Month: November 2020

BOOK NEWS: December 1, 2020

BOOK NEWS: December 1, 2020

Posted on by Jaymie

Looking forward to some great new releases in DECEMBER! (How is tomorrow already December? ) Here are some of the books releasing this week.

Books for Kids

The Square Root of Possible – A picture book based on a song from the Netflix movie Jingle Jangle.
Star Wars Mandalorian: A Clan of Two – A picture book summary of season one highlights.
Star Wars Mandalorian: Allies & Enemies – This leveled reader includes a look at the heroes and villains for The Mandalorian.
Cat Kid Comic Club (Graphic Novel) – Book 1 in a new series by Dav Pilkey (Captain Underpants, Dog Man). Li’l Petey and friends talk about creating comics and characters.
Itty Bitty Princess Kitty: The Un-Fairy – Book 6 in the series. Itty helps a new friend figure out where she belongs.
Pixie Tricks: Sprite’s Secret – First in a new series from Scholastic BRANCHES. When Violet finds a portal to the fairy world in her backyard, she and her new friend, Sprite, team up when a fairy’s fun gets out of control.
Sparkleton: The Mini Mistake – Book 3 in the Sparkleton series. Sparkleton accidentally shrinks himself and his friends right before the town talent show.
Unicorn Diaries: The Goblin Princess – Book 4 in the Unicorn Diaries series. Bo grants a bored princess her wish to fly, but trouble ensues.

Books for Older Kids/Teens

Goodbye, Mr. Terupt – Book 4 in the delightful Mr. Terupt series. The seven kids from the series are back with Mr. Terupt again when he serves as their 8th grade advisor. The kids come up with bucket list projects to make this final year together memorable. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Hilo Box set – A collection of the first story arc of this delightful graphic novel series. Includes books 1-6.
Jingle Jangle: The Invention of Jeronicus Jangle (Novelization) – A middle grade novel based on the Jingle Jangle movie on Netflix.
Max & the Midknights: Battle of the Bodkins – Book 2 in the outstanding Max and the Midknights series. (I’ll be reviewing book one in December – I loved it!) Max and her friends attend knight school. I can’t wait to read this one!
Never After: The Thirteenth Fairy (Older Middle Grade) – Book 1 in the Chronicles of Never After from the author of the Descendants series. When Filomena is approached by a character from her favorite book series, she is drawn into a world of fairies and an evil enchantress.
Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem: The Final Gambit – The third and final book in the series. It’s 1884 and the Peppers and the Lees have survived their latest adventures, and they are feeling a little disillusioned about the world around them that would try to silence them and cover up what they have discovered. But when they discover a plot tied to the 1884 presidential election, they are off to Washington DC to do the right thing one more time.
The Rembrandt Conspiracy – Book 2 in the Lost Art Mysteries series after the fantastic The Van Gogh Deception. Art and Camille team up again, this time to thwart a heist at the National Portrait Gallery. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
The Smartest Kid in the Universe – The latest from Chris Grabenstein. When a kid eats jelly beans from a bowl at a conference, he accidentally ingests untested information pills. Jake becomes the smartest kid in the universe, but then everyone wants a piece of him. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
American Girl: My First Cookbook Collection – A collection of American Girl cookbooks including Baking, Cooking, and Parties.
Brick x Brick: How to Build Amazing Things with 100-ish Bricks or Fewer – From the host of the YouTube series Brick x Brick. Includes build instructions, trivia, and mini challenges.
Who Was Confucius? AND Who Was Duke Ellington? – New middle grade biographies.

Books for Teens/Young Adults

Admission – From the author of Hope and Other Punchlines. When her B-list celebrity mother is arrested in a college admissions bribery scandal, Chloe is left to wonder why her parents thought they had to cheat to get her into school and how she might have been complicit in the scandal.
The Cousins – The latest from teen thriller master Karen McManus. When three cousins are invited to work at an island resort by their reclusive grandmother – the one who disinherited their parents before the teens were even born – their families see this as a way to get back into their grandmother’s good graces. But the more time the teens spend at the resort, the clearer it becomes that there was an ulterior motive to bringing them to the island. And the family’s secrets won’t be secret for long. This is at the top of my list for this week!
Day One – Book 2 in the Day Zero duology. Stepsisters Jinx and MacKenna must work together in a time of unprecedented political upheaval, thanks in part to members of their own family, in order to rescue their younger brother from the Opposition. This series sounds fascinating!
Heiress Apparently – When a young actress heads to Beijing for a role in M Butterfly, she discovers secrets her parents have been keeping from her her whole life.
The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre (LGBTQ+) – Every time Melody falls for someone during a theater production, it always ends in disaster. So to protect the school production of Les Mis, Melody swears off relationships. But then she meets Odile.
New Year’s Kiss – When reserved Tess has to stay at her grandmother’s resort between Christmas and New Year’s, she decides to create a bucket list of activities to get her out of her comfort zone.
The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person – The author shares race-related anecdotes from his time in a largely white high school about statements and experiences that he ignored at the time, but he would now handle differently. Consider this a conversation starter for race-related growth and action.

Books for Adults

A Big Fat Greek Murder (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Goddess of Greene St. Mystery series. When a groom-to-be is found dead and her sister is accused of his murder, Athena starts digging into the mystery.
The Bookworm’s Guide to Faking It (e-book) – Book 2 in the Bookworm’s Guide series. A woman agrees to be a pro baseball player’s date to his sister’s wedding. But while he doesn’t seem to remember what happened at senior prom when he broke her heart, she can’t seem to forget it.
Bridgerton: The Duke and I (Netflix Edition, Trade Paperback) – The first book in the Bridgerton series, with a new cover based on the Netflix series. I don’t usually post about re-releases, but fans of the show might be interested in picking up the source material.
Christmas Corpse (e-book, December 3) – First in a new Christmas Cozy Mystery series. When Holly skids into a snow bank, she is rescued by a woman named Mrs. Claus and taken to Candy Cane Hollow to recover. But when Mrs. Claus is accused of murder, Holly hopes to repay her kindness by clearing the woman’s name. This sounds cute!
Coffee Corner (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Amish Marketplace series. Micah and his grandfather are regulars at Bethany’s coffee and donut stand. But when they miss a Saturday, she starts to worry about them. When she hears tragedy has struck, she wonders how to help Micah in his time of need. This series looks delightful.
Courting Can Be Killer (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Amish Matchmaker Mystery series after Matchmaking Can Be Murder. This time, Millie and Lois are investigating when a young man is killed after being told he cannot marry the young woman he loves. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Courting Misfortune (Trade Paperback) – First in a new Joplin Chronicles series from Bethany House Publishers. A new Pinkerton operative is charged with finding the kidnapped daughter of a mob boss. But a handsome pastor puts her undercover identity and her mission at risk.
Death at a Country Mansion (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new Daisy Thorne Mystery series. A stylist becomes an amateur detective when her best friend’s mother – an opera star – is killed and a famous painting goes missing.
Finished Off in Fondant (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Courtney Archer Mystery series. Courtney is thrilled to be co-hosting the new season of  The American Baking Battle. But when a murderer strikes, Courtney starts investigating.
Firefly: Watch How I Soar (Graphic Novel) – An original Firefly graphic novel starring Wash as he realizes he is about to die.
Heather and Homicide (Hardcover) – Book 4 in the Highland Bookshop Mystery series. A true crime writer asking nosy questions is murdered after faking her death to observe Janet’s reaction to finding her “dead body.” When her real death includes a valuable book from Janet’s shop, the police what to know what the connection is between Janet, the book, and the dead woman.
How to Catch a Queen (Mass Market Paperback) – First in the new Runaway Royals series by the fantastic Alyssa Cole.  When a conflicted royal couple hits a rough patch, both in their marriage, and in their kingdom, the queen goes on the run, and the king must figure out how to get her back while also leading his people into the future. This is a spin off of the author’s *delightful* Reluctant Royals series, and I can’t wait to read it.
How to Fail at Flirting (Trade Paperback) – When Professor Naya Turner’s job is in jeopardy, her friends convince her that she needs a night on the town. An unexpected connection leaves her wondering if she wants to stick with the safe life she knows or if she wants to stay with the person who inspires her to live a little.
The Kensington Kidnap (e-book, December 2) – First in the new Epiphany Bloom Mystery series. A woman with barely enough money to feed herself and her three-legged cat is mistaken for a missing persons expert and charged with finding the missing son of two celebrities. I pre-ordered this one and can’t wait to dig into it.
Murder at Veronica’s Diner (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Ferrara Family Mystery series. When their waitress at the local diner is killed during the breakfast rush, there are plenty of suspects for the Ferrara family to investigate. This series sounds so terrific! I have book one, Murder on Memory Lake, on my TBR shelves.
Murder Is a Must (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the First Edition Library Mystery series. Hayley recruits her somewhat difficult former boss to help her prepare the First Edition Library for an exhibition. The woman is later found dead, and Hayley has to wonder if the murder had something to do with a valuable mystery that is supposed to be in the First Edition collection. I have book one of this series on my library wish list.
Murder on a Midnight Clear (e-book) – Book 6 in the High Society Lady Detective series. Olive gets drawn into a new mystery when she attends an “old fashioned English Christmas” and the butler goes missing. This whole series sounds terrific!
Poppy Redfern and the Fatal Flyers (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Woman of WWII Mystery series. Poppy’s job as a script writer sends her to investigate the Air Transport Auxiliary to write a 15 minute film about the “Attagirls,” a group of civilian women who have been trained to pilot planes to military airfields all over Great Britain. When some of the Attagirls start dying off, Poppy believe these “accidents” are the work of a killer.
Premeditated Mortar (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 8 in the Fixer-Upper Mystery series. A series of problems at her latest work site – an old asylum being converted into a small luxury hotel – including murder, leads Shannon to start investigating.
Second Chance on Cypress Lane (Mass Market Paperback) – First in the new Holly Grove Island series. After a scandal wrecks her career, Dakota returns home only to find herself working for the man who broke her heart.
Suspects and Sorting (e-book) – Book 3 in the Good, Clean Cozy Mystery series starring roommates (Aurora) Sparks and Joy. This time, Joy’s uncle is murdered, and Joy is at the top of the suspect list, so Aurora goes looking for the real killer. I picked up the first book in this series because I was tickled by the names of the characters.
Ten Things I Hate About the Duke (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Difficult Dukes series. A new spin on Taming of the Shrew. When Cassandra’s habit for plain speaking and trouble with a duke threatens not only her own future but that of her sister and her whole family, she will probably have to marry the man.
This Time Next Year (Trade Paperback) – Two babies born just after midnight in London on January 1, 1990. Quinn’s family was given the cash prize while Minnie’s birthdays from that moment on were a series of unlucky breaks. Running into each other at a New Year’s party on their 30th birthday, it seems obvious that Quinn has continued to enjoy all the luck while Minnie is on the verge of losing everything. But if their lives and their trajectories are so different, why do the two keep bumping into each other? I am intrigued by this one!
Trusting Skylar (Trade Paperback) – First in the new Silverstone series about ex military operatives running a tow business as a front for clandestine work. When Bull rescues the lovely kindergarten teacher stranded at the side of the road, the attraction is immediate. But Skylar can’t get past what Bull really does for a living, even when she faces her own threats where his work could literally save her life. I am intrigued by this one, too.
The Way You Hold Me (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Pure Talent series. Skye encounters her ex when they are doing crisis management for a couple whose high-profile marriage is imploding. But Skye represents the A-list actress while Garrett represents her high-powered director husband. When Skye and Garrett rekindle their personal relationship, it could put both of them in professional jeopardy.
When a Rogue Meets His Match (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Greycourt series. After years working as the Duke of Windemere’s fixer, Gideon is ready to strike out on his own. But first, the Duke wants his help with one final task. In exchange, Gideon can marry Messalina Greycourt. But the lady is not interested in a marriage of convenience.
A Whisker of Doubt (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 4 in the Cat Cafe Mystery series. When tensions flare between wealthy homeowners and animal activists over a feral cat colony that Maddie is overseeing, the tensions lead to murder.
Wine Tastings Are Murder (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the fantastic Poppy McAllister Mystery series. This time Poppy and Aunt Ginny are hosting a wine and cheese tasting for a tour group at their B&B. One of the tour group guests is later killed on a winery tour, and Poppy starts to look for clues to the culprit. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Write Christmas (Trade Paperback) – In this twist on A Christmas Carol, a grieving young woman decides to sell her late-father’s greeting card business. But when she signs the sales papers, the whole world changes to one without Christmas.
Art of Star Wars Mandalorian, Season One (Hardcover) – A coffee table book of art from the first season of The Mandalorian.
Big Kibble: The Hidden Dangers of the Pet Food Industry and How to Do Better by Our Dogs (Hardcover) – An inside look at the pet food industry.
The Color of Compromise: The Truth About the American Church’s Complicity in Racism (Study Guide) – A workbook to go with the video study of The Color of Compromise. You can read my full review of the original book here.
Marvel Myths and Legends: The Epic Origins of Thor, the Eternals, Black Panther, and the Marvel Universe (Hardcover) – A beautifully illustrated book outlining the origins of Marvel’s characters.
Strange Planet: Existence Chronicle (Hardcover Guided Journal) – A Strange Planet guided journal.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Posted on by Jaymie

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.

BONUS REVIEW: Open for Murder by Mary Angela

BONUS REVIEW: Open for Murder by Mary Angela

Posted on by Jaymie

[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.]

Summary

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.

Review

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.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ = Good/fine/solid

REVIEW: The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken

REVIEW: The Princess Knight by G. A. Aiken

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

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.

Review

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)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Con Quest by Sam Maggs

REVIEW: Con Quest by Sam Maggs

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

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.

Review

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+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = Loved it! Would re-read.

BOOK NEWS: November 24, 2020

BOOK NEWS: November 24, 2020

Posted on by Jaymie

Happy Thanksgiving Week! I know this year has been super weird, but I hope you are able to find some time to reflect on things to be grateful for this year. Here are some of the new books releasing this week:

Books for Kids

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.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

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.

Books for Adults

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.

Book Shopping Suggestions: The 2020 Holiday Hint List Is Here!

Book Shopping Suggestions: The 2020 Holiday Hint List Is Here!

Posted on by Jaymie

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!

REVIEW: Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets by Mari Mancusi

REVIEW: Frozen 2: Dangerous Secrets by Mari Mancusi

Posted on by Jaymie

[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.]

Summary

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?

Review

{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!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

BONUS REVIEW: The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

BONUS REVIEW: The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

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.

Review

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+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Blind Search by Paula Munier

REVIEW: Blind Search by Paula Munier

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

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.

Review

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.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read