Month: December 2018

BOOK NEWS: December 31, 2018/January 1, 2019

BOOK NEWS: December 31, 2018/January 1, 2019

Posted on by Jaymie

Thanks to the Tuesday holiday, release dates for this week are a little wonky, too, but you should find these books out sometime this week. Enjoy!

Books for Kids

Woke Baby – In both Board Book AND Picture Book format. Looking forward to reading this one!
Hamster Holmes, a Bit Stumped – Mysteries for the Early Reader set! I love the whole idea of this. There are a handful of previous titles out – I can’t wait to check them out.
Pete the Kitty and the Case of the Hiccups – Picture book star Pete the Cat now has early readers starring his younger self. Adorable!
Disney Top 10s – Disney Princess AND Incredibles AND Toy Story – These are 3 of the books releasing today in this new line from Disney. There are a few others, too – Coco, Cars, Frozen. These are small books – only about the length of a standard picture book – but filled with trivia from your kids’ favorite Disney properties.
I Wish I Was a Wolf – Pretend you are a wolf pup and learn all about wolves in this new Early Reader from Ranger Rick.
Bad Kitty: Kitten Trouble – When the neighborhood cat shelter is destroyed, Kitty’s family decides to foster as many kittens as they can. I haven’t read a Bad Kitty book in awhile, but this is one I can’t wait to read!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Digging Up Danger – Book 2 in the Story Pirates series that helps kids think about creative writing while they enjoy a fun adventure story. Such a great idea!
Secrets of Winterhouse – Sequel to Winterhouse. Elizabeth and Freddy are back, digging into the mysteries unresolved at the end of book one.
Science Comics: Polar Bears: Survival on the Ice – The latest from Science Comics
Evermore – Sequel to Everless. A teen learns the stories she has heard all her life about the evil Alchemist and the good Sorceress were twisted for the benefit of others. Turns out she is the Alchemist and the Sorceress is a murderer. I’m curious about this series and have book 1 on my list.
The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm – New stories set in the world of Eragon. While I love dragon stories, this is a series I haven’t tried. I have it on my list.
The Similars – Six new students enroll in a boarding school – and all of them are clones attending alongside their originals. Except for the clone of a boy who is dead. I’ve requested this one from the library!

Books for Adults

Flights of Fancy (Paperback) – Book 1 in a new American Heiress series. A young woman being pressured into an undesirable marriage flees and finds herself working as a housekeeper. This sounds delightful!
Live and Let Pie (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 9 in the Bakeshop series by Ellie Alexander. In this one, Juliet finds a skull which could tie to a cold case from the 1960s, plus there’s a contemporary murder as well. I have this already on hold at the library!
Nightchaser (Mass Market Paperback) – Tess Bailey is on the run, but she has no idea there is a bounty on her head. Shade Ganavan is willing to help Tess, but when he finds out about the bounty, he’s torn between helping the sexy outlaw or pursuing his own agenda with the money he would get by turning her in. I’ll be reviewing this science fiction adventure in January.
Strawberry Hill (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Mystic Creek series of stand alone stories set in Mystic Creek, Oregon. Estranged after their engagement dissolved just days before their wedding, a couple is thrown together once again. Could the close quarters and constant contact rekindle what they once had? I’m curious to try this one. I haven’t read this series before. This is on my library list.
13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do: Own Your Power, Channel Your Confidence, and Find Your Authentic Voice for a Life of Meaning and Joy (Hardcover) – Part of a series of books. I have the first one – 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do – on my TBR shelf. I’m interested in seeing how this one differs from the original, and also about checking out the one for Parents.
The Art and Making of Aquaman (Hardcover) – Our family is excited about seeing this movie, and I love to look through the making of books after enjoying the movie in the theater.
Queen of the World: Elizabeth II: Sovereign and Stateswoman (Hardcover) – In the sea of books on political figures, this is the one I am most likely to read. I know next to nothing about the royal family, and I would love to dig into this in the new year. The Queen is a fascinating person – she even has Funko Pop figures! (I love the new one in the lime green dress and hat.)

REVIEW: Dark Mind Rising by Julia Keller

REVIEW: Dark Mind Rising by Julia Keller

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

In book one, The Dark Intercept, readers learn that Old Earth has been left to the poor and the criminals while New Earth exists above it. The population is controlled by the Intercept, a computer program that takes and logs emotions and emotional memories. When someone gets out of control, the Intercept triggers a mental replay of the strongest emotional memories until the individual is reduced to an emotional basketcase. It’s a brutal system, but it works. Through a series of events in the book, though, the Intercept is destroyed…. mostly.

A few years later, Violet is working as a private detective, but she’s barely getting by. Then she gets a new case. A well-adjusted, happy teen with plans for the future dies after throwing herself from a train. Her family doesn’t believe it was suicide. There are no indications it was anything else, but she was too happy and too focused on her future to kill herself. Violet is pretty sure it was suicide, but she needs the work so she takes the case. This case is only the first, though, of a rash of suicides with young victims. How could someone cause these seemingly random people to take their own lives? And could the Intercept have something to do with it?

Review

This is a dark story. I’d give this a severe Trigger Warning (TW) for suicide. The scenes where characters take their own lives include inner thoughts that are depressing and discouraging. While the character initially knows the thoughts aren’t coming from their own psyches, they eventually give into the despair.

I think readers need to read these books in order to really understand the story, especially the pieces about the Intercept and the relationships of the characters. The science fiction world building for the series is decent, although I think it is stronger in book one. I had hoped the world building would be more thoroughly developed in this book, but it feels like the author thought what was already in place from book one was sufficient.

I’m trying to figure out if the author wants to make a statement with these books about emotions. The Intercept pieces of the stories are all about emotions – overwhelming emotions (positive and negative), controlling emotions, emotional freedom, self-regulation, etc. But it’s not clear if it’s just an interesting plot point or if she has a higher purpose or message in it all.

Based on the first two books, I’d be okay not continuing with the series. I found this story too dark for my preferences. And I don’t care for any of the characters in a way that would keep me coming back for more. I had hoped for more character development in this book, too, but the off-plot pieces that might have been character development didn’t grab my attention or draw me in. I often skimmed past them. That being said, the title of book 3 grabs my attention because of something that happened in this book that was sad and upsetting. I might have to see if book 3 really ties into that event or if the title is referencing something different. If there’s a tie in, I might check it out to see if something in the third book redeems the sadness of this one. (Trigger Warning: suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown

REVIEW: Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Imagine you are at lunch with dear friends. In the course of conversation, one friend says something that clangs against your heart. Maybe it’s political. It might be something religious or spiritual. Maybe it’s about race or sexuality or guns. Whatever it is, it clangs. And now you have a choice. Speak up or stay quiet? There are risks to both.

Speaking up can lead to conflict. You may discover that none of these friends agree with you, and you’ll be vulnerable and stick out.

You can pretend to agree and go along with the crowd. But then you have to live with your own conscience. And with the knowledge that this situation will likely come up again.

Or you can stay silent or change the subject. Avoid the discomfort.

It can be difficult to negotiate these kinds of situations. We have to decide which is more intolerable – risking our sense of belonging in the group or risking our sense of being honest and true to our own beliefs.

This is the core of Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown.

Review

This was excellent! I loved the social research pieces because I love learning about things like that. I love when my brain gets to think critically and analytically. But the writing style and tone of this is conversational and relate-able. It’s not technical or full of jargon.

The material really clicked for me. I have had experiences in the last few years where I felt I was “braving the wilderness” in a variety of settings and circumstances. From something as simple as a lunch conversation to leaving a job I loved, I’ve had moments where I’ve chosen to be vulnerable and to take a stand, and those can be lonely times. This book affirmed those moments while also challenging me to check my motives and my methods. It also showed me other places where I might need to take a stand and how to do that in a genuine, honoring way.

My copy of this book is full of dogeared pages and underlining, stars and exclamation points. There are fantastic quotes from Brené and others I want to revisit. I highly recommend this book to all readers! (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: December 24/25/26, 2018

BOOK NEWS: December 24/25/26, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

With Christmas falling on Tuesday this year, release dates for the next two weeks are a little wonky. But these books – all for kids – are releasing SOMETIME this week. Enjoy!

Books for Kids

Robot in Love – This looks adorable! Perfect for Valentine’s Day.
What if You Had T.Rex Teeth? And Other Dinosaur Parts – I have teacher friends who have done amazing things in the classroom with this series of books. If you have dinosaur fans in your life/classroom, check this one out!
Words to Love By – A picture book from the author of The Purpose Driven Life about the power of words to do good.
The Bad Guys in Superbad – Book 8 in this fun transitional chapter book series. This time the guys get super powers! Really weird super powers….
Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild – Book 6 in this fun graphic novel/early chapter book series for kids. This time Dog Man is sent to the pound for a crime he didn’t commit.
Mac B Kid Spy: The Impossible Crime – Book 2 in this fun, silly spy series for kids. You can see my review of book one here.
Treasure of the Gold Dragon – Book 12 in this BRANCHES series about dragons. Branches series usually don’t go on this long, but this one (and a few others – Owl Diaries, Eerie Elementary, Notebook of Doom) has really connected with readers. Maybe it’s the dragons!

Books for Older Kids

  

Blizzard Besties – A girl hoping for a fun week of skiing must band together with the other kids to find her brother who goes missing during a blizzard.
The Hive Queen – Book 12 in the Wings of Fire series, book 2 in the current story arc of the Lost Continent. I JUST finished the first book and it was terrific. I already have this one pre-ordered so I get it as soon as it releases. In this arc, there were three dragon tribes on the Lost Continent of Pantala, but after the Tree Wars, the Leafwings have been destroyed and the Hivewings have taken over. There is some cross over with the last story arc, but I think readers could start with book 11 (book 1 for this arc – The Lost Continent) without issue. It might even prompt them to go back to the Jade Mountain books (Books 6-10) to check out the characters they missed. You can read my review of The Lost Continent in the new year.
I Only Have Pies for You – In a family of bakers and pie makers extraordinaire, it’s hard to be the one person who can’t make a pie to save her life. But Dacey has a chance to help her family’s pie shop in her own way, even if it means having to partner with her nemesis, Chayton.
The Terrible Two’s Last Laugh – This is the last hurrah for epic pranksters Miles and Niles. This has been a fun series. Fans will not want to miss the final installment.

REVIEW: Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

REVIEW: Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sawyer has learned to take care of herself. She’s 18, she has a job (mechanic), and she passed her GED. Sure, her mom’s around – some of the time – but Sawyer has been taking care of her for years, too. Her mom was 17 when she got pregnant with Sawyer. Her mother kicked her out and the two of them made the best of their life together. Without the need for the Taft family.

Then Lillian Taft, Sawyer’s grandmother, shows up with an offer Sawyer can’t refuse. If she lets Lillian run her through all of the debutante rigmarole and Sawyer keeps out of trouble, Lillian will give Sawyer half a million dollars for college. Lillian also hints that Sawyer would finally have an opportunity to figure out who her father is. Sounds totally worth it!

But Sawyer encounters more secrets and lies than she anticipated. On her journey through debutante activities and her hunt for her father’s identity, she’ll learn – for good or bad – what it’s like to finally have family around. And what wealthy families will do to keep their reputations and power intact.

Review

While Sawyer Tate is no Tess Kendrick, she’s also a terrific protagonist. Sawyer is more subtle than Tess, but she’s just as smart, strong and sassy. She doesn’t put up with anything, whether it is wolf whistles at the garage or mean girl antics from a fellow Deb. I loved her from the first glimpse of her picking the lock of her jail cell in her white gown and gloves. Characters like Sawyer are part of why I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ work!

The structure of this includes a time jump. The story starts in the spring with several Debs in a cell. Then it jumps back to the previous fall. Periodic returns to the jail cell kept me guessing about how the story gets there. When it all comes together, it’s completely satisfying!

I was nervous to start this. I love Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ work so much, and I wanted this to be as awesome as her other books that I have loved. My anxiety was unnecessary. This was fantastic! I loved Sawyer. I loved watching her handle her new surroundings without changing who she is at her core. I was fascinated by the story. So many questions and twists – including several revealed at the end that will likely be dealt with in book two. And I need book 2 asap! I can’t wait! As soon as I finished reading the review copy I received, I pre-ordered my own copy of this. I can’t wait to read it again. I highly recommend this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Lethal Licorice AND Premeditated Peppermint by Amanda Flower

REVIEW: Lethal Licorice AND Premeditated Peppermint by Amanda Flower

Posted on by Jaymie

Lethal Licorice – Summary

Weeks after the death of her grandfather, Bailey King is representing him in the Amish Confectionery Competition in their home town of Harvest, Ohio. She’ll be competing with her licorice, taffy, peanut brittle, and fudge. Bailey is hoping to win the fudge contest at least, since chocolate is her forté, but winning the whole contest would be excellent PR for their candy shop, Swissmen Sweets.

Several of the Amish contestants are unhappy that Bailey is in the contest. She isn’t Amish, even though she is following all the same cooking rules as the other contestants. No one is as bitter about Bailey’s entry in the contest as Josephine Weaver. So when Josephine turns up dead, Bailey is a murder suspect again.

But she’s not the only suspect. Josephine’s niece is pushing against the rules of her strict Amish district. She and Josephine may have had words. And then there’s the matter of Josephine’s candy shop – who will inherit her successful business and prime location? And what about her antagonistic shop neighbor? Bailey is determined to dig through the motives of these other suspects, find the real culprit, and clear her name.

Lethal Licorice – Review

This was a great second mystery in this series. You can read my review of book one here. I am enjoying the Amish/English differences and the conflict that arises from them. Bailey and her grandmother are great characters, although the young Amish women around them – Emily, and now Charlotte, are my favorite characters.

The mystery was great. I was guessing all the way to the end. But honestly, I was just as interested in the ins and outs of the Amish community in the story as I was in figuring out the murderer. My only complaint in the whole novel was about the poor lost pig. At one point, Bailey gets a clue about the location of the missing pig – more than 24 hours after he disappeared – but she doesn’t call someone while she deals with murder stuff, or go on her own to check out the clue. While it all works itself out in the end, it was a jarring delay considering the animal was likely without food or water while missing.

Overall, I am loving this series!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

Premeditated Peppermint – Summary

It’s Christmas in Harvest, Ohio, and Bailey King and her grandmother are preparing an assortment of peppermint treats for the Christmas Market to showcase their store, Swissmen Sweets. The plans for the event are all in place – the live nativity, the parade, and the Amish businesses selling their wares. What is NOT in the plan is Bailey’s New York ex, Eric Sharp, coming to town.

Eric has convinced his television crew to come to Ohio and film an Amish Christmas – including Amish candies from Swissmen Sweets and a romantic reconciliation with Bailey. The fact that Bailey doesn’t want anything to do with Eric’s plan doesn’t seem to be getting through to anyone. But when the show’s executive producer is found murdered, Eric needs Bailey for more than his TV show. He needs her to find the killer before he’s arrested for a crime he didn’t commit.

Premeditated Peppermint – Review

This is such a fun series! The mix of English and Amish characters, many with strong personalities, makes for great interactions. The only down side is the way those strong personalities tend to bulldoze right over Bailey much of the time. Her best friend, Cass, is one of my favorite characters because she puts herself between Bailey and those other characters. Of course, she can be just as guilty of pushing Bailey into all sorts of crazy scenarios. But because she is protective most of the time, her meddling isn’t as frustrating. I would like to see Bailey stand up for herself a little more as the series goes on.

The mystery in this book was solid. There were dueling motives for the murder, and Bailey tackled both with some great sleuthing. There are some interesting developments for the overarching story of the series in this book, too. I’m eager to see where those developments lead for book four – Toxic Toffee – out in the spring of 2019.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Fire! Fire! by Hilde Lysiak

REVIEW: Fire! Fire! by Hilde Lysiak

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Hilde is a reporter through and through. She has a neighborhood newspaper, and she’s always on the look for a new story.

Hilde and her photographer sister, Izzy, get a huge story one morning when they follow the sound of sirens to the scene of a fire. Nina’s Antique Store is on fire! Hilde and Izzay work through their list of reporter questions – who, what, where, when, why, and how – to figure out what started the fire.

Review

Hilde Lysiak is the real life star of her own book! The real Hilde started her newspaper when she was 7. Now she also writes books for kids along with her dad, Matthew, in the Hilde Cracks the Case series.

This is the third book in Hilde’s series, part of the Branches line from Scholastic. I have been a huge Branches fan since I was an elementary school librarian. There’s a variety of characters and stories for kids to explore when they are ready to transition to short chapter books thanks to Branches. (In 2019, they are launching the Acorn line for even younger readers!)

I thoroughly enjoyed Hilde’s story. The story is a simple but interesting mystery. Readers get to learn about reporting while they enjoy the story. Hilde even explains how to be sensitive to witnesses who may be emotionally involved in the case. This mystery involves a Pet Parade, so there are some fun animal pieces in the book in addition to the reporter parts and the fire parts. This would be a great series to hand to a lower elementary student (1st-3rd grade) or to a teacher for those students.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BOOK NEWS: December 18, 2018

BOOK NEWS: December 18, 2018

Posted on by Jaymie

I’m looking forward to the wrap up of the semester this week and the move into a few weeks of rest – and reading! Here are some of the books out this week.

Books for Kids

Hugs &Kisses for the Grouchy Ladybug – The latest from Eric Carle.
I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home – An expression of love taken to fun extremes. I can’t wait to see this one in person!
Love, Z – A little robot who finds a message in a bottle sets off on an adventure to learn what “love” means.
Ellie May on President’s Day – First in a new early chapter book series about a girl who uses what she is learning about the presidents to try to get her turn as class flag leader. This looks darling.
Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! AND Mia Mayhem Learns to Fly! – A regular eight-year-old girl discovers she is a superhero in this new early chapter book series. Adorable!

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Junior Novel – The Junior Novel for the new animated Spider-Man movie. I’m not a big Spider-Man fan, but I have enjoyed the most recent Marvel iteration of the character, and I also enjoyed the Miles Morales novel that came out last year. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this movie.
Marvel Fearless and Fantastic: Female Superheroes Save the World – A book for kids that explores the women of Marvel. I’m excited about this one!
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – The Art of the Movie – Our whole family enjoys these Art of coffee table books!
The Cursed Sea – Sequel to The Glass Spare in a series about a princess cursed to turn living things into gem. I have this series on my TBR list.
The Disasters – Billed as The Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy. Four kids kicked out of the space academy are witnesses to a major terrorist attack. They are also the perfect fall guys. Yep, this is at the top of my list for the week! I already have it on hold from the library.
The Girl with the Broken Heart – After suffering a family tragedy, a girl gets her dream summer job caring for abused horses. Her helper is a charming guy who’s hiding something. I’m curious to give this one a try.
Kiss Collector – A girl who has seen too many relationships crumble, including her own, decides instead of relationships, she just wants kisses. She challenges her friends to a contest of collecting the most kisses over spring break. I can see so many ways for that to go wrong! This is on my list for this week, too.
A Walk in Our Cleats: 25 Athletes Who Never Gave Up – This looks at 25 NFL players and their lives of faith. This would make a great holiday gift!

Books for Adults

The Amish Sweet Shop (Paperback) – Three Amish stories for Valentine’s Day. Seems a little early, but after the first of the year, I’ll be ready for this one!
Botched 4 Murder (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 4 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. In this book, Sophie finds trouble – and murder – at her mother’s retirement home. This sounds like a great mystery.
Gown with the Wind (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 4 in the Wedding Planner Mystery series. In this book, Mallory is trying to plan the wedding of her ex, but before they can get down the aisle, his fiancée is a murder suspect.
Kappy King and the Pie Kaper (Paperback) – Book 3 in the Kappy King series. This time a baking rivalry might have led to murder. I have the first book on my TBR shelves. I can’t wait to try out this series!
One Taste Too Many (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new series. Sarah Blair is trying to put her life back together after a divorce and other disappointments when her ex drops dead and Sarah’s twin is the primary suspect. I love trying new mystery series!
Something Worth Saving (Paperback) – Charlie chose Lily the cat at the shelter when she was desperately in need of rescue. Now it’s her turn to rescue Charlie. Charlie is in trouble and the rest of his family members are too wrapped up in their own circumstances to notice. Lily will have to use all her feline wiles to get them to truly see Charlie and help him. This is high on my list for this week, too!
Son of Fletch (Paperback) – Book 10 in the Fletch mysteries (yes, Fletch, like the Chevy Chase movie from 1985.). An escaped con ends up on Fletch’s property and claims he is the reporter’s long lost son. I haven’t read any of the books before, but I am intrigued by the plot of this one. It’s on my list for this week, too.
Steamed Open (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 7 in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. This time, a new neighbor is murdered after he blocks off access to the beach – and the clamming the town needs, including Julia’s family business.
Valentine Candy Murder (Paperback) – Two PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED mysteries – Valentine Murder AND Chocolate Covered Murder – are combined into one volume.  This is great for folks new to the series, but if you have read these already, be aware that this is a re-issue/repackaging instead of new material.
Wine and Punishment (Hardcover) – First in a new series. A woman looking to reinvent herself opens a literary pub in Vermont. When her ex is found murdered and a local business is the victim of arson, Sadie starts digging to find the local troublemaker before he or she strikes again. Sounds like a great new series! This one is on my library wish list! (My hold list is full….)
Simon Peter: Flawed but Faithful Disciple (Hardcover) – A six-week Lenten journey that looks at the life of Jesus’ disciple, Simon Peter. A leader’s guide is available for those who want to use this as a group resource.

REVIEW: The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele

REVIEW: The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Penelope heads “home” to Bone Lake, Michigan to stay with her father for the summer while her mom is in Europe on sabbatical. Her goals are to get a job and write a fantastic article to help her get into college. And she’s started one about the impact of an accident at the plastic factory in Bone Lake. The factory closed, and the town has never recovered. Now she wants to find some personal reactions to round out the story.

But no one wants to talk about the accident or the plant. In fact, everyone she talks to utters the same phrase. It’s like a code or something. And there are other weird things going on. Penelope’s dad is missing. He never showed up at the airport to get her. A charred body was found in the woods, and two teens have gone missing, too. Penelope can’t get anyone but her neighbor to take her dad’s absence seriously. But the longer he’s gone, the more suspicious it is for law enforcement. They think maybe her dad has something to hide.

Penny is determined to get at the truth no matter what she discovers – or how dangerous it becomes.

Review

This was a nice surprise. The mystery was great. I was guessing all the way through – were there aliens? Was there something supernatural going on? Was there a reasonable explanation?

I enjoyed Penny and her neighbor, Dex. They made a great team for the investigation. And the town held lots of secrets which kept the story mysterious and kept me turning pages.

I got a kick out of the X-Files references as Dex leaned toward extra-terrestrial explanations and Penny leaned toward realistic ones. The Mulder and Scully references were fun.

I enjoyed this suspenseful story. All of the pieces clicked together into a satisfying ending. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥