Showing posts with label four and a half stars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label four and a half stars. Show all posts

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Born to Be Badger by Shelly Laurenston

If you are one of the people, like me, who wait with baited breath for anything that Laurenston releases, this book will not disappoint. Full of the same antics, the need to completely turn off your disbelief and just enjoy the ride, and the exclamation points (!), this book pairs up another of Max McKilligan's teammates with one of the Malone brothers. Somewhat rigid Tock (time management is NOT just about being on time) might not initially be thought of with the laid back Shay (he's a tiger shifter who owns dogs) but the two actually work really well together. Tock isn't actually as rigid as she appears, she just prefers to have a schedule. Shay isn't lazy, he just doesn't care about most things. But he appreciates Tock's need to be on time as well as how well her personality meshes with his daughter's. Except for the felonies. But Tock does try really hard to keep that from her. 
There are, of course, also old grudges and new characters that come into this book as well as a lot of killing. A LOT of killing. Especially since Tock's grandmother. But we do finally get to know more about what happened with the Malones' father and you can definitely see the beginning of how Laurenston will be able to wrap up this arc in the last book. 

Honey Badger Chronicles #5
Four and a half stars
This book comes out November 8, 2023
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Kensington Books
Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Audible January 2024


Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Mythos by Stephen Fry

Fry has a habit of creating sentences that make me pause my recording so that I can think about them, mull them over, taste them in my mind’s mouth. In other words, he’s a really good writer. And he has taken that skill to update the myths of Greece into a modern day story book. Over 15 hours of learning about the Gods and their foibles. It starts with the Titans and runs through Zeus and his many, many, many, …  many love affairs as well as the rest of the pantheon of the gods. 

Four and a half stars
This book came out 
Followed by Heroes
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, September 13, 2023

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala

Auntie Aprils niece, Divina, has come to visit but there is something strange going on. Divina is close lipped about parts of her life and April is not trying to hook her up with Marcus (Mae's younger son) which she tries to do with any woman that's available. That includes Teresa, a young woman from the auntie's church who comes to help clean when their new laundromat is vandalized. Everything escalates when Divina is found dead and then one of the aunties is attacked.
This book has Lila being a little more forward and more off the mark than I remember from other books but still an enjoyable read. 

Three and a half stars
This book comes out September 19, 2023
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Yoga Inversions by Kat Heagberg Rebar

I really liked this book. The illustrations are really helpful. The writing gives a great idea of not only how to get into the poses but also how to cue them. I could have used just a few more prep poses or ideas of how long to use them to build up to the full inversion but, honestly, you probably need to be able to listen to your own body. 

Four and a half stars
This book comes out August 22, 2023
ARC kindly provided by Shambhala Publications, Inc. and Edelweiss
Opinions are my own

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Heroes by Stephen Fry

HIGHLY recommend listening to Fry read this book. I think it enhances the stories that he has brought into the 21st century (or at least the 20th). 
Stephen Fry has taken a number of the Greek myths and updated them for today. They are incredibly enjoyable and make the myths more accessible for today's readers. 

Four and a half stars
This book came out November 1, 2018
Follows Mythos
Followed by Troy
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Friday, July 7, 2023

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective by Katie Siegel

This book is an absolutely amazing read and I am very much looking forward to reading other books in the series.
What happens when a girl detective grows up? Can they ever actually live up to the potential that they showed when they were younger? That is what Charlotte is wrestling with right now. Everyone else who was in her detecting group has grown up and moved on but she is stuck. What is she supposed to do with her life? It's not like there's much call for a has-been child prodigy. 
This story looks at mental illness, it looks at perception, and it deals with a bit of the grittier things in life. Charlotte has been closing in on herself for the past year and it's affecting her family and friends. She's given another case but is she going to be brave enough to move past her own insecurities?

Four and a half stars
This book came out June 27, 2023
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Cursed Princess Club Vol. 2 by LambCat

In the first volume we met three sisters. The oldest two are absolutely lovely and accomplished. The third, Gwendolyn, is everyone's favorite. She has a giant heart and is an accomplished cook but she is just not pretty. In fact, she is rather ugly. She never knew until her father wants to make an alliance with the Plaid Kingdom by marrying his daughters off to the other king's sons. That's when Gwendolyn found out how other people see her. Luckily, she also discovered the Cursed Princess Club which was open to all princesses (and a prince, because why discriminate?). 
This time, we're seeing some growing pains. Someone is leaving Gwendolyn notes asking her to meet them in the barn. And it's there that she discovers one of the secrets of the club. She also discovers that there is a club for cursed princes. However, the curses may be more of their own making. 
This book ends on a bit of a cliff hanger with the Argyle Prince seemingly attracted to Gwen and asking her out. But are his motives pure?
An absolutely lovely addition to the series. I cannot wait for book three.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out July 4, 2023
Follows Vol. 1
Followed by Vol. 3
ARC kindly provided WEBTOON Unscrolled and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Release the Hounds! by Lincoln Peirce

Once again, Nate is in the midst of a number of happenings. His father is handing out healthy treats
(though it helps to have a Chad if you are looking for the good candy. Nate gets injured at a soccer game but is delighted that his team fails without him and decides to take a stab at coaching. He also has to push Gina and her fragrant air freshener out of the student lounge (by taking off his shoes), but even Teddy questions his methods. 

Four and a half stars
This book came out September 27, 2022
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Friday, March 10, 2023

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong is an older woman who has lost touch with her son as well as the larger world, though she would argue against that since she keeps up on the lingo and surfs the internet to search for the latest trend. She runs her tea shop (Vera Wang's (not a spelling error on my part) World-Famous Teahouse) and sends her son a wall of text but no one seems to respond except her one regular customer. She does the same thing every day and feels some tiredness but isn't sure how to get off the treadmill. Until she's violently shaken by the discovery of a dead body, that of Marshall Chen, in her shop. 
An inveterate watcher of crime shows, Vera knows just what to do. She pats down the body, draws a chalk outline, then calls the police. While waiting, she tidies the shop and makes the police tea. She doesn't understand why they are so upset with her, nor why they get so annoyed at her asking if they want a drink. She made her best tea, one that will help them think clearly. 
Well. She's going to find out what is going on and puts out an obituary for the body. From that come three people: the man's wife, his twin, a mysterious young man claiming to be a reporter, and a young woman who puts out true crime podcasts (although that also seems suspect as Marshall's death was declared a suicide).
Vera bulldozes into these characters lives and we get to see them come together to solve the mystery of why Marshall died. A bonus? Vera gets to spend a little time with her son as well.
Sometimes it can get a little much with alternating view points but Sutanto handles it wonderfully providing glimpses into a number of characters without losing pacing. I'm really hoping there is another book in the series and that it shows Vera and Gladys (the old woman in the other hospital bed) becoming friends. 

Four and a half stars
This book comes out March 14, 2023
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own


Sunday, February 19, 2023

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

I thought I had heard about this book from NPR Best Books but it wasn't on this year's list so It may have been a podcast. The layout of the book is incredible. The first person narrator writes and self-publishes books on how to write books. He starts with laying out the rules from the Golden Age of Detectives and then follows them... to the letter but not necessarily the law.So we see not only the full story of the book but the building blocks as well. And details are deftly woven throughout the book like, "x won't happen for 6 more chapters" or " you won't find out about x until Chapter 27." The ending was a bit fantastical and there were definitely some plot holes but I really enjoyed this book. I have the ebook on reserve to see if the experience of  reading it in print is different from the audiobook. 
Ernest Cunningham, our first person narrator, is meeting his family for a reunion. As it happens in most good mystery stories, everyone there is hiding something. Chapters unfold and we learn that, indeed, everyone in his family has killed someone. We start with Ernie's brother and move on from there as the story moves in and out and all around fulfilling it's own self-prophecies about mystery novels. 

Four and a half stars
This book came out March 29, 2022
Audiobook borrowed from Libby
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

This book is a lot of wacky and requires a LOT of suspended disbelief but, if you can buckle up for the ride, it's awfully fun. 
Amira Patel (actually, Mira) ran away from most of her family, changed her name, and became an upstanding citizen. Of course, not having a "good family" is hindering her matchmaking prospects. In the past two years, she's been out with thirteen men, all introduced to her by Hema Auntie, one of Los Angeles's premier Indian matchmakers. She was accepted because her good friend's mother is a former client of Hema's and vouched for her. She dumped all of the first twelve but now the thirteenth has dumped her. She knows she's not getting any more matches. Not from this matchmaker. Which stinks even worse because the one family member, her aunt, that she was in touch with has just died leaving her alone in the world. Mira is shocked to hear her aunt left a will and even more shocked when the attorney ends up being her first match. The one she dated for six months and then basically ghosted after a short text.
Naveen Desai is shocked to see Mira in his office. He thought they were done for good. He's even more shocked when she is attacked in the parking garage and the attackers take him as well. 
This starts Mira and Naveen off on an adventure that will have them running all over Las Vegas, dodging shady FBI agents, and uncovering Mira's past. There is a lot going on in the book and, if I think about it too closely, there are a lot of thing that were left dangling but I really enjoyed the read. 
Updated to add that the audiobook is absolutely amazing. The narrators are just... perfect. 

Four and a half stars
This book comes out October 18, 2022
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook January 2023


Sunday, October 2, 2022

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

Ronnie, the prodigal son of Lila Macapagal's family is back. No one is quite sure whether his business is legitimate but they are all tentatively hopeful. Ronnie is in business with Pete and Izzy who are in a relationship though Ronnie may have more than business-type feelings for Izzy. They've been backed by Xander and Denise in creating the Shady Palms Winery. Xander and Denise are helped by twins Olivia and Quentin March. This, of course, adds to the already fairly large cast of aunts and business members that Lila is already dealing with. But, if you can make it past Chapter 6, the characters spread out a little and become more easily recognized. Especially since one of them gets killed off soon after and Ronnie becomes a suspect. 
Lots of changes in this book with secrets coming out and people getting tired of the status quo. A really good book and some growth for some of our side characters. Hopefully we get to see more Lila and Jae in the next book. 

Four and a half stars
This book comes out October 4, 2022
Followed by Murder and Mamon
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Sunday, September 25, 2022

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

Our favorite crime-solving team is back and once again under threat. This time, Elizabeth is picked up from a walk with Stephen (who is picked up along with her.) A mysterious Swede (quickly dubbed The Viking) wants her to kill a man she once knew. She's not sure how well she knew Viktor Illyich but he's pretty sure they were VERY good friends. But she's told that it's either killing Viktor or The Viking will send him information which will cause him to kill Joyce. 
While Elizabeth is struggling with that problem, the rest of the club is working on a nearly ten-year-old murder. This one is focused around newscaster Bethany Waites. She was on the trail of a big story when her car was pushed over a cliff. Her body was never found but that was not unusual in the place where her car went over.
Like the other books in this series, lots of twists and turns and a series of unexpected endings. Not everything in the end will be good news and I did tear up while listening. 
The narrator for the book was absolutely fabulous and I am leaning more toward listening to the rest of this series than reading it in the future.

Four and a half stars
This book came out September 15, 2022
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews

This is basically a non-stop action book from the first page to the end though it does mellow out a bit in the Epilogue. A lot of loose threads are wrapped up in this book which was nice especially as Andrews have said on their blog that they are not sure whether there will be more books in this series. I'm not sure I loved all of the threads but it was mainly a grand trip. Definitely need to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this one fully; lots of history and a whole lot of people. 
It's time for a final confrontation with Arkan and Catalina is not ready... but it needs to be done. And an illusion mage named Konstantin (who is both related to Alessandro and part of the Russian Imperium) brings everything to a head but Catalina is also dealing with a lost spider that is worth a quarter million dollars, the loss of her mentor Linus (he's not dead but someone sure tried to make him that way), becoming the Acting Warden of Texas, buying new property, her fiance's family coming to visit, and just trying to stay alive as an early-twenties head of her House. 

Four and a half stars
This book comes out August 23, 2022
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Reread as Libby Audiobook September 2023

Monday, June 20, 2022

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty

I heard about this book on the Book Riot podcast and thought the premise was intriguing. Six clones wake up in space. All of their previous bodies are either dead or close to it. Now they have to find out what happened.

The narrator is third person omniscient and hops around from character to character though we mostly hang out with Maria Arena. As the clones recover their memories, the reader gets to learn more about their lives. 
A back and forth between past and present isn't my favorite narrative device and I thought the ended wrapped up a bit too tightly but I highly enjoyed the book

Four and a half stars
This book came out January 31, 2017
Borrowed as hard copy from library
Opinions are my own

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Unicorn Selfies: Another Phoebe and Her Unicorn Adventure by Dana Simpson

Many more fun adventures in this book of Phoebe and her Unicorn. Pixies build a clubhouse that is amazingly splendiferous (and pixies are oddly like human contractors.) Also, Marigold gets stuck in her mirror (of course) and has some new-to-her emotions like envy and some self-doubt. The latter comes in the form of preparing for her family reunion.
One of my favorite things in reading Simpson's series is the language. Words are not dumbed down for kids and she plays with things like, "I'm a big fancy-butt! Pay attention to my big, fancy butt!" I love it. And the unveiling of Phoebe's name is built up to in this book (and some of the past books but the possibly more confusing second half is in this book.) 

Four and a half stars
This book comes out June 7, 2022
Followed by Unicornado
ARC kindly provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh

We saw Danny and Catie meet as teens in Cherish Hard. They are siblings to the characters in that book but are now in their mid-20s. Yes, they are still squabbling like nobody's business but they are comfortable in their relationship and they still look out for each other. Which is evident in the opening scene as Catie sees Danny across the floor at a dance club and realizes he doesn't look right. In fact, he looks as though he's been drugged. She's able, with the help of his friend Viliame, to get him to the hospital. Unfortunately, rumors are now flying about them being a couple. See, Danny is a super famous rugby dude and Catie is famous in her own right for competing in the Paralympics and apparently people have been 'shipping them for quite a while.
Lots of deep discussions in this book about expectations, limb loss, parental relationships, and more. Singh is such a delightful writer though that all of these are handled with a deft touch while going from friends to lovers in a fake relationship is a joy to read.

Hard Play#4
Four and a half stars
This book comes out May 3, 2022
Follows Love Hard
ARC kindly provided by TKA Distribution and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Reread as ebook from Libby March 2024

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Dark of Night by Suzanne Brockmann

I'm really on a roll with the Brockmann books and forget how much I enjoy them until I read them again. I don't know why, but the story of Tracey and Decker is compelling. I think it's because both characters have been revealed in depth in previous books. Not sure if this would be quite as good a book if you hadn't read the other 13, especially since the sub-stories are all connected to previous books as well. It's really interesting that Brockmann sets up Dave Malkoff as a James Bond type character. It's pivotal to the plot of him hooking up with Sophia. I'm glad that she's finally happy though it is interesting that Brockmann didn't have her hook up with the man that she was lusting after for so long. But that is beautifully explained and the other hookups all make sense. I also have to say that I enjoy the little commentaries that Brockmann includes about her own writing, including a comment about a previous book when Tracey has a somewhat critical thought about a friend hooking up with a guy the friend had only known for a few days.

Four and a half stars
This book came out January 7th, 2009
Followed by Hot Pursuit
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Friday, April 22, 2022

All Through the Night by Suzanne Brockmann

Suzanne Brockmann is one of my favorite authors simply because she write with a one-two punch and started writing gay romance before just about any other "mainstream" author. Her books might be fairly traditional but her characters are always outside the box. In this book, the main story revolves around Robin Chadwick and Jules Cassidy, a gay couple whose wedding is the central story. We've seen their story grow from when they met and were immediately attracted, through them being pulled apart by age and distance, then having Robin work through his addiction to alcohol and both of them coming out and how it affected their careers. While this would still happen today, a lot of this would have been even harder almost a decade ago when only one state was acknowledging that gay marriage = marriage. 
We get to see all of the characters from the series as well as meeting one new couple. The subplot of Jules and Robin's assistant falling in love with a reporter who accidentally got Robin smeared in the press.
Short, but very cute.

Four and a half stars
This book came out October 30, 2007
Follows Force of Nature
Followed by Into the Fire
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Friday, December 24, 2021

Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot goes to a country mansion to solve the mystery of how an old, disreputable man was murdered in his own rooms. Only the family was in the house, including the prodigal son, the long-lost granddaughter and a former coworker's son. Everyone had a grudge against Simeon Lee, but who killed them? Can Hercule solve this locked room mystery and create the atmosphere of a Merry Christmas?

Four and a half stars
This book came out December 19, 1938
Follows Appointment with Death
Followed by One, Two, Buckle my Shoe
Hard copy I own
Opinions are my own