this one for free.
Fa la la la Llama (e-book) – Book 4 in the Friendship Harbor Mystery series. Sophie’s business is struggling, and she has high hopes that the extra holiday activities will help her bottom line. But when a guest is murdered, Sophie is sleuthing again.
Fishing for Trouble (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Alaskan Diner Mystery series. When an employee from the local fish processing plant dies in the diner, Charlie and her friends start looking for clues.
Game of Cones (Hardcover) – Book 4 in the Lickety Splits Mystery series. Kate and Jake are trapped in an isolated hotel with a group of quirky strangers – and a dead body. I love stories like this!
How to Frame a Fashionista (e-book) – Book 3 in the Resale Boutique Mystery series. Kelly’s ex-boss is the prime suspect in the death of her ex’s new wife. Kelly knows the woman is awful, but she is no killer.
A Lady Compromised (Hardcover) – Book 4 in the excellent Rosalind Thorne Mystery series after A Useful Woman (♥♥♥♥♥), A Purely Private Matter (♥♥♥♥♥), and also And Dangerous to Know (♥♥♥♥). This time, Rosalind is helping her friend prepare for her wedding when she is asked to look into a suicide that might have been murder. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Lois Lane: Enemy of the People (Graphic Novel) – Lois leaves a White House press briefing with information that might threaten Superman’s life. Collects issues 1-12 of this comic series. This sounds terrific.
A Murder Between the Pages (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Main Street Book Club Mystery series after Can’t Judge a Book by Its Murder. The book club folks are certain that their new club selection was inspired by a 50-year-old cold case, and they want to solve it, especially when another murder takes place in the same spot. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Notorious (Trade Paperback) – Book 1 in the Rebels of the Ton series. When Drusilla is rescued from scandal by her best friend’s brother, a rake who makes her heart race, she wishes his proposal was because he had feelings for her rather than out of obligation. But their relationship is at risk from a threat neither could predict. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Open for Murder (e-book) – First in the new Happy Camper Mystery series. Former journalist Zo Jones is running a South Dakota tourist gift shop, and looking forward to the return of her childhood best friend, Beth. But when the re-opening of Beth’s hotel comes complete with a dead body and a murder accusation, Zo starts investigating to clear her friend’s name. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Princess Knight (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Scarred Earth Saga and sequel to the AMAZING The Blacksmith Queen, one of my favorite books of 2019 (♥♥♥♥♥). I have been waiting for this book since the moment I finished the first one! When her sister Keeley became the Blacksmith Queen, Gemma left the War Monks to fight beside her sister. But when someone starts wiping out religious sects, she returns to the War Monks to convince them to accept Keeley’s offer of sanctuary. But the War Monks have changed in the two years since Gemma left. I will be reviewing this one soon!
Ready Player Two (Hardcover) – Sequel to the wildly popular Ready Player One. Days after the ending of Ready Player One, Wade discovers a new riddle and quest from the late James Halliday specifically for his heir – something that will change the OASIS in unfathomable ways. And a dangerous new rival will kill millions to secure the secret for himself.
To Kill a Queen (Trade Paperback) – When Raine’s older sister disappeared, Raine became the heir to the throne of Altria. When her father announces her betrothal, Raine sneaks out of the castle to find out what she can about her husband to be. On her mission, she gets word of a prophecy regarding the murder of the last heir to the throne. But could that prophecy be about her, or about her sister? This sounds fascinating!
Marvel: The First 80 Years (Hardcover) – An encyclopedia of Marvel.
Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops (Hardcover) – A memoir of sorts from a bookseller in Scotland about the sorts of folks he encounters in his shop.
Star Trek Voyager: A Celebration (Hardcover) – An encyclopedic look behind the scenes of the 7 seasons of Star Trek Voyager.
It’s Thanksgiving week and for many that’s when thoughts turn to holiday shopping. To help you along I bring you this year’s edition of the Holiday Hint List. You can see past lists here. I try to limit duplications from one year to the next, so you can use lists from previous years as well.
My hope is that this list will give you some shopping ideas and relieve you of some holiday stress. If you have questions, please let me know!
Here it is as a PDF: 2020 Neverending TBR Holiday Shopping Hint List
And new this year, here is a Padlet where you can look at covers while you consider my suggestions. Enjoy!
[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
As Agnarr and Iduna, the King and Queen of Arendelle, sail through storms in the Dark Sea in search of answers for their oldest daughter, they share the true story of their first meeting. Their life together was built on many secrets, but now they own their truth.
Twenty-six years earlier, Iduna was a girl, playing with the Wind Spirit on the day the Northuldra and the Arendellians would be finalizing the pact between them. Hiding and skulking around the Arendellian camp, she sees a boy about her age and hears that his name is Agnarr. She also hears his father derisively dismiss the magic of the forest.
Induna missed what started the fighting. All she knows for sure is that the Spirits are enraged. As the fighting continues, Agnarr is injured. Initially Iduna is torn between finding her family and rescuing the boy who would likely die before anyone else found him. But once she saves Agnarr, Iduna is trapped, hiding in a wagon while Arendellian soldiers accuse her people of being traitors. She can’t reveal herself or get back to her home.
Whatever will happen to her now?
{Possible SPOILERS for the Frozen movies!!}
In the movie, Frozen 2, we get to see Iduna rescue Agnarr. Eventually, we also find out what really happened that day in the Enchanted Forest. But this book focuses on what happens to Agnarr and Iduna when the Forest is engulfed in a magical mist and both teens have to leave family and friends trapped inside.
On its surface, this is the love story of a future king and an orphan girl with a secret past. This book shows how secrets and emotional choke-holds become common place in the palace. Elsa is not the first person told “Conceal. Don’t feel.”
My favorite parts were the hints and connections to the movies. The author does an excellent job of weaving these pieces in naturally to serve the story. Nothing felt forced or wedged in just to have an Easter Egg here and there.
The story carries the couple through all of the familiar moments from the movies, including their final quest for answers about Elsa’s powers. The book felt supremely satisfying for this Frozen fan. I highly recommend it!
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.
[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Over 200 years ago, when Filomena’s boyfriend stole a kiss from her younger sister, Maria, an enraged and jealous Filomena cursed Maria and every second-born daughter the family would ever have to never find love.
Emilia is the second-born daughter in her family. She lives and works around her family – her widowed father, her married older sister, her perpetually disapproving grandmother, her beloved great-uncle, and tons of cousins.
Out of the blue, Emilia receives a note from her great-aunt Poppy, the second-born daughter of her generation. Poppy is the one family member Emilia is forbidden to contact. Poppy is headed to Italy for her 80th birthday, and she wants Emilia to go with her. But Nonna Rosa would never allow it, even though Emilia is an adult of almost 30.
But Poppy is a force to be reckoned with, too. She insists if Emilia – and her cousin, Lucy, who is also a second daughter – come with her to Italy, they will throw off the family curse once and for all.
Wow, this was good! I loved the personal growth for Emilia and Lucy. And Poppy’s story, told through periodic flashback chapters, was captivating! I wanted more, in all the best ways – more chapters, more time in Italy, more time with these characters. And I can’t stop thinking about the twists and turns and the way things turned out for these women.
Emilia’s family is infuriating. I was incensed, grumbling and cursing on her behalf any time her sister or grandmother was on the page. The writing here is so good I wanted to defend Emilia right from the beginning, before I really even knew her. The evolution of the family stories and curse pieces was excellent. While everything didn’t work out perfectly, the resolution was supremely satisfying.
I loved that Lucy was part of this journey. While she isn’t a point-of-view character, I enjoyed her development over the trip to Italy. She has a different reaction to the curse from Emilia. That contrast was fascinating!
I assumed from the curse that this would be a romance. There are elements of that, but really this is a journey with these three women. It’s about their self-concepts and identities as well as their family relationships. And every bit of it was fantastic! Do not miss this one! (Language, references to sex, LGBTQ+)
*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!
It starts with Henry, a nine year old autistic boy who slips away from the adults who are supposed to be watching him and wanders off into the woods. He sees something he shouldn’t. And a woman dies.
Mercy Carr and her dog, Elvis, get caught up in a hunting party their rich neighbor is having. While they’re all rambling on about a bear that got away, Elvis finds the body. An architect, in town to pitch ideas on a project the hunting party is working on. She had been dating Henry’s father. They had argued recently. He’s arrested for her murder.
Mercy and Elvis, along with game warden Troy and his search and rescue dog, Susie Bear, find Henry hiding deep in the woods. He’s possibly seen something that could help with the case, but he’s not talking. Immediately, Henry connects with Elvis and Susie Bear, and by extension, Mercy and Troy. If they can keep him safe and comfortable, maybe he will open up to them, and they can solve the murder.
But when Henry leads them to another body, kicking off a string of trouble that includes a blizzard, it seems keeping Henry safe and solving these murders might be more complicated than Mercy anticipated.
This was a BUSY story! There’s a lot of Henry stuff, plus the murders. There’s also criminal activity in the woods that may or may not connect to the murders. You also have the interesting dynamics at work within the hunting party. And on top of that you have the will-they-or-won’t-they thread between Mercy and Troy. I feel like I got my time’s worth out of this twisty mystery!
Many times I have said I love a story with great kid characters and/or great animal characters. This book qualifies. Henry’s a fascinating kid. I loved his D&D-like references to Mercy, Troy, and the dogs. The author did a great job with the adults who were closest to Henry accepting him as he is. The dogs, who I loved in the first book, were exceptionally written here, especially in their care for Henry.
This series is a must-read for me. If you loved the first book, A Borrowing of Bones, like I did, do NOT miss this one! I don’t know that you have to read these in order, but book 1 does give good backstory for the characters. I didn’t love the ending of this with Mercy, but it’s an interesting way to launch into book 3. The Hiding Place is currently scheduled to release next March.
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read
When a fifth grade spot comes open at Sage Academy, Nory’s father, the headmaster, brings her in for another audition. Thanks to her work at Dunwiddle in the UDM class, Nory displays enough control over her magic to get the spot. After winter break, she’ll be a student at Sage with her brother and sister.
Nory’s friends from Dunwiddle get the chance to check out Sage, too, when a flooding issue sends all the Dunwiddle students to alternate schools for the last few days of term.
While the UDM kids expect some trouble from the mean kids from Dunwiddle who always hassle them, they aren’t sure what to expect from the Sage kids. They are in for some surprises – maybe Nory most of all when she sees the impact Sage has on her magic.
I have enjoyed this series from the beginning. Each of the kids has interesting magic. But the core of the series is Nory. And this book brings Nory and her family dynamic back to the forefront.
It’s still tragically sad that Nory’s father doesn’t “get” her or really even listen to her when she expresses how she feels about Sage. At least her friends truly see and hear her.
I liked how the kids at Sage responded to the UDM kids. Sure, there were some who were sticklers for the rules. But otherwise, the Sage kids were more kind than even some of the “normal” magic kids at Dunwiddle.
A major cliffhanger at the end of this will leave fans FRANTIC for the next book in the series. (At the time of this writing, there is no release date posted for book 8, Night Owl!) Readers who love ensemble stories or middle grade fantasy as well as fans of this series should not miss this one!
*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read
