I love a good mystery and I always think I may know who did the crime, unfortunately I'm usually wrong. I listened to the audio version which was well done.
Recommend: Yes
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
Murder Mystery. This is the second book in the Detective Daniel Hawthorne series. I thoroughly enjoyed his first book in the series, The Word is Murder and this second one is just as good. This mystery series has a unique twist; the author, Anthony, is a character in the story. He acts as Hawthorne's second man just as Watson did to Sherlock Holmes. Hawthorne is brash and blunt and doesn't much care about people's feelings, but, like Holmes, he's brilliant. Anthony is continually trying to smooth things over with the people they interview.
I love a good mystery and I always think I may know who did the crime, unfortunately I'm usually wrong. I listened to the audio version which was well done.
Recommend: Yes
I love a good mystery and I always think I may know who did the crime, unfortunately I'm usually wrong. I listened to the audio version which was well done.
Recommend: Yes
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Grayling's Song by Karen Cushman
Junior Fantasy. Karen Cushman is one of my top authors. Her Newbery Medal award winning book, The Midwife's Apprentice is one of my favorites. I love the medieval time period descriptions and the depth of her characters. And so I was excited to dive into the middle ages with this book, Grayling's Song.
This one had fantasy elements in it, which was a change from her previous books. Grayling's mother is a wise woman and possesses some talent for healing magic. Even though Grayling loves her mother, she feels inferior because she doesn't think she has the talents of magic that her mother displays. One day she hears her mother's cries and finds that her mother is turning into a tree and her book of magic is gone. Grayling sets out on a quest to find the book and rescue her mother and others like her who are meeting the same fate.
Grayling was a blah character. The best adjective I could find to describe her is milk-toast. The others she meets on her journeys are negative and surly. It isn't a long book and so I finished it, but it was a disappointment. I didn't find the medieval charm that fills Cushman's other books.
Recommend? No.
Recommend? No.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Insignificant and Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus
Aven is an 8th grade girl living in Kansas when her father gets a new job in Arizona, just outside of Scottsdale. The move is rough on this middle schooler, but more so than normal because she was born without arms. Her friends in Kansas that she grew up with accepted her without prejudice, but this new group of kids in a larger school have some adjusting to do as they watch her accomplish everyday tasks with her feet just as well as they do with their hands. She makes some good friends and comes to terms with some some questions she has had about her life.
Aven is relatable and funny and full of courage and determination. I found myself thinking of how I view others and how instant judgments can be made on looks alone. I feel like this is a must read for everyone, but especially those in the midst of middle school where it's so easy to judge other kids by how they look and act.
Recommend? Yes Yes Yes
Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. Junior Realistic Fiction.
Recommend? Yes Yes Yes
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Books of 2019
Number of books read in the year 2019: 48. Of those I only mildly disliked two of them, which has to be a record for me.
I'm separating my list this year into audio and print books. I've found that some books are better when listened to and some when read.
AUDIO
Junior Fiction
A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff, published in 2013. Fantasy. A wonderful book about our individual gifts and how our choices affect others, even when we don't think they will. This is one of those stories where you aren't sure how the individual stories are connected and then in the end they come together in a beautiful way. I'm in awe of authors who can spin a story so well.
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, published in 2002. Realistic fiction. We listened to this on a road trip. A few kids rescue an owl habitat from being destroyed.
A Bandit's Tale by Deborah Hopkinson, published in 2016. Historical fiction, takes place in late 19th century in New York City. A young boy leaves Italy to work to benefit his family back home, but instead gets enslaved by a corrupt man who makes him work as a street musician. He escapes only to wind up in prison for theft. This story eventually has a happy ending, but it took awhile to get there. The audio version moved slowly and this is a case where I think the print version would have been better.
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath, published in 2001. Realistic fiction. Newbery 2002 Honor Book. A young girl loses her parents at sea and is raised by the residents of Coal Harbor.
Cavern of Secrets by Linda Sue Park, published in 2017. Fantasy, Wing and Claw, book 2. I enjoyed the first book better than the second, but I really need to see where this series was going. A young boy is a gifted apothecary and is learning how to use botanical magic to give the gift of speech to animals.
Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park, published in 2000. Historical fiction, takes place in Korea. I'm usually not a huge fan of historical fiction, but Park is an exception. Her book, A Single Shard, is one of my all time favorite books, which also takes place in Korea. Kite Fighters is a simple story of two brothers and includes, as does her other books, lots of great lessons and morals that can apply to all of her readers.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds, published in 2016. Realistic fiction. A young boy has a gift for running fast. With the help of a good coach he uses running to change and improve his life. I really enjoyed listening to this except it has a cliff hanger ending!
The Evil Wizard Smallbone by Delia Sherman, published in 2016. Fantasy. This was a strange little book which I quite liked. A runaway boy finds himself as an apprentice for a grumpy, slightly evil wizard who is supposed to protect the village from even worse evil. Their adventures include a wizard's duel and people transforming into animals. The best thing about the book was a very satisfying ending.
Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan, published in 2013. Realistic fiction. This takes a hard subject, death, and turns it into a positive story of not just surviving a tragedy, but finding joy in life and others around you. Highly recommend.
The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli, published in 2017. Realistic fiction. A young girl grows up next to a prison with just her father to raise her. This is a coming of age story that was unusual, but with satisfying results. Spinelli has written some really wonderful junior fiction and this one was didn't disappoint.
Teen Fiction
Peeled by Joan Bauer, published in 2008. Realistic fiction. There is not a book by Bauer that I've read that I haven't enjoyed. She is a wonderful realistic fiction writer for young people and adults. This is a great illustration that the power of the press and the determination of a young girl can change things for good.
Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card, published in 2019. Fantasy. My favorite part of this book was the positive parent child relationship. It's nice to read a book without a dysfunctional family as the center of the plot. Instead of heroes with super powers, in this story there are people with micro powers. Highly recommend.
Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn, published in 2011. Fantasy, Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series #1. A relative of the Grimm Brothers must relive all of their fairy tales to lift the curse on their family. I enjoyed listening to this book, but there are 5 books so far in the series and I wasn't sure I wanted to continue the story.
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar, published in 2005. Realistic fiction. Shout out to my daughter for letting me know about his book, she read it with her high school English class. This one was definitely worth listening to as each character had a different person voicing their lines which added greatly to the story. This book deals with lots of issues kids encounter in high school, but especially those of suicide and judging others by their looks.
Beautiful by Juliet Marillier, published by 2019. Fantasy. This is only available on Audible. It is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Great story focusing on the troll princess instead of the human girl. Addresses prejudice, ignorance, and mercy
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, published in 2016. Historical fiction, takes place in Prussia during World War II. Here is another historical fiction author that I love. Her details and characters are so life like and intense I feel like I'm experiencing the plot unfold. The audio version was especially nice as it added another depth to the characters through the voicing of them. This focuses on a maritime disaster rarely talked about, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff during the war. I especially appreciated the point of view shift from the German characters to the non-German characters. It really helped me see the war from different points of view.
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch, published in 2016. Realistic fiction. Lina goes to Italy to live with who she thinks is her father after the death of her mother. I enjoyed the romance and Lina's journey in dealing with her mother's death and finding out about her father.
Fiction
Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen, published in 2018. Steampunk/romance. I liked this when I listened to it last January, but then found myself listening to it again at the end of the year because I had forgotten the plot! I realized half way through that I had already listened to it. Excusing my bad memory, I still really liked this book. I'm a sucker for steampunk fiction! This is a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty with some good character development.
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz, published in 2017. Mystery, Hawthorne series #1. This is a unique mystery in that the actual author of the book is one of the characters. The crime scene description was a bit graphic, but I really enjoyed reading this twist on the typical mystery. I will definitely being reading more.
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien, BBC audio version, published in 2007. My sons Peter and Palmer were reading these books for the first time and it had been awhile since I had read them, so I decided to listen to the BBC audio version which was such a treat! This version was abridged, but the voices brought to life all the characters that I love from reading these books so many times. Highly recommend!
The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky, published by 2013. Historical romance. This was a typical book for it's genre, but the ending was tied up a bit too neatly so it's not a favorite.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2003. Mystery/Historical fiction, takes place in England after World War I. This is the first book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series. I found the characters in this book reacting a bit too calm considering their situations. Maisie is resourceful and resilient as a private investigator, and her back story as a nurse during the War was impressive, but I found her a little boring for my taste.
Non-Fiction
The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson, published in 2018. Really liked this story of the 2005 heist of the British Natural History Museum. The natural history segment was interesting and it read like a mystery drama. My only regret is that parts of the mystery have yet to be solved.
PRINT BOOKS
Junior Fiction
Tumble and Blue by Cassie Beasley, published in 2017. Fantasy/mystery. A boy and girl solve the family curse. Very nice middle grade reader, enjoyed it.
Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville, published in 2015. Fantasy. The brownie needs to travel from England to America to take care of his family. Cute fun read as are most of Coville's books.
Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, published in 2018. Fantasy. This was similar to Ella Enchanted, but a little weaker.
Wrath of the Dragon King and Master of the Phantom Isle by Brandon Mull, published in 2018 and 2019. Fantasy. These are books 2 and 3 in the Dragonwatch series. I like Brandon Mull's story telling ability and enjoyed reading this series. The only downside being I have to wait another year to read the next book!
Beast of Stone by Linda Sue Park, published in 2018. Fantasy, Wing & Claw book 3. This is the last in this series and it ended nicely. I enjoyed reading this one instead of listening to the audio version as I did the first two books.
Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck, published in 2006. Historical, takes place in rural Indiana in 1914. Richard Peck is a wonderful author who uses humor expertly in his stories. His books are great for reading aloud which is what I did with this book. A story about two siblings who are auto mechanics and the people in the small town where they live.
One Hundred Dresses: If the Magic Fits by Susan Maupin Schmid, published in 2016. Fantasy. Wonderful middle reader fairy tale, new story well told with great characters.
Rump by Liesl Shurtliff, published in 2013. Fantasy. Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin from his point of view. Fun read.
Teen Fiction
The Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett, published in 2014. Fantasy. Cinderella told from the step sister's point of view. I have never read a version of this fairy tale from this point of view, unique and interesting. I really enjoy the retelling of fairy tales from characters view points who do not normally take center stage.
Skyjacked by Paul Griffin, published in 2019. Realistic/Action. This book was action packed! A group of teens need to escape from a hijacked airplane.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, published in 2019. Fantasy. Retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I really enjoyed this one, but the ending left an opening for a sequel, which I'm not sure I always like. Sometimes it's nice to read a stand alone book.
On the Fence, P.S. I Like You, Lucky in Love all by Kasie West, published in 2014, 2016, 2017. Realistic fiction. All three of these books were teen romances. I liked the first one and then found myself reading all three. They are clean and a quick read with not too much cheesiness.
Fiction
Rocket's Dead Glare, A Deadly Brew, Santa Puppy, by Lyn Cahoon, published in 2018. Mystery. Three novellas from the Tourist Trap series. Short and sweet, no murder, just another crime or mystery to solve. Nice quick reads.
Corned Beef and Casualties by Lyn Cahoon, published in 2019. Mystery. Latest installment of Lyn Cahoon's Tourist Trap mysteries. Always enjoyable.
Lord Fenton's Folly by Josi Kilpack, published in 2015. Romance. I found this book as I was staying at my sister's house for the holidays. I finished it at 1:30am on January 1st, so I guess technically it should go on next year's list! It was a great way to welcome in the New Year!
A Holiday by Gaslight: A Victorian Christmas Novella by Mimi Matthews, published in 2018. Romance. Nice, short, clean, romance about an aristocrat marrying a tradesman.
The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews, published in 2018. Romance. This Victorian romance has all the ingredients you could expect, a brooding leading man, a damsel in distress who really has a backbone, and a dark past they are both running from.
Non-Fiction
Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume One, published in 2018. I very much enjoyed reading this detailed account of the Church. It has increased my admiration of those early Saints and increased my testimony of the restored church.
I'm separating my list this year into audio and print books. I've found that some books are better when listened to and some when read.
AUDIO
Junior Fiction
A Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff, published in 2013. Fantasy. A wonderful book about our individual gifts and how our choices affect others, even when we don't think they will. This is one of those stories where you aren't sure how the individual stories are connected and then in the end they come together in a beautiful way. I'm in awe of authors who can spin a story so well.
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, published in 2002. Realistic fiction. We listened to this on a road trip. A few kids rescue an owl habitat from being destroyed.
A Bandit's Tale by Deborah Hopkinson, published in 2016. Historical fiction, takes place in late 19th century in New York City. A young boy leaves Italy to work to benefit his family back home, but instead gets enslaved by a corrupt man who makes him work as a street musician. He escapes only to wind up in prison for theft. This story eventually has a happy ending, but it took awhile to get there. The audio version moved slowly and this is a case where I think the print version would have been better.
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath, published in 2001. Realistic fiction. Newbery 2002 Honor Book. A young girl loses her parents at sea and is raised by the residents of Coal Harbor.
Cavern of Secrets by Linda Sue Park, published in 2017. Fantasy, Wing and Claw, book 2. I enjoyed the first book better than the second, but I really need to see where this series was going. A young boy is a gifted apothecary and is learning how to use botanical magic to give the gift of speech to animals.
Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park, published in 2000. Historical fiction, takes place in Korea. I'm usually not a huge fan of historical fiction, but Park is an exception. Her book, A Single Shard, is one of my all time favorite books, which also takes place in Korea. Kite Fighters is a simple story of two brothers and includes, as does her other books, lots of great lessons and morals that can apply to all of her readers.
Ghost by Jason Reynolds, published in 2016. Realistic fiction. A young boy has a gift for running fast. With the help of a good coach he uses running to change and improve his life. I really enjoyed listening to this except it has a cliff hanger ending!
The Evil Wizard Smallbone by Delia Sherman, published in 2016. Fantasy. This was a strange little book which I quite liked. A runaway boy finds himself as an apprentice for a grumpy, slightly evil wizard who is supposed to protect the village from even worse evil. Their adventures include a wizard's duel and people transforming into animals. The best thing about the book was a very satisfying ending.
Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan, published in 2013. Realistic fiction. This takes a hard subject, death, and turns it into a positive story of not just surviving a tragedy, but finding joy in life and others around you. Highly recommend.
The Warden's Daughter by Jerry Spinelli, published in 2017. Realistic fiction. A young girl grows up next to a prison with just her father to raise her. This is a coming of age story that was unusual, but with satisfying results. Spinelli has written some really wonderful junior fiction and this one was didn't disappoint.
Teen Fiction
Peeled by Joan Bauer, published in 2008. Realistic fiction. There is not a book by Bauer that I've read that I haven't enjoyed. She is a wonderful realistic fiction writer for young people and adults. This is a great illustration that the power of the press and the determination of a young girl can change things for good.
Lost and Found by Orson Scott Card, published in 2019. Fantasy. My favorite part of this book was the positive parent child relationship. It's nice to read a book without a dysfunctional family as the center of the plot. Instead of heroes with super powers, in this story there are people with micro powers. Highly recommend.
Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn, published in 2011. Fantasy, Unfortunate Fairy Tale Series #1. A relative of the Grimm Brothers must relive all of their fairy tales to lift the curse on their family. I enjoyed listening to this book, but there are 5 books so far in the series and I wasn't sure I wanted to continue the story.
Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar, published in 2005. Realistic fiction. Shout out to my daughter for letting me know about his book, she read it with her high school English class. This one was definitely worth listening to as each character had a different person voicing their lines which added greatly to the story. This book deals with lots of issues kids encounter in high school, but especially those of suicide and judging others by their looks.
Beautiful by Juliet Marillier, published by 2019. Fantasy. This is only available on Audible. It is a retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon. Great story focusing on the troll princess instead of the human girl. Addresses prejudice, ignorance, and mercy
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, published in 2016. Historical fiction, takes place in Prussia during World War II. Here is another historical fiction author that I love. Her details and characters are so life like and intense I feel like I'm experiencing the plot unfold. The audio version was especially nice as it added another depth to the characters through the voicing of them. This focuses on a maritime disaster rarely talked about, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff during the war. I especially appreciated the point of view shift from the German characters to the non-German characters. It really helped me see the war from different points of view.
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch, published in 2016. Realistic fiction. Lina goes to Italy to live with who she thinks is her father after the death of her mother. I enjoyed the romance and Lina's journey in dealing with her mother's death and finding out about her father.
Fiction
Kiss of the Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen, published in 2018. Steampunk/romance. I liked this when I listened to it last January, but then found myself listening to it again at the end of the year because I had forgotten the plot! I realized half way through that I had already listened to it. Excusing my bad memory, I still really liked this book. I'm a sucker for steampunk fiction! This is a loose retelling of Sleeping Beauty with some good character development.
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz, published in 2017. Mystery, Hawthorne series #1. This is a unique mystery in that the actual author of the book is one of the characters. The crime scene description was a bit graphic, but I really enjoyed reading this twist on the typical mystery. I will definitely being reading more.
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, by J.R.R. Tolkien, BBC audio version, published in 2007. My sons Peter and Palmer were reading these books for the first time and it had been awhile since I had read them, so I decided to listen to the BBC audio version which was such a treat! This version was abridged, but the voices brought to life all the characters that I love from reading these books so many times. Highly recommend!
The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky, published by 2013. Historical romance. This was a typical book for it's genre, but the ending was tied up a bit too neatly so it's not a favorite.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, published in 2003. Mystery/Historical fiction, takes place in England after World War I. This is the first book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series. I found the characters in this book reacting a bit too calm considering their situations. Maisie is resourceful and resilient as a private investigator, and her back story as a nurse during the War was impressive, but I found her a little boring for my taste.
Non-Fiction
The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson, published in 2018. Really liked this story of the 2005 heist of the British Natural History Museum. The natural history segment was interesting and it read like a mystery drama. My only regret is that parts of the mystery have yet to be solved.
PRINT BOOKS
Junior Fiction
Tumble and Blue by Cassie Beasley, published in 2017. Fantasy/mystery. A boy and girl solve the family curse. Very nice middle grade reader, enjoyed it.
Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville, published in 2015. Fantasy. The brownie needs to travel from England to America to take care of his family. Cute fun read as are most of Coville's books.
Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, published in 2018. Fantasy. This was similar to Ella Enchanted, but a little weaker.
Wrath of the Dragon King and Master of the Phantom Isle by Brandon Mull, published in 2018 and 2019. Fantasy. These are books 2 and 3 in the Dragonwatch series. I like Brandon Mull's story telling ability and enjoyed reading this series. The only downside being I have to wait another year to read the next book!
Beast of Stone by Linda Sue Park, published in 2018. Fantasy, Wing & Claw book 3. This is the last in this series and it ended nicely. I enjoyed reading this one instead of listening to the audio version as I did the first two books.
Here Lies the Librarian by Richard Peck, published in 2006. Historical, takes place in rural Indiana in 1914. Richard Peck is a wonderful author who uses humor expertly in his stories. His books are great for reading aloud which is what I did with this book. A story about two siblings who are auto mechanics and the people in the small town where they live.
One Hundred Dresses: If the Magic Fits by Susan Maupin Schmid, published in 2016. Fantasy. Wonderful middle reader fairy tale, new story well told with great characters.
Rump by Liesl Shurtliff, published in 2013. Fantasy. Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin from his point of view. Fun read.
Teen Fiction
The Stepsister's Tale by Tracy Barrett, published in 2014. Fantasy. Cinderella told from the step sister's point of view. I have never read a version of this fairy tale from this point of view, unique and interesting. I really enjoy the retelling of fairy tales from characters view points who do not normally take center stage.
Skyjacked by Paul Griffin, published in 2019. Realistic/Action. This book was action packed! A group of teens need to escape from a hijacked airplane.
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer, published in 2019. Fantasy. Retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I really enjoyed this one, but the ending left an opening for a sequel, which I'm not sure I always like. Sometimes it's nice to read a stand alone book.
On the Fence, P.S. I Like You, Lucky in Love all by Kasie West, published in 2014, 2016, 2017. Realistic fiction. All three of these books were teen romances. I liked the first one and then found myself reading all three. They are clean and a quick read with not too much cheesiness.
Fiction
Rocket's Dead Glare, A Deadly Brew, Santa Puppy, by Lyn Cahoon, published in 2018. Mystery. Three novellas from the Tourist Trap series. Short and sweet, no murder, just another crime or mystery to solve. Nice quick reads.
Corned Beef and Casualties by Lyn Cahoon, published in 2019. Mystery. Latest installment of Lyn Cahoon's Tourist Trap mysteries. Always enjoyable.
Lord Fenton's Folly by Josi Kilpack, published in 2015. Romance. I found this book as I was staying at my sister's house for the holidays. I finished it at 1:30am on January 1st, so I guess technically it should go on next year's list! It was a great way to welcome in the New Year!
A Holiday by Gaslight: A Victorian Christmas Novella by Mimi Matthews, published in 2018. Romance. Nice, short, clean, romance about an aristocrat marrying a tradesman.
The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews, published in 2018. Romance. This Victorian romance has all the ingredients you could expect, a brooding leading man, a damsel in distress who really has a backbone, and a dark past they are both running from.
Non-Fiction
Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Volume One, published in 2018. I very much enjoyed reading this detailed account of the Church. It has increased my admiration of those early Saints and increased my testimony of the restored church.
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