Reviews, Etc.

BOOK NEWS: March 5, 2024

Happy March! Here are some of the new books out this week:

Books for Kids


The Imposter – A little girl’s lost stuffy goes missing and then is found – but something about Mr. Snuggles seems…. off.
Just Try It! – A dad tries to convince his daughter to try some new foods.
No Cats in the Library – A book loving cat tries to find a way into the library. I have already pre-ordered this one. It looks perfect!
Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park (Nonfiction) – A picture book biography of the woman who fought for the creation of a national park preserve the desert.
The Fastest Drummer: Clap Your Hands for Viola Smith (Nonfiction) – A picture book biography of a “pioneering female drummer.”
Duck and Moose: Duck Moves In! AND Moose Blasts Off! – An early reader graphic novel series starring unlikely friends.
The Critter Club: Liz’s Perfect Painting – Book 27 in this early chapter book series. Liz tries to paint the perfect picture while petsitting.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Absolute Zeros: Camp Launchpad (Graphic Novel) – First in a new series. Three kids work together to save their space camp from a wealthy rival.
Coyote Lost and Found – A sequel to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. Coyote is feeling ready to spread her mother’s ashes, but she sold the book where her mother said where she wanted them spread. So Coyote has to track down the book by going back to the places they visited on their first trip – without letting her dad know she lost  the book.
The First State of Being – A boy in 1999, prepping for the looming Y2K crisis encounters a time traveler with a book telling what will happen in the next 20 years, and he’s desperate to get his hands on that book.
Free Period – Two pranksters are forced to join a community action club as punishment, but they discover a cause they actually care about – menstrual products for the kids in their school who need them. I have this one on hold at the library!
Table Titans Club (Graphic Novel) – A new kid at school finds a home in the tabletop gaming club, and then must fight for it and her new friends when the club’s future is put in jeopardy. I have this on hold as well.
The Enigma Girls (Nonfiction) – Middle grade nonfiction from the fabulous Candace Fleming about a secret WWII program using young women to help the war effort.
The No-Girlfriend Rules (LGBTQ+) – In an effort to solidify herself as a “good girlfriend,” Hollis joins a girls tabletop group to learn her boyfriend’s favorite game. (She can’t join his campaign because of the “no girlfriends” rule.) This is on hold at the library, too!
Promchanted – Two quarrelling teens push through a secret door at Disneyland before the prom and find themselves in the middle of Sleeping Beauty’s story – for real. Sounds amazing!
An Unlikely Proposition – Book 2 in the Unexpected Seasons series. Two young women looking to make their own way despite society’s expectations find love in “inappropriate” places. Is there any way for both of them to have the love they want?

 

Books for Adults


Baby X (Hardcover) – In a future world where clones can be made from stolen DNA, a bio-security guard and her client encounter a woman who says she is carrying the client’s baby. This sounds fascinating!
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (Hardcover) – Book 4 in the terrific Finlay Donovan series. Finlay and Vero plan a girls trip to cover their latest investigation when Finlay’s ex and her mother decide to tag along. I love this series and can’t wait to pick up the latest book!
Kilt Trip (Trade Paperback) – Rivals at a Scotland travel agency find common ground when he creates a private tour for her to places that hold special meaning. I am so grateful to have a fantastic local library – this one is on hold too.
Lady Charlotte Always Gets Her Man (Trade Paperback) – A woman hopes to break an unwanted betrothal by proving her fiancé is a killer – and she wants his brother to help her do just that. But he has his own secrets to protect. This sounds amazing!
Listen for the Lie (Hardcover) – A woman once suspected of her best friend’s murder must open old wounds when a true crime podcast decides to dig into the unsolved case and find a killer.
Take Two Birdie Maxwell (Trade Paperback) – A Hollywood star in need of a career boost finds a letter from an ex who said he wanted her back. But the letter is unsigned. A reporter looking for a career boost as well, goes along on her quest to find the letter writer so he can tell the story – while keeping his own long-time crush on her a secret.
Three Kinds of Lucky (Hardcover) – Book 1 in the Shadow Age series. A woman with a rare talent for working with dangerous magical byproducts is pulled in to help with a research project when something goes awry and sends her, and the professor she was helping, on the run. Yes, please!
Let’s Read the Gospels (Hardcover) – A guided journal from Annie F. Downs to accompany readers who work through the four gospels in a month.

 

REVIEW: Curlfriends: New in Town by Sharee Miller

Summary


Charlie’s glad her dad has retired from the military so they can settle in one community for awhile. But at the same time, everything feels different. Her dad seems to know everyone in his old home town, making Charlie feel even more like an outsider. And after so many years when it was just Charlie and her mom, his daily presence in her life makes things awkward and weird at times.

But Charlie has a plan to make all this change start to feel like home. She’s going to make some new friends! She’s done tons of research, and she’s determined to do all the “cool” things so she can fit in right away.

Review


I can see why this has been getting such positive reviews! This is a lovely friendship story while also being about growing up and about identity (my favorite theme in a book). Some of Charlie’s choices are painful to watch – like her bristling at her dad as she tries to figure out where he fits into the family dynamic she and her mom have had for years. And the lying to her potential new friends because she’s trying not to stand out.

There’s a lot here that a book group could dig into for excellent conversation. I’d love to see a group of kids dig into this. The artwork in the graphic novel is lovely! I hope there will be some more Curlfriend stories in the future. Graphic novel fans are going to love this. Kids who like school stories and friendship stories will find a lot here to enjoy, too.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: The Lost World of the Prophets by John H. Walton

[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. John H. Walton is a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College and author of the Lost World series among other books. I discovered this series while reading another book by Walton this year, and I was intrigued enough to request a review copy. I was not disappointed. This book digs into the prophetic literature of the Bible, and Walton applies his philosophy and approach for Biblical interpretation to this portion of the Old Testament.

Walton’s basic premise is that scripture should be viewed through the lens of its original context. Who wrote it? Who was the original audience? What was the author’s intension for writing? (“Writing” being used loosely here as the written Bible we have today was compiled over time from what was originally an oral tradition, etc., etc..) Walton uses a metaphor of a “cultural river” that I found particularly helpful. Our 2024 cultural river of social media and technology, for example, is very different from the cultural river of 1924. That’s easy enough to conceptualize. But it’s even easier to see how the cultural river of Biblical times is different from our own.

The writing in this book is conversational and easy to follow. While I initially read this as an electronic ARC, I definitely would prefer this in print (which is why I pre-ordered a copy a month ago). I am not sure how different the ARC formatting and final e-book formatting might be, but the footnotes alone would push me to a print version, much less my own tactile preferences for writing in and underlining nonfiction. That said, readers of either version will not need a special university or seminary education to follow this material, although I could also see this book working in a classroom setting.

The content includes things like:

  • discussion of how the Covenant between God and Israel makes Old Testament prophecy distinct from prophecy of other people groups of the same time
  • discussion of the role of prophet as God’s spokesperson and not as a predictor of the future
  • differentiation of the oracles initially delivered by the prophet, usually verbally, and the compiled, written scripture we read today

One struggle I personally have with nonfiction in general is perseverance. Without a story to pull me from page to page, I often will set down a nonfiction book part way through and never pick it up again. I can so easily get distracted by other things and lose momentum. Not so here. The writing is engaging and the content is fascinating. I can’t wait to get my print copy in my hands so I can start working through it again, marking up the pages and digging into the rich content. I have been a Walton fan since I watched several of his teaching videos on Zondervan Academic during the pandemic. But haven’t read much of his work until now. I read this while I was also working through his 2023 book,  Wisdom for Faithful Reading (review coming soon). The two together were a perfect pairing.

Walton’s Lost Worlds series is now 7 books long, but this is my first exposure to it. And I loved it! The content made me think in all the best ways, wrestling with new ways of looking at familiar passages and new ways of approaching the Bible in general. I can absolutely see using this in a classroom setting, but I think it could also be interesting as a resource for a small group or Sunday school class. I never felt like I needed to have read the previous Lost World books to understand this one, although I will say Wisdom for Faithful Reading would be an excellent precursor as it lays out Walton’s approach in a more general way. I absolutely think readers will get the most out of this if they have at least an “intermediate” level of scripture knowledge and exposure – I would *not* hand this to a new Christian or someone new to studying the Bible. I think this works best with folks who are familiar with the full arc of the Biblical story. I will definitely be checking out the other Lost World books now!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read!

BOOK NEWS: February 27, 2024

It’s the last release week of February – here are some of the books releasing.

Books for Kids


Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover – Sleepy Sheepy is back, and this time he’s going on his first sleepover to his grandparents’ house.
The Wrong Book – The narrator of a book keeps getting things wrong while a bookmark tries to fix things.
Pete the Kitty and the Three Bears – Pete the Kitty visits the Three Bears.
The Case of the Poached Painting (Graphic Novel) – Book 2 in the Pigeon Private Detectives series.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Coyote Lost and Found – Sequel to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. Coyote feels like she might finally be ready to scatter her mom’s ashes, but she accidentally sold the book that said where her mother wanted her ashes spread. Coyote and her dad hit the road again as she tries to  find the book by tracing their earlier journey. I’m looking forward to this!
Hilo: Rise of the Cat (Graphic Novel) – Book 10 of the fantastic Hilo series! Polly the cat has been sent to a magical boarding school where she finds mysterious things afoot. I adore this series – can’t wait to read this.
The Partition Project – Something new from Saadia Faruqi. When a girl’s Pakistani grandmother comes to live with them in America, she finds out about her grandmother’s experience of the Partition of India and Pakistan. And that story makes an excellent subject for a documentary assignment she has for school. This sounds FASCINATING!
Unicorn Legacy: Tangled Magic – First in a new series set in the world of The Unicorn Quest. A girl at a magical school discovering her magic for the first time tries to figure out why the unicorns are disappearing.
Unstuck – A new book from Barbara Dee. A young writer experiencing writer’s block goes to her sister for help and discovers the struggles her sister is experiencing. I have already pre-ordered this one.
Snowglobe – A book translated from the original Korean. A young woman lives in a frozen wasteland where the least live and work to provide heat to those who live in the Snowglobe. In exchange for their heated home, the residents of the Snowglobe agree to be filmed round the clock. The young woman gets the chance to move into the Snowglobe to replace one of her favorite “stars,” but she finds the life she expected is very different from reality. This sounds AMAZING!
Tender Beasts – A teen charged by her late mother to take care of her youngest brother finds herself having to defend him against charges of murder. This sounds stunning!
Till Human Voices Wake Us – First in a new trilogy. A young woman who could do without other people’s secrets starts digging into some when a friend is found dead.

Books for Adults


A Fate Inked in Blood (Hardcover) – Betrayed by her husband, Freya discovers she has magic when the man sent to kill her can’t. Instead, he becomes her keeper because his father thinks she guarantees him a throne. Spending time together, though, puts them at risk of the chemistry between then derailing everything.
The Other Valley (Hardcover) – A girl living in a town that sits between two identical towns – one that exists 20 years in the past and one that exists 20 years in the future – sees something that reveals the future. What a fascinating set up!
The Partner Plot (Trade Paperback) – High school sweethearts bump into each other in Vegas and wake up married.
Right on Cue (Trade Paperback) – A screenwriter dusts off her acting chops for a role only to find herself playing against the last man on earth she wants to see.
Star Trek Picard: Firewall (Hardcover) – A prequel story covering Seven’s journey into the Fenris Rangers.
Lost World of the Prophets (Trade Paperback) – This new addition to the Lost World series by John H. Walton is AMAZING! I’ll be posting a full review later this week.
Star Trek Picard: The Art and Making of the Series (Hardcover)
Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling (Trade Paperback) – Something new from Dr. Nijay Gupta. This book looks at the first Christians in their context in the Roman Empire. I’m looking forward to reading this one!

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Quantum Quest by Mike Maihack

Summary


Spider-Man and Mark the pigeon, fresh off their last adventure, are given a new quest by the Fantastic Four. Atlantis has gone missing, as has a dolphin talisman that Spider-Man feels is familiar.

When Spider-Man and Mark go to find the talisman, they discover that heroes are going missing. They are getting pulled into the Quantum Realm.

Review


This was an absolute delight! The story is a bit thin – heroes keep disappearing. But it’s funny how they keep blipping out while talking to Spider-Man. I think it will keep kids laughing.

But the roll call of Marvel characters who show up in this book – including She-Hulk, Moon Girl, and Shang-Chi, dazzled me. I couldn’t wait to turn the page to see who showed up next. I’m not sure young readers will get all of the jokes – like She-Hulk’s “missing 4th wall” – but I loved them. There’s a bonus search and find puzzle that I thought was a brilliant way to use the Quantum Realm.

As Mike Maihack is one of my favorite illustrators/artists out there, I of course loved the artwork here. There’s one page where the heroes have “assembled” that is perfection.

This ends on something of a cliffhanger, so I’ll definitely be reading book 3, Cosmic Chaos, which will release in July of 2024. Be sure to check out the whole Mighty Marvel Team-Up series. Hand this to all of the Marvel and graphic novels fans in your life.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

 

REVIEW: The Ladies Re-Write the Rules by Suzanne Allain

Summary


Two unexpected gentlemen callers are widow Diana Boyle’s first clue to the registry. Someone has compiled a booklet listing the wealthy widows and spinsters around London. These are women of means. Second sons and other society men with no fortunes of their own could wed well to one of these ladies.

Maxwell Dean is one such younger son – and the author of the list. He produced it as a service to men like himself to spare them the tragedy of falling in love with a poor girl and having to break off the relationship. Frankly, he’s not really sure why Mrs. Boyle is so angry about the list.

Diana isn’t the only woman angered to find her personal information publicized in such a way. But the women do see a potential silver lining – this gives THEM the power in courting rituals and relationships. And they are going to use that power to re-write the rules their gender has been subjected to for years.

 

Review


This was a fun, low stakes story, perfect for reading on a frigid snowy day (like I did) but also on a sunny beach. I think I enjoyed the female friendships that evolved out of the discovery of the registry even more than the romantic relationship. I loved the main three women and enjoyed watching all of them find love.

There’s only one real “conflict” after the initial one around the registry is sorted out. And that is resolved in a low key, low stakes sort of way. If you are looking to lose yourself in a romantic story for awhile, and you don’t want much angst in your escape, this could be a perfect fit for you.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ – Good +

 

BOOK NEWS: February 20, 2024

I hope wherever you are that February is treating you well! Here are some of the new books out this week.

Books for Kids


Wombats! Go to Wizards Wharf – Book 2 in the Wombat series. Pickles and Albert head to an amusement park – something Pickles loves and Albert doesn’t.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


The Myth of Monsters: Medusa – First in a new series.  After an incident, Ava and her brother are sent to a boarding school in Venice for the children of mythological monsters like Medusa.
The Someday Daughter – Even though she is eager to escape her estranged relationship with her mother, Audrey agrees to go on an anniversary book tour for the book that made her mother famous.

Books for Adults


The Bezzle (Hardcover) – A forensic accountant discovers the uber-rich are using the residents of the California Department of Corrections as their entertainment.
End of Story (Hardcover) – A dying mystery writer invites a writer to live with his family and help write his life story. But the mystery writer has lived through some real life mysteries – and a new dead body complicates things further.
Murder in Masquerade (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Lady of Letters Mystery series after Murder in Postscript. A Victorian Countess who secretly writes an advice column gets drawn into a friend’s family drama when she’s asked to dissuade a young woman from eloping.
Once Upon a Murder (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Lady Librarian Mystery series after A Novel Disguise. Tiffany stumbles across a dead body and finds herself the top suspect in the murder.
Only Hard Problems (e-book) – Book 3 in the Galactic Bonds series by Jennifer Estep. I am looking forward to digging into this scifi/fantasy series!
Remedial Magic (Trade Paperback, LGBTQ+) – First in a new Course in Magic series. A librarian and a witch discover a connection, both romantic and magical. This looks so fantastic!
To Cage a God (Hardcover) – First in a new series. Sisters and living weapons join the rebellion to take down corrupt royals. Fascinating!
Battle for the Bird: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, and the $44 Billion Fight for Twitter’s Soul (Hardcover) – The story of Twitter.
Liturgies for Wholeness: 60 Prayers to Encounter the Depth, Creativity, and Friendship of God in Ordinary Moments (Hardcover) – Contemporary liturgies.

REVIEW: Spider-Man: Animals Assemble! by Mike Maihack

Summary


When Spider-Man hears there’s a supervillain in Central Park, he’s eager to get in on the action. But one by one, the Avengers show up, asking him to pet sit for them so THEY can go to Central Park to fight the villain.

Review


Mike Maihack’s art style is EXACTLY what I love. So I’ve been a fan since his Cleopatra in Space graphic novel series (middle grade – check them out!). He shares cartoons online, and his Batgirl and Supergirl series is a delight every time. I’m a serious fan.

So when he started talking about his new early reader graphic novel series for Marvel, I was eager to check it out. Just after Christmas last year I took a week off social media to focus on reading, and this was the first book I read.

It’s fantastic! I’m sad I’m not teaching any more or hanging around a lot of first and second grade kiddos because I would LOVE to share these with kids. The art work is exactly as amazing as I expected it to be. But I was equally delighted by the story!

The story is “simple” in that young kids will easily follow it. Spider-Man gets left holding the pets while the Avengers get to go fight a villain. He’s dedicated to his assignment, but he’s also disappointed. In the end, it all works out happily – and along the way are some laugh-out-loud moments. I would absolutely read this again. It would be a hoot to read with a kiddo. And any new characters in the book that kids might not know open the door to other books and comics they might enjoy.

This is geared toward readers 7-10. I think it would also appeal to younger kids who might be reading independently as well as those who are looking for some “read together”/lap reading options with superheroes. I HIGHLY recommend this series. Book 2 is out now, Quantum Quest, and I’ll be reviewing that next week. Book 3, Cosmic Chaos, releases this summer. Do not miss the Mighty Marvel Team-Up series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

 

REVIEW: Suburban Dicks by Fabian Nicieza

Summary


Showing up at the site of a murder was a mistake. Her kid needed a bathroom. The rookie cops hadn’t secured the scene well. But after just a few moments, Andrea Stern had theories about the crime. It was an instinct she had used to help the FBI catch a serial killer. Before.

Kenny starts covering the murder for the local paper. It’s a constant blow to his ego to be working at such a rag. He used to be a “real” reporter. He had won a Pulitzer for heaven’s sake. Before.

Andrea and Kenny knew each other as teens. They left home and found success and notoriety. And then lost it all – the dream careers, the respect, the potential futures. But maybe they each could revisit the lives they left behind – if they can work together to solve this murder.

 

Review


Maybe I should have picked a romance to review for Valentine’s Day, but this was next up on my list, so today’s the day to talk about it! Wow. This is fantastic!

I picked this up because I came across the sequel in the bookstore – The Self-Made Widow. And I rarely start a series in the middle. So I bought this, and it sat on my TBR for ages. But I was in  the mood for a mystery, so I picked this up to try.

For the first quarter of the book, I was absolutely captivated by Andrea and Kenny. They don’t feel like the usual protagonists for a story like this. Andrea’s profiling and observational skills are spooky good. And she and Kenny are both in this “How did I get here”/”Is this my life now?” emotional space, wondering if they’ve left their best days behind them. And that angle to their characters grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.

Then, once the mystery developed, I couldn’t put the book down. I had to see how all the pieces would come together. I enjoyed the twists and layers of this. It’s all brilliant. Mystery fans should not miss this one – I highly recommend it! I can’t wait to dig into book 2.

I would list a trigger warning for marginalized people. There’s racism and homophobia displayed by some of the characters, and it’s ugly at times. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

 

BOOK NEWS: February 13, 2024

For those who celebrate, Happy Valentine’s Day this week – or Happy Black Wednesday. Whichever you prefer. Here are a few of the new books releasing this week.

Books for Kids


Pearl – Part of the Gossie & Friends series. A little duckling who LOVES to sing loses her voice.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Averil Offline (Older Middle Grade) – Something new from Amy Noelle Parks. Two kids find a way to ditch their intrusive parents in order to find the creator of the app their parents use to monitor everything in their lives. I’m fascinated by this idea!
Eowulf: Of Monsters and Middle School (MG Graphic Novel) – Spin off from the Nico Bravo series. After enjoying an adventure with Nico Bravo, Eowulf returns home to a humdrum existence. Until a villain shows up and she has to team up with the last person she’d choose. I have GOT to catch up with this series.
The Princess Protection Program (Middle Grade) – A princess flees her story and finds herself at the Home Educational Academy and the Princess Protection Program. Yes, please!
Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear (YA) – A typical teen experiencing typical things (friendship issues, romantic rejection) finds herself in a situation anything BUT typical when one of the Guardians of the magical fault lines in her town is murdered and all manner of magical creature begins to escape.

Books for Adults


At First Spite (Trade Paperback) – From Olivia Dade. After a break up, Athena has to move into the “Spite House” smack in the middle of her ex and the brother who talked him into breaking off their engagement. If she’s going to live in the Spite House, she might as well live up to the name. I already have this one preordered!
The Briar Book of the Dead (Trade Paperback) – When a non-witch steps into her witchy family’s “business” protecting their town boarders, she discovers the ability to speak to the dead which exposes her to old secrets and schemes and leaves her wondering who she can actually trust.
The Catch (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Influencer series. An influencer is mistaken for a grumpy Canadian’s fiancée when he is injured, so she agrees to a one week fake engagement for his family’s sake in exchange for his help with her social media.
Fangirl Down (Trade Paperback) – A down-on-his-luck golfer hires his one fangirl to be his caddy and help him get his game back and win the big tournament.
Fatal First Edition (Hardcover) – Book 14 in the Library Lover’s Mystery series. Lindsey and Sully are murder suspects when a priceless first edition is stolen, the conference director who had it is murdered, and the murderer leaves the missing book in their train compartment.
Fish Out of Water (Trade Paperback) – When her sister goes missing on a hike, Dahlia convinces the grumpy local survivalist to help her trek into the mountains to find her.
The Frame-Up (Trade Paperback) – Something new from Gwenda Bond. Dani needs to convince her mother and her mother’s magical art heist crew to help her on one job even though she was the one who turned her mother in to the FBI 10 years ago.
The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles (Hardcover, LGBBTQ+) – Book 2 in the Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series. Mossa and Pleiti team up again on a case when 17 people go missing and no one seems to notice. I have the first book on my TBR – I’m excited to check this series out.
Ready or Not (Trade Paperback) – An unexpected pregnancy upends everything in a young woman’s “steady, no surprises” life.
Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Dog of War (Graphic Novel) – An Earth Corgi comes to DS9 in one of Quark’s infamous deals. But the dog comes with a surprise. I am looking forward to this one!
The Summer Book Club (Hardcover) – Three women in a book club are looking for inspiration to make their own lives more fulfilling while reading books that are an escape from their real lives.
Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It (Hardcover Nonfiction) – Jeannie Allen bring scientific information and biblical insight to the subject of emotions.