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Tuesday, April 07, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: On Hold at the E-Library
11:52 AM
Happy MonTueWedThurFriSatSunWhateverday! My kids have now been out of school for a month thanks to Spring Break and COVID-19. We've been plugging along pretty well, all considered, but my 11-year-old social butterfly did have a little breakdown yesterday over missing her friends. She said (with a sad little sniff), "I love hanging out with my family, but I just want to see other people's faces!" My husband owns his own business and has still been going to the office most days. Yesterday, even he said, "I'm going a little crazy." I haven't gone anywhere in days, but I've been busy reading, blogging, working on a cross-stitching project, cleaning, etc. What have you been doing to stay sane during these crazy times?
Top Ten Tuesday is always a fun diversion, even in normal times. If you haven't heard of it, remedy that! All you have to do is hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few quick instructions, create your own list, then click around the book blogosphere checking out other people's lists. It's a great way to spread the love—and who couldn't use a little of that right now? The topic du jour is Top Ten Books I Bought/Borrowed Because ... I haven't bought any books lately, but I have been checking out e-books from my library. So, that will be the focus of my list today.
Top Ten E-Books I've Borrowed From the Library During the Quarantine (and Why):
1. A Single Light by Tosca Lee. Why?
- I enjoyed the first book, The Line Between. It's a fast-paced, engrossing, well-written dystopian novel that is surprisingly clean and faith-promoting, although it's not a religious/Christian book.
- I had to know what happens to Wynter, Chase, and the others.
- So far, A Single Light is darker than The Line Between but just as exciting.
2. Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower. Why?
- that punny title!
- A blogger (sorry, can't remember who) mentioned enjoying this cozy series that takes place in an Amish candy shop. I'm in the mood for lighter mysteries and this first installment sounds fun.
3. From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks. Why?
- I love middle-grade novels.
- This mystery features a 12-year-old African-American girl who's curious about the father she's never met. He's in prison for a terrible crime he insists he didn't commit. Zoe's desperate to prove her dad's innocence. Can she? Sounds intriguing!
4. Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry. Why?
- Stephanie from She's Probably at the Library gave it an excellent review. She was especially impressed by the way religion (mine specifically) is portrayed in this book and thought I would enjoy both its story and the faith exploration.
- The plot sounds interesting. It features a teen girl who's obsessed with all the ways the world can end and a new friend who knows when it will. Definitely sounds like my kind of book.
5. The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel. Why?
- Back before I started blogging, I read several installments in Coel's Wind River Reservation mystery series. As much as I enjoyed them, I didn't continue on with the series for some reason. I'm ready to dive back in.
- I need a Wyoming book for the 2020 Literary Escapes Challenge.
- Since it's been so long since and I have a terrible memory, I won't remember whodunit!
6. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams. Why?
- The fun premise: In an attempt to save his crumbling marriage, a macho baseball player joins a secret romance book club, where he's coached by other alpha males on how to woo back his wife.
- I need a "book about a book club" for a POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt.
- I've read lots of positive reviews, so I'm hopeful it will be a light, entertaining read that's more sweet than steamy. Too much to ask for??
7. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker. Why?
- I've long been fascinated by the mechanics of sleep and why we dream what we do, so this book just sounds crazy intriguing.
8. Where the Watermelons Grow by Cindy Baldwin. Why?
- my aforementioned affinity for middle-grade novels
- the cute, colorful cover art
- The premise sounds interesting: A 12-year-old girl notices her mother displaying disturbing behavior, the kind that has previously landed her in a mental hospital. Desperate to fix her mom, the girl puts her faith in Bee Lady's magic honey, only to find the solution may have more to do with healing her own heart. Sounds like a sweet read.
9. Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf. Why?
10. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Why?
- A high school senior decides to reexamine a murder that rocked her town five years ago for her senior project. What could possibly go wrong? Now that's a compelling premise right there!
There you go. Have you read any of these? What did you think? What other books do I need to add to my library e-book wishlist? What books have you bought/borrowed lately and why? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.
Happy Top Ten Tuesday!
Monday, April 06, 2020
With Irresistible Jacky Faber, the High Seas Are Always Exciting!
12:52 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Note: While this review will not contain spoilers for The Wake of the Lorelei Lee, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from previous Bloody Jack adventures. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.
I've talked a lot about the Bloody Jack books by L.A. Meyer on my blog because it's long been one of my favorite YA series. Reading it is like listening to a skilled storyteller recalling highly entertaining, obviously embellished tales full of adventure, romance, danger, and derring-do. It matters little that the books are all basically plotless (other than Jacky needing to get out of whatever scrape she's currently gotten herself into) because they're just so darn fun! I've especially enjoyed listening to the tales on audio. Katherine Kellgren is an exceptional narrator. Sadly, both Meyer and Kellgren have passed away—they were a brilliantly talented duo and I miss the perfection of their combined genius.
The Wake of the Lorelei Lee is the eighth installment in the Bloody Jack series. The novel starts with a very happy Jacky Faber in command of the ship she purchased with the Spanish gold she pocketed after her deep-sea diving adventures in Rapture of the Deep. Under the false belief that she has been pardoned by her homeland's government, she is excitedly making her way toward England and her true love, Jamie Fletcher. Of course, life is never that simple for ole Jacky. Almost before she knows what's happening, she's a prisoner on her own ship, headed for a penal colony in New South Wales, Australia. Scrappy Jacky never goes down without a fight, however, and this time will be no exception. From riding an elephant to saving an island people from a tyrant to charming a powerful Chinese pirate, her latest adventure is another thrilling episode in the life of the inconquerable Jacky Faber.
As you can tell, Jacky's crazy adventures are always entertaining. She's a spunky, irresistible heroine who's fierce, funny, and loyal. It's impossible not to be drawn in by her engaging voice and her colorful, exciting escapades. Although The Wake of the Lorelei Lee is a little more graphic than its predecessors, I still very much enjoyed listening to this engrossing tale.
(Readalikes: Other books in the series, including Bloody Jack, Curse of the Blue Tattoo, Under the Jolly Roger, In the Belly of the Bloodhound, Mississippi Jack, My Bonny Light Horseman, Rapture of the Deep, The Mark of the Golden Dragon, Viva Jacquelina!, Boston Jacky, and Wild Rover No More)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a couple F-bombs [unless I heard wrong], plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, sexual innuendo/content, and references to prostitution/rape
To the FTC, with love: I bought an audio copy of The Wake of the Lorelei Lee from Audible with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.
Saturday, April 04, 2020
Second Installment of Cadaver Dog Mystery Series Not Quite As Enjoyable As First
12:46 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
(Note: Although this review will not contain spoilers for The Secrets of Bones, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, The Scent of Murder. As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)
Although Jazz Ramsey makes her living as an administrative assistant at St. Catherine's Preparatory Academy for Girls, her real passion is training cadaver dogs. As the school embarks on its annual career day, in which local women visit campus to teach the students about their jobs, Jazz is asked to showcase her work with the animals. To give the girls an exciting demo, she hides a bone in an unused attic space. Her audience is delighted when Gus finds it easily; they're all shocked, however, when he scents human remains that were not hidden by Jazz. When a skeleton is recovered from its hiding place in the attic, Jazz gets an even bigger surprise—the bones appear to belong to a fanatical religion teacher who mysteriously resigned from her job three years ago.
Bernadette Quinn was almost universally disliked by St. Catherine's student body, administration, and presumably everyone who knew her. Still, who would murder the pious teacher? When the police zero in on Sister Eileen, Jazz refuses to stand by and let her beloved boss's name get dragged through the mud. If the authorities are too inept to find the real killer, she'll launch her own investigation. The more she digs, the closer Jazz gets to shocking secrets someone doesn't want revealed. It soon becomes obvious that someone will stop at nothing to stop her from digging. Can Jazz find the murderer before she becomes the next victim?
I enjoyed The Scent of Murder, the first installment in Kylie Logan's Jazz Ramsey mystery series, so I was eager to read the second, The Secrets of Bones (available May 5, 2020). While I ended up enjoying the former more than the latter, I still found The Secrets of Bones to be intriguing and entertaining. Jazz is a likable character, as are her canine companions. It's always interesting to see working dogs in action; in fact, I wanted more of that in this installment. As far as the mystery goes, I saw some of the plot twists coming, but not all of them. There were a few plot holes that didn't get tied up satisfactorily to me. In addition, I wanted more personality from Nick, Jazz's love interest. Overall, then, I didn't love The Secrets of Bones. Still, it was engaging and entertaining enough to convince me to keep with the series. I just hope the next installment is a little tighter, with a stronger emphasis on Jazz's work as a cadaver dog trainer.
(Readalikes: The Scent of Murder by Kylie Logan; also reminds me of A Borrowing of Bones by Paula Munier)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, innuendo, and disturbing subject matter
Friday, April 03, 2020
Jazz Age Murder Mystery Clean, Exciting, and Enjoyable
9:53 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
After almost a decade as an apprentice to the late Harry Houdini, 26-year-old Wren Lockhart knows all about creating the perfect illusion. She does it both onstage and off, concealing her true self behind a confident vaudeville act and a wardrobe of gentleman's clothing designed to both draw attention and deflect it. Given her guarded life of wealth and privilege, no one would guess at Wren's humble beginning as the daughter of a drunken theater owner. She'd like to keep it that way.
When a daring illusionist act by a man Houdini denounced as a fraud goes horribly awry, leaving a man dead, Wren is unwittingly drawn into the ensuing police investigation. Although she desires only to be left alone, she understands the gentle threat issued by FBI agent Elliot Matthews—if she doesn't cooperate, he will reveal to the public what he knows about her past. Desperate to keep her secrets hidden, Wren agrees to help. It soon becomes apparent, however, that she's not the only one willing to risk everything to keep the truth under wraps. With her reputation, her secrets, and even her heart on the line, Wren must make sure Elliot's case gets solved. And quickly. Before everything she's worked so hard to build crumbles before her very eyes.
I discovered Kristy Cambron last year and have since been eager to read everything she's ever written. The Illusionist's Apprentice proved a good place to start. With plenty of rich detail, its Jazz Age/vaudeville setting comes to vivid, vibrant life. The characters are warm, likable, and interesting. Plotwise, the novel moves along at a brisk enough pace, making for an exciting story. I especially appreciate Cambron's ability to create a compelling mystery but keep it PG-rated. Although she's considered a writer of Christian fiction, God/religion is touched on only lightly in this novel. However, Cambron does make sure to emphasize the continual triumph of light over darkness, good over evil. The Illusionist's Apprentice does touch on some dark subjects, but its overall tone is positive and uplifting. For all these reasons and more, I very much enjoyed this intriguing historical mystery.
(Readalikes: Um, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and mild innuendo
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
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