Tag: Meg Langslow Mystery series

REVIEW: Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

As a favor to both her blacksmithing mentor and another old friend, Meg is helping behind the scenes of a reality TV bladesmithing competition – a week before Christmas. But when Faulk, her mentor, is attacked before shooting starts, Meg agrees – reluctantly – to compete in his place.

But the production has issues. Someone is trying to sabotage the contestants. The producers seem more “green” than they’re letting on. One of the contestants seems to be harassing women around the set. And then someone is murdered.

Review

This was so fun! I have been feeling for awhile that I missed the whole blacksmithing angle that was a big part of the earlier books in the series. So I was thrilled to realized that even though this was a Christmas book, the emphasis would be on this bladesmithing competition. And it was exactly what I was missing. I’d love to see that part of Meg’s life get more attention in future books.

That said, there’s still some great Christmas elements in the book that make it a great read for the season. I also LOVED all of the crow elements in the book.

Honestly, the mystery was only okay for me. The solution felt random, and there wasn’t the usual debate for me between suspects as I read. Meg spends a good bit of time spinning the same elements over and over in her mind as she tries to puzzle things out, which felt redundant at times.

Despite that fact, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Series fans may have a mixed experience regarding the mystery, but I think the rest of the story is a solid delight. This is book 34 in the series. Book 35, Between a Flock and a Hard Place, will release in the summer of 2024.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Birder She Wrote by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Birder She Wrote by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

While a May afternoon in the hammock while the boys are at school seems like a glorious idea, Meg’s friends and family have other plans for her time – installing bees in a hive, entertaining a dismissive reporter, finding a missing wild life photographer, wrangling fussy city folk who are causing trouble, and finding a lost 19th century cemetery.

Stumbling across a dead body doesn’t help either.

Soon Meg is looking for clues to a murderer’s identity while also tracking a bee killer and a blackmailer.  Never a dull moment!

Review

This was so fun! The mystery was great – involved enough to pull me through the book with no sections where Meg was spinning her wheels (something I’ve encountered in other books lately). And the bee and hummingbird side-missions were far more interesting than I expected.

It’s always nice to spend time with Meg and the folks in Caerphilly County. Meg’s large extended family doesn’t really factor into this story. While I usually get a kick out of them, I enjoyed that change of pace. The focus here was instead on community members which was a nice shift.

This is book 33 in the funny and long-running Meg Langslow Mystery series. I think newcomers could enjoy the main mystery without feeling like they were missing out on a bunch of history and backstory for the series. Series fans should absolutely check this one out – and then watch for Let It Crow, Let It Crow, book 34, due out in October.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Meg and her family are playing host to a group out of Canada that is working with her brother’s company. And for the most part they are a lovely, yet stressed, group. But their boss, Ian, is awful and has everyone walking on eggshells. Meg and a few other Mutant Wizards board members are hoping to dissolve the contract between Ian’s company and Mutant Wizards – both to get rid of Ian, but also to protect Rob’s company from Ian’s bad business practices. But before the board can take action, Ian is dead.

There’s no shortage of suspects, from disgruntled employees to angry clients whose lives Ian nearly ruined. But Meg is on the case. If she’s lucky, she can wrap up the investigation so the Canadians can head home before the predicted snow storm arrives.

Review

Another fun Meg Langslow mystery! This one felt a little more tame compared to the last one. The cast was a manageable size while still giving series readers some of the quirky antics we have come to love.

In addition to a solid mystery, there were several laugh-out-loud moments here that made this a lovely reading experience. I can’t wait to see what Meg and her family and friends get up to next! I recently picked up the e-book of Murder, with Peacocks, the first book in the series. It’s probably been 20 years since I last read it. I am hoping for some re-reading time over the holidays so I can pick it up and revisit the series’ beginnings. The next book in the series, Birder She Wrote, is the 33rd book in the series, and it is scheduled to release in August of 2023.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Meg’s notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe says she should be busy with wedding tasks for her brother’s big day. But she’s also gotten drawn into checking into some cold cases. Her nephew and a buddy started a true crime podcast and seem to have gotten some unwanted attention.

Meg has a few cases to check out – a cheating scandal, a missing singer, and a robbery-turned-homicide. The three cases have her chasing all around the community. Each case seems so cold she’s not sure there’s anything new to discover. But there must be something she is missing because someone wants these cases to just go away. And they’ll do anything to make that happen.

Review

What a wild ride! One of the things I love about this series is the antics of Meg’s family. And they are in rare form in this book. In fact, in telling a funny part to my husband I realized, for an outsider, this family is too ridiculous to be believed. But I love them.

The mystery was fun. Meg has three different cases to dig into. And each one initially seems like it’s too old, too cold, to make any headway. But in the end it all comes together. The ending was satisfying and enjoyable.

Series fans should pick this one up. I laughed out loud MANY times while reading. And I always enjoy time with Meg and the crew. Newcomers might find the family antics to be a bit too much without the history and context that makes them endearing. The mysteries can easily stand alone for new series readers. Hopefully you’ll find the family chaos fun enough to go back and pick up the earlier books in the series – it’s one of my favorites! Book 32, Dashing through the Snowbirds, is out now, and I plan to review that one soon.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

SABBATICAL - Must Read Series, Part I

SABBATICAL – Must Read Series, Part I

Posted on by Jaymie

I am on a “sabbatical” from my blog this month, so I am sharing some posts that compile information my readers might find useful. Today it’s a look at what I consider my “Must Read” series. These might be books I buy or books I get at the library, but either way, I am NOT missing a book in these series. (It’s highly likely that I have forgotten some series, but this is a great starting list.)

This week I am focusing on series that are ongoing. Next week I will post some completed series that were must-reads when they released.

Series Still Releasing New Books

Meg Langslow mysteries – This series kicks of with Murder with Peacocks. The most recent addition to the series, book 31, is Round Up the Usual Peacocks; a new Christmas book will release in October, Dashing through the Snowbirds. I love these because Meg feels so much like me in a lot of ways, and I have grown to love the chaotic, fascinating group of family and friends who populate each book.
Andy Carpenter mysteries – This series kicks off with Open and Shut (my least favorite book in the series – but it sets things up). The most recent addition to the series, book 25, is Holy Chow; a new Christmas book will release in October, Santa’s Little Yelpers. I love these because the mysteries are so good, and Andy is sarcastically delightful.
Gargoyle Queen series – This series kicks off with Capture the Crown and then Tear Down the Throne. The next book, Conquer the Kingdom, will release in the spring of 2023. I am thoroughly enjoying this series spun off from the Crown of Shards series (which will be in next week’s post). The world is fantastic, and I love the characters here. These books can’t release fast enough for me.
Scarred Earth Saga – This series kicks off with The Blacksmith Queen and The Princess Knight. The next book, The Heretic Royal, releases at the end of the year. The first book was an unexpected delight – violent but SO fun, with clever world-building and a fascinating family at the center of the story.
Kitty Katt-Martini/Touched by an Alien series – This series kicks off with Touched By an Alien. The last book released was Aliens Abroad in 2018 – book 16 in the series. The next book will be Aliens Like Us, but there’s no release date set for that yet. This series, which I picked up after the release of book 3, changed my reading life. I discovered a fun, sexy sci-fi series with a strong, bright, hilarious, sarcastic heroine I wanted to have as my best friend. These are my comfort reads, and I read at least a few of them, if not the whole series, every year.
Galactic Cold War series – Now considered book 0 or a prequel, this series kicks off with The Caledonian Gambit, while The Bayern Agenda is considered book 1, and The Aleph Extraction is considered book 2. Book “3”, The Nova Incident, just released this summer. It’s my favorite book in this scifi-spies series.
Bromance Book Club series – This series kicks off with The Bromance Book Club. The fifth book in the series, A Very Merry Bromance, will release later this fall. I love this series about a group of guys who help each other with their romantic relationships by reading romance novels together.
Countess of Harleigh mysteries – This series kicks off with A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder. Book 5, A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder, released this summer. You’ll notice there’s not a lot of historical fiction on my list, but there are a couple series where the characters and the mysteries are so good, they have worked past my mental block against historicals.
Rosalind Thorne mysteries – This series kicks off with A Useful Woman. Book 6, The Secret of the Lost Pearls, complete with a new cover design, will release later this year. This is the other historical fiction series that I love for the fantastic mysteries.
By the Book mysteries – This series kicked off this year with Buried in a Good Book. I fell in love with the characters in this, and the mystery was fantastic. Book 2, On Spine of Death, releases in November, and book 3, Murder Off the Books, will be out next spring.
Pies Before Guys series – I picked up the first book, Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies, at the library this summer, zoomed through it, but never had space to post a full review, although I have talked about it in other posts. The first book really connected with the small, angry part of me that sees how women have been harassed and dismissed for centuries and feels powerless to effect real change. Book 2, A Good Day to Pie, will release in 2023.
Inheritance Games series – This YA mystery series kicks off with The Inheritance Games followed by The Hawthorne Legacy. The third and final book. The Final Gambit, released a couple weeks ago.
Castles in Their Bones series – This fantasy/royalty series kicked off earlier this year with Castles in Their Bones. It was stunning. Exactly the right kind of book for me. Next year’s release will be Stardust in Their Veins. I cannot wait!!
Teen Titans Graphic Novel series – This DC graphic novel series kicked off with stand alone books for both Raven and Beast Boy. Then there was a book where they teamed up, Beast Boy Loves Raven. Book 4 will be Robin, and it releases in the spring of 2023.
HiLo series – There is no middle grade series I am as excited about as this one! This series started with a six-book arc, kicked off with HILO. They are now in a second arc starring Gina, which has released two books – Gina, the Girl Who Broke the World and Gina and the Big Secret– so far. Book 9, Gina and the Last City on Earth, will release in February. (I’ve already recommended it to my library!)

REVIEW: Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Meg and her family are playing host once again, this time to a group  of actors putting on a production of Macbeth. Thanks to an interdepartmental war at the college, Michael and his actors are using the farm and an amphitheater at Meg’s grandfather’s zoo to practice their play. There’s also a group of historical reenactors staying on Meg’s parents’ property. And the warring English and history professors are dropping in regularly.

In the midst of that chaos, trouble is stirring. A vandal is striking at the farm. The reenactors’ antics are putting them at risk for arrest. Someone seems to be concocting a potion over a risky open fire in the woods. And then there’s the murder.

Review

Another fun mystery with Meg and her friends and family! (This is book 29 in the Meg Langslow Mystery series.)

I have been a fan of this series since the first few books released over 20 years ago. Meg, with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe is one of my favorite protagonists. She’s such a great character, and her extended family and the community folks are characters I look forward to spending time with when each new book releases.

There’s a TON going on here with the actors and the reenactors and all of the college folks. There’s the Macbeth-related events and the criminal and mischievous behaviors. Evil spells. Vandals. Murder. Puppies. This book has it all.

I loved watching the various mysteries play out. I didn’t really even try to sort out the villain for myself. Instead, I just watched it all unfold. And it was supremely satisfying.

Like the Andy Carpenter series, which I have reviewed recently, the Meg Langslow books are probably easy enough to follow story-wise for someone to start with this book or another one of the latter books in the series. But the cast in this series is VAST and could be hard to track without the history of what – and who – has come before.  Personally, I’d love to go back to the beginning of the series – Murder with Peacocks, Murder with Puffins, Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos – sometime and experience the early days of this great series all over again. I highly recommend cozy fans dig into this meaty series. Book 30 – The Twelve Jays of Christmas – releases in October.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release on October 20, 2020.]

Summary

As Christmas draws near, Meg has her hands full coordinating the Helping Hands for the Holidays ministry for the Ladies Interfaith Council. Her volunteers are pitching in all over town, doing household repairs, yard work, and other projects for folks in need.

Meg’s biggest project is for Harvey Dunlop, also know as Harvey the Hoarder. The town helped Harvey with his yard a few years back. The house is in even worse shape. Harvey’s cousins and neighbors have threatened to call in Adult Protective Services. And the town building inspector is about to declare the house a danger zone. Harvey knows if any of those people come in, they’ll simply throw his things away. Meg makes him a better offer, and Harvey takes it.

But all of the work the volunteers do comes to nothing when Harvey is injured and killed. When all the evidence points to murder, Meg is determined to find out who cut Harvey’s life short, just when he was getting the help he needed.

Review

There’s a TON going on in this book, and the mystery is just one part of it. In some ways it felt like a smaller piece of the story than it should be. But at the same time, what’s there – especially at the end – is highly satisfying.

The Caerphilly community – and Meg’s family – are a delight in this Christmas novel. There are the holiday events and gift-giving pieces that are fun when you have a large cast in an ongoing series like this one. While Meg’s husband still performs his one-man A Christmas Carol, it’s only a small piece of the larger story. The magpies are a fun but small sliver in the larger picture, too.

The service projects are a significant layer of the holiday activity. Harvey’s project is a big part of that aspect of the book. Even as the chief investigates and Harvey’s relatives squabble over wills and inheritance, Meg and her team are securing and sorting Harvey’s things, hoping to find clues. The case is a steady presence in the story. Meg doesn’t do a ton of interviewing or questioning suspects. But her examination of Harvey’s things draws plenty of attention, allowing her to help the chief get to the truth.

I think series fans will enjoy spending time with Meg and her friends and family during the holidays. Other readers may come for the Christmas story and enjoy a mystery on the side. There’s lots of fascinating stuff here about the history of the town during the Depression. And the reaction of Meg’s twins to Harvey’s hoarding was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Newcomers might struggle to track all of the events and characters in this one and might start with an earlier book before tackling this one.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: The Falcon Always Wings Twice by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: The Falcon Always Wings Twice by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Meg’s grandmother, Cordelia, has recruited the family into helping with her weekend Renaissance Faire. Meg’s dad is in the first aid tent, her earthy cousin is selling potpourris, and Meg is doing blacksmithing demos and serves as Cordelia’s second-in-command. And Meg’s husband is creating the “story” for the Faire, and wrangling the actors. Michael’s story sets the Faire in a made up kingdom where various factions fight for who will succeed the queen when her reign ends.

Unfortunately, Terence, the actor playing their resident villain/troublemaker is a little too good at being the bad guy. He’s managed to alienate most of the actors and get someone fired from their job in the world outside the Faire. He’s on notice that if he puts one toe out of line, he’ll be fired.

So when Meg finds him dead, no one is really very surprised. The larger issue is weeding through all the people who had a reason to want Terence gone for good in order to find his killer.

Review

Meg Langslow and her family + a Renaissance Faire.

That’s all I had to hear before I decided this was a must read for me. I have loved Meg and her family since I first read Murder with Peacocks. Meg’s life, and the full cast, has changed over the course of 27 books, but these stories never disappoint.  Reading a Meg Langslow book is like coming home. I’d love to go back and re-read some of the early books again some time. This is a terrific series!

The RenFaire setting for this was fantastic. We used to visit one in the summers, and I miss it. I loved the descriptions here and the way Meg’s husband developed the “story” for their Faire. It’s also an excellent setting for bringing in new characters for the mystery.

The mystery here is great. I puzzled out the killer, but for a long time it looked like my guess was going to be wrong. The final confrontation was terrific as was the wrap up of all the story threads in the end.

I don’t think you have to have read the previous 26 books to appreciate this, although it does help readers have context for the major characters. But if you haven’t read a Meg story before, and you love cozy mysteries and Renaissance Faires, you should absolutely check this one out! Of course, Meg’s fans will not want to miss another terrific story. You’ll also want to put the next book, The Gift of the Magpie, on your wish list. It releases in October. (LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*I have a new rating system. 4 stars= “Great! Might re-read.”

BONUS REVIEW: Owl Be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews

BONUS REVIEW: Owl Be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

This year, Meg Langslow and her family may be spending their Christmas trapped at the Caerphilly Inn thanks to an unexpected blizzard. Meg was there to help her grandfather with the Owl Fest conference. No one planned to get snowed in. But the weather isn’t the only problem.

In a crowd of professionals, you can usually count on finding a few out of control egos. And the owl conference is no exception. Dr. Frogmore is an arrogant and unpleasant man with a vocal low opinion of women in biology. He’s known in academic circles as a man who has no interest in women or other minorities in his department at Buckthorn College. And his sycophantic minion Dr. Czerny is quickly becoming runner up to Dr. Frogmore in Meg’s fictional conference award, the Most Annoying Conference Participant.

It’s no surprise to anyone when Dr. Frogmore’s death looks like foul play – hardly anyone liked the man. But the Caerphilly police chief can’t get to the Inn to investigate due to the snow storm. Meg’s dad is there to perform the tasks of the medical examiner, and the crime scene tech is there as well. But he can only do so much with an inn full of people and limited resources. At least they have Meg on site because her track record for tracking down killers is top notch!

Review

This is book 26 in Donna Andrews‘ series, and it’s a terrific mystery! I enjoyed this holiday story. The owl angle was fun – there were punny Christmas carols and interesting ecological debates. The mystery was more that satisfying with some nice twists. I was able to figure out half of the solution, but I enjoyed discovering there was more going on than I suspected.

One of the things I love about this series is the setting and the cast of characters in Caerphilly. Because of the snowed in conditions, this book didn’t have a lot of those features. I missed them, but the great mystery made up for it.

Fans of the Meg Langslow series should be sure to catch this one. It’s snowy and fun – perfect for this time of year!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2018 Favorites

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: My 2018 Favorites

Posted on by Jaymie

I read a lot of books every year.  I like to keep track of what I read every year and see how it stacks up to years before. Here are some of my reading statistics for 2018.

2018 Stats

Through the course of 2018 I read 418 books.  There were 66 more that I started but did not finish. My stated goal for the year was 250, but I was hoping to get to 365. My highest number since I started keeping track was around 340. I’m pretty proud of all the reading I did this year, and even more proud of walking away from books that aren’t working for me.

Of those 418, the break down for target audience is

  •     36% adult (151 books)
  •     21% middle grade (87 books)
  •     20% teen/young adult (83 books)
  •     18% picture books/early readers
  •      5% transitional chapter books
    And of those, 27 were graphic novels for various ages.

The main genre breakdown is

  • 39% Fantasy
  • 19% Realistic/Contemporary
  • 14% Mystery
  •   9% Science Fiction
  •   6% General Nonfiction (26 books – my goal was at least one per month)

This year most of the books I read were from the library (30%). I read 93 books from my To Be Read shelves (which are overflowing), including brand new books, as well as 110  advanced reader copies from publishers. I also re-read 60 favorites this year. Next year I want to split out my new books and my truly “TBR” books that have been on my shelves for awhile. I’d like to make more progress getting through the books that I’ve had for awhile in 2019.

When someone asks me my favorite genre, I automatically answer “mystery,” but my actual reading did not reflect that in 2018. Last year my genre reading was more balanced between Fantasy, Mystery and Realistic/Contemporary. This year I really went all in on Fantasy, although my top three genres were the same. I’d like to read more mysteries this year. I really focused on adult books again this year, but  my reading for kids – middle grade and teens – was more balanced. I’d like to keep this balance in 2019.

This year I discovered that I do better reading nonfiction if I have a physical book. To stay focused, I need to be able to underline and dog-ear and make notes. In 2019, I want to keep reading 1-2 nonfiction books each month. I am also going to add a spreadsheet to my tracking process to see if I can better track authors and characters of color and other factors.

2018 Favorites!!

At the end of the year, I love to pull the titles of all of my 5 star favorites and then compare them to come up with my favorites for the year. I might not remember every detail about them, but I remember how I felt about them. These are the books I recommend time and time again, the ones I re-read and long to re-read.

You can see my list of favorites from 2016 here and 2017 here. Last year I had one middle grade book, five YA books, and four books for adults (including two nonfiction). When I went back through my list of the 400+ books I read in 2018, I came up with about 35 that were candidates for the best of the year. I whittled that list down to ten – 7 books for adults and three middle grade books. And here they are:

10. The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl – I adored this middle grade novel about a girl who was struck by lightning, which made her a genius. You can read more about it here.

 

 

 

9. Aliens Abroad – Book 16 in the Gini Koch series that I adore. I read the whole series once or twice a year. I read this book twice in 2018, and it was excellent both times! You can read my full review here.

 

 

 

8. The Reckless Club – I felt like this was a mash up of The Breakfast Club and Golden Girls. The elderly folks in this novel are just as engaging as the kids. This was a book I wanted to hug. You can read more here.

 

 

 

7. Six Cats a Slayin’ – Book 10 in the awesome Cat in the Stacks series by Miranda James/Dean James. Right now this is my favorite book in the whole series. Read a full write up on this one here.

 

 

 

6. Captain Superlative – I have been talking about this book to everyone I know – kids, teachers, booksellers. I even wrote about it for another blog about books for kids.  I fell in love with the characters in this one. Read about them here.

 

 

 

5. ‘Twas the Knife Before Christmas – This Christmas series is a staple for me every November/December. Both books so far have had fantastic mysteries, and I adore the setting and characters. Read more here.

 

 

 

4. A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder – I just got around to reviewing this one this week, but I have loved this since I first read it last summer. The mystery is fantastic. I already have book two on my wish list for summer 2019. You can see my review here.

 

 

 

3. Lark the Herald Angels Sing – Book 24 in one of my all-time favorite cozy mystery series. I didn’t get to do a full review of this one in 2018, but it was an excellent combination of Christmas cheer, a great mystery, and the quirky characters I adore. You can read a little more in this post of Christmas books from 2018.

 

 

2. Ella: An Amish Retelling of Cinderella – I have adored this entire series, but Ella is my favorite of the three books. I’d love to see more books in this series, but I don’t know if that is the publisher’s plan. You can read these in any order, and I highly recommend all of them, including Belle and Sadie. You can read more about Belle and Ella here.

 

 

1. Kill the Queen – The cover is what first caught my attention on this one, but the book was even more fantastic than the cover promised. This is my favorite book from 2018. I already have book 2 on my wish list for 2019. I can’t believe I never had a chance to post a full review on this one in 2018!! I’ll be posting a full review as soon as I have an open spot, but you can read the Book News summary here.

 

 

Honorable Mentions

None of the Young Adult Books I read this year made my top ten, but here are my three most favorite YA books from 2018:

Grace and Fury

More Than We Can Tell

Fire and Heist

 

None of the Nonfiction I read made the top 10 either. Here are my top three Nonfiction reads from 2018:

The Path Between Us

Braving the Wilderness

I’d Rather Be Reading

 

My top three picture books from 2018:

We Don’t Eat Our Classmates

Can I Be Your Dog?

Santa Bruce

 

What were your favorite reads in 2018?