Month: April 2023

REVIEW: Bruce Wayne Not Super by Stuart Gibbs

REVIEW: Bruce Wayne Not Super by Stuart Gibbs

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Bruce is the only non-powered kid at his middle school which makes him feel like a nobody. His driving desire is to clean up his city and protect others. But between school administration and Alfred, his dream of being a vigilante is getting a lot of push back.

Review

This was a fun story! I enjoyed the characters in a middle school context, and Bruce’s quest to find a way to make his mark at the school and in Gotham. The illustrations here are excellent. I loved pouring over the pictures to find all the familiar DC characters.

My only complaint here is about the portrayal of some of those characters. The portrayal of Clark Kent, for example, did not fit the historic Clark Kent at all. I don’t know if the thinking there was “these are kids who will grow into their better selves,” but it was distracting. (I have seen other reviews bring up these same issues.)

I would definitely read a sequel to see how they continue to build this new take on the characters.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: An Heiress's Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins

REVIEW: An Heiress’s Guide to Deception and Desire by Manda Collins

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It was problematic enough for Caroline and Valentine as a couple when he was the duke’s spare. Her family had plenty of money, but they had earned it rather than inherited it. But with the death of Val’s older brother, he’s now the heir. No matter what she feels for him – including aggrevation – he’s made the clear choice of duty over love.

When Val’s cousin is attacked and his girlfriend potentially kidnapped, Caro and Lady Katherine are called in to investigate along with Kate’s detective husband. Val is there to represent the family’s interests – and irritate Caro to no end. But in the course of their investigation, Caro has to “admit” to her betrothal to Val to keep her honor intact. The sparks between them haven’t dulled at all in the four years since they broke things off. And Val insists he’s a different man now – one who will fight for Caro and for love rather than give into expectations. But can Caro really trust him again?

Review

This is book 2 in the Ladies Most Scandalous series after A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem (♥♥♥♥) and before A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes. I somehow missed this one, reading book 1 and then book 3. But I fixed that oversight immediately after finishing book 3.

This was a great romance/mystery! I thought the humor in this one was punchier than in Spinster’s Guide. Val and Caro together are a sassy delight. And the mystery, again, is top notch! I read this series for the mysteries, and they never disappoint. The fun romantic pairs are a bonus!

I think the books in this series can stand alone. While I read them out of order, I had no issues in following the stories. I hardly even remembered the details of book one while I was reading number three (other than I adored it), and it didn’t impact my enjoyment at all. I think readers will want to grab all three books and blitz through all of them – they are THAT good. Then we can all wait eagerly, together, for a fourth book in the series! (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

BOOK NEWS: April 25, 2023

BOOK NEWS: April 25, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

This is the final release week of April – wow, that month went fast! Here are some of the books releasing this week:

Books for Older Kids/ Teens/Young Adults

What Was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921? – The Tulsa Race Massacre is also known as the destruction of Black Wall Street. This will likely be a troubling read, but a necessary part of history to face and understand.
Harley Quinn: Ravenous – Sequel to Harley Quinn: Reckoning. Harley starts an internship at Arkham where she works with Talia al Ghūl. This is NOT where I thought this next book was going, but I will definitely be reading this one.
That Self-Same Metal – First in a new series. A craftswoman with power over metal finds herself in a strange situation with the Fae in the time of Shakespeare. This is a fascinating  set up.

Books for Adults

Ashes to Ashes Crust to Crust (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Deep Dish Mystery series after Six Feet Deep Dish. Delilah is hoping to win a Taste of Wisconsin contest which will help her business a lot, but things get complicated when someone dies at her contest – and romantic – rival’s juice bar. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Bear With Me Now (Trade Paperback) – An executive at a wilderness therapy retreat starts to fall for the handywoman who saves him from a bear.
French Holiday (Trade Paperback – April 26) – Merry’s sister has married the only man Merry has ever loved, so she needs an escape plan, and fast. A castle in the French countryside sounds like the perfect solution, except her nemesis is there as well.
Happy Place (Hardcover) – Two exes pretend to still be together for the friend group’s annual vacation since they never told anyone they had broken up. Yes, please! That sounds awesome!
Moorewood Family Rules (Hardcover) – She might have gone to prison to save all of their butts, but now that she’s out, Jillian has some new rules for the con artists and rogues in her family. This sounds amazing!
#TagMe for Murder (e-book) – Book 2 in the Trending Topic Mystery series. New neighbors threaten Coco’s and Jasper’s business empires, and when one of the neighbors is murdered, Jasper becomes the prime suspect.
Zora Books Her Happy Ever After (Trade Paperback) – A bookstore owner meets her author-crush – and his grumpy best friend – and soon finds herself in a love triangle with both men. But she’s also certain they are keeping something from her. It seems obvious what the “secret” is going to be, but I don’t even care. This sounds awesome!
The Enneagram of Emotional Intelligence (Trade Paperback) – The Enneagram meets Emotional Intelligence (EQ)? Yep, I’ll be checking that one out!
Wisdom for Faithful Reading: Principles and Practices for Old Testament Interpretation (Paperback) – Best practices for reading and studying the Old Testament. During the pandemic, I started watching a teaching series from the author of this book, and I really liked him! I’m eager to try this and see if it’s as engaging as he was in the video series.

REVIEW: Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

REVIEW: Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases on Tuesday, April 25th.]

Summary

Delilah is hoping the Geneva Bay Taste of Wisconsin contest will net her enough money to get through the typical lean winter in her touristy Wisconsin town. But her chances of that keep taking hits.

First, the “celebrity judge” has a history with her business partner. And it’s not a good history – Sonja slept with the man’s wife. It’s highly unlikely that he would choose Delilah’s food as the winning entry, no matter how good it is.

Then, there is a mysterious death in Geneva Bay – and another person is poisoned. The poisoning victim happens to be another contestant – the woman Delilah’s ex is dating.

And if all that wasn’t complicated enough, the celebrity judge is later murdered. Delilah has her hands full with her floundering business, her aging aunt who is hiding something from her, and her custody agreement with her ex over their cat. She really doesn’t have time to investigate a murder! But she also can’t let any of their friends go down for a crime they didn’t commit.

Review

This is book 2 in the Deep Dish Mystery series, and I thought it was great! Stronger than the first book, in my opinion.

One essential element of a good cozy mystery, for me, is the ensemble cast. This has a great one! It’s large enough to be interesting and small enough to track easily. I also enjoyed the hints at a possible future romance for Delilah.

The mystery here is excellent – there are several crimes that weave in and out of the day to day events for Delilah and her friends. It was super satisfying to read – lots to puzzle out, and “busy” enough to keep me engaged without feeling overwhelmed. It was just the right balance of elements.

I don’t know that you have to read these two books in order, but as always, it does help with establishing the character relationships. If you tried book 1 and enjoyed it, you are in for an even bigger treat here!

(I know it’s Friday, and there would normally be a review here for a book for kids or for teens, but I have been overrun with review copies of adult books, so adult readers get a bonus review this week. Come back next week for something for younger readers!)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Damsel by Evelyn Skye

REVIEW: Damsel by Evelyn Skye

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lady Elodie Bayford, eldest daughter of the Duke of Inophe, loves her home. Yes, the country is poor and barren. Their people must rely on trade with one another and the generosity of the duke to get by. But Elodie is devoted to the people and the land. She would do a lot for her people. But the arranged marriage still took her by surprise.

Elodie would be marrying Prince Henry of Aurea, and her marriage in turn would save her country. But while excited about the match – and her future on the gorgeous and lush Isle of Aurea with the handsome and charming Henry – she is puzzled by what the prosperous country is getting in return for this arrangement.

And then she finds out about the dragon.

Review

This is a novel based on a screenplay which will be a Netflix movie this fall (October 13, 2023). And it is AMAZING!

I loved Elodie from the beginning. I was rivetted from the first few pages as I was watching for Elodie to discover the dragon and role she is to play in Aurea in exchange for resources to save her people. And once she knew the whole arrangement, I couldn’t put the book down until the end. This is going to make an amazing movie!

When I first picked this up and realized I had read this author before (Circle of Shadows was fantastic!), I was even more excited to read this. And Evelyn Skye did not disappoint. I was concerned that because Elodie was going to be alone, trying to survive the dragon, for a large portion of the book, that there would be a lot of long, dry sections of description. The sorts of things I usually skip over to get to the dialogue. But that wasn’t the case at all. This is super engaging, and I felt like I couldn’t skip past anything because I had to know it all. This is simply excellent.

Fantasy fans, there’s so much here to love – dragons, royalty, secrets, family, betrayal. I think this works for both adult readers and YA readers. And the bonus material at the end was FASCINATING – do not skip that part! I can’t recommend this highly enough – don’t miss this one! (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BOOK NEWS: April 18, 2023

BOOK NEWS: April 18, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the books out this week – what’s on your wish list?

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

The Swallowtail Legacy: Betrayal By the Book – Book 2 in the series; from the author of the fantastic Red Blazer Girls. Lark’s favorite author comes to the island, but she’s not at all what Lark expected – and not in a good way. And then the woman’s assistant is killed. I loved the Red Blazer Girls, so I am intrigued about this new middle grade mystery series – especially one with a book focus!
Against the Stars – Two boys find friendship turning into something more as they negotiate a world where people can see a Glimpse of their future. And things take a turn when people realize no one has ever had a Glimpse beyond a certain day on the calendar. The sci-fi tech of this is fascinating! I have to check this one out!
A Hunger of Thorns – Maude’s best friend, always drawn toward dark, powerful magic, has gone missing and Maude seems to be the only one who can figure out where she went – and the only one determined enough to step into the unknown in order to find her.
No Boy Summer – Feeling fed up with relationship drama, two sisters swear off boys for the summer. But when one starts to have feelings for a girl she meets through her summer job. she wonders if it’s breaking her promise to her sister if the relationship is technically not with a boy.
Sunshine (Graphic Novel Memoir) – A follow up to the fantastic Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka. The author turns to his time at Camp Sunshine working with seriously ill children in his second graphic novel memoir.

 

Books for Adults

The Blood Gift (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the duology, the follow up to The Blood Trials. This feels like an IYKYK situation. If you aren’t familiar with book one, start there. It’s on my wishlist!
The Bone Shard War (Hardcover) – The third and final book in the Drowning Empire series. This is another fantasy title on my TBR.
Damsel (Hardcover) – Soon to be on Netflix. A young woman agrees to an arranged marriage in order to save her people, but she discovers they intend to sacrifice her to a dragon. I will be reviewing this one soon.
The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Dangerous Damsels series. Rival spies must pose as husband and wife to infiltrate a pirate house party in search of an assassin. I have this on hold from the library.
365 Gays of the Year: Discover LGBTQ+ History One Day at a Time (Hardcover Nonfiction) – I received a free review copy of this book from Netgalley, and I spent an evening reading through a variety of the short biographies. This was a fascinating read, and I really enjoyed it. (♥♥♥♥)
Sticks AND Stones – Two new Bible studies by Kat Armstrong. I picked up Mountains as well as Valleys when they released earlier this year. I really like the structure and set up of these and I am looking forward to more in this collection.

 

REVIEW: Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo

REVIEW: Teen Titans: Robin by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Raven and Gar have broken free from HIVE and are on the run with Max and Damien. They meet up with Max’s mom to regroup – and train for whatever comes next.

Meanwhile, Dick Grayson is tracking Damien. They got off on the wrong foot when Bruce introduced them. Dick is determined to find his brother and help him.

While Damien would love to send Dick packing, the group knows they have a lot to overcome if they want to be ready for HIVE’s next move. And Dick could be an asset.

Review

I love this series more and more with each book. I really enjoyed watching the growth of the two couples. But the relationship between Dick and Damien was my favorite part of this one. I wanted to read this again as soon as I finished. I also loved the cover tease for book five, which is a must-read for me.

DC fans, Teen Titan fans, and graphic novel fans should not miss this series. There are some dark and occultish elements in Raven’s story (her demon father, astral projection, talking to and raising the dead) that might not work for sensitive readers. But there’s nothing else in this series that has raised any red flags for me. I re-read the whole series before letting myself dive into this one, and it was so satisfying. Highly recommend!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

The Do-Over by Suzanne Park

The Do-Over by Suzanne Park

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Lily is on the verge of getting everything she wants, including the release of a second book (which she technically still needs to write), and her dream job. But the employee background check for the new job turns up a surprise – Lily never actually graduated from college.

Now she has to go back and pick up the last few credits she needs – plus a STEM class to meet the current catalog requirements – and then she can get back to her life.

But the TA in her Computer Science class was her college sweetheart. He’s there finishing a PhD, and Lily wants to pretend he doesn’t exist. But Jake is hotter than ever – and he wants closure on what happened between them. He’s going to be super hard to ignore.

Review

I enjoyed this  – the characters, the attention to mental health, and Lily’s journey through shame to pride in herself as she goes back to school. There are just enough challenges along the way to keep this interesting. And we do get a flashback of what happened way back when between Jake and Lily. I felt like the personal journey for Lily was more satisfying for me than the romance with Jake, but both were good.

The three women at the center of this story are a delight. I would read more books with these three at the center, so if this is going to turn into one of those series where each character gets a book, I am all in for more. You can see my reviews of more books by this author here – there are a couple I would absolutely read again.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

BOOK NEWS: April 11, 2023

BOOK NEWS: April 11, 2023

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

The Loud Librarian – Penelope seems like the perfect choice for student-librarian, but she is also SUPER LOUD.
How Do You Spell Unfair?; MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee – The story of one of the first two African Americans invited to the National Spelling Bee. MacNolia was sent off from Ohio with great fanfair, but her arrival in the segregated state of Maryland in 1936 changed everything, from her experience on the train, to the hotel, and on to the spelling bee.
The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink – Book 10 in this delightful series sees the Princess in Black team up with a new friend. I can’t wait to check out this new adventure!

Books for Adults

The Half of It (Trade Paperback) – A grandmother feeling pensive about her past runs into the last person she wanted to see again – and he just wants to know what happened all those years ago.
Heir of Uncertain Magic (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Whimbrel House series. While Hulda had some luck taming Whimbrel House, that doesn’t mean the story for her and for Merritt is over. Hulda’s boss has gone missing and a mysterious person is competing with Hulda for the job while Merritt is trying to work on his own still-developing magical gifts and learn the story of his estranged family and his connection to Whimbrel House. I have book 1 on my TBR!
To Swoon and to Spar (Trade Paperback) – Book 4 in the Regency Vows series. A couple agrees to a marriage in name only, but discover things to appreciate about one other when she schemes to scare him from their home and he proves to be difficult to frighten off. I loved the second and third books in this series, so I definitely want to give this one a try!
Yours Truly (Trade Paperback) – Something new from the author of The Friend Zone (♥♥♥♥½) and The Happy Ever After Playlist (♥♥♥♥½). After a rocky start, two doctors try to overcome their first impressions of one another – and then he offers her the one thing she wants most of all. I am already behind on reading the third Friend Zone book, and the author’s most recent Part of Your World. But this is completely on my to read list for “some day.”
I Swear: Politics is Messier Than My Minivan (Hardcover Nonfiction) – A memoir from Congresswoman Katie Porter. You can read my review here.

REVIEW: I Swear by Katie Porter

REVIEW: I Swear by Katie Porter

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crown in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release on April 11, 2023. This is another week with an adult review on Friday instead of something for kids or teens. Sorry! There’s just a lot of books for adults grabbing my attention these days.]

Summary and Review

This is a memoir of Congresswoman Katie Porter’s time in the US House of Representatives (so far) and how she got there in the first place. This covers everything from her childhood on an Iowa farm to her college years to her work as an attorney and professor as well as how she ended up running for Congress.

I was intrigued (and frustrated) by her experiences as the only single mother in the House of Representatives as well as a somewhat idealistic newbie in Washington. Congress is the playground of politicians, most of whom are past the years of parenting or who have spouses or paid staff to manage their families or personal interests. They can play political games and focus on the next election and the one after that because someone else can pick up the slack for them. Katie doesn’t have that. She also didn’t want to phone in her work. She ran to make a difference, and she was there to dig in and make things happen.

I adored the sections of the book where she highlighted her now-famous use of a white board in congressional hearings. Her direct, logical questions have made for some of the most entertaining television of the last 6 years. I also found the chapters on recent events – the insurrection, the global pandemic, etc. – captivating. Even a few years later, I couldn’t get enough of her front row seat to these events.

This is at times humorous, inspiring, and infuriating. The storytelling is more topical than chronological, which I found to be a great feature. I picked this up because I wanted to know more about Congresswoman Porter. If the book had been chronological, I might not have stuck with the early life recollections. But by keeping this more topical, those early experiences were shown for how they informed and influenced the person Katie would become. And that was fascinating. There are a few shots taken at prominent members of the GOP. I’m not sure those were necessary to the story, and they might alienate some potential readers. I believe that content is there to show Katie as a politician who pulls no punches and speaks her mind and challenges those who need challenging. But I think the rest of the book made that point already without taking shots at a few of those folks. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.