4 stars – Page 43 – Looking For a Good Book

May 6, 2019

THE LOST GIRL OF ASTOR STREET – Stephanie Morrill

I was trying to think of how to compare this book when I read the first sentence on Goodreads: Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars and Downton Abbey, and yeah, that’s kind of it…this is a cross between Downton Abbey and Veronica Mars – two shows that don’t seem to have too much in common. But… Continue reading

HISTORICAL FICTION, MYSTERY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Reviews, Young Adult

May 3, 2019

THE PHANTOM OF OZ – Cindy Brown

Part-time actress and part-time private investigator Ivy Meadows (her stage name) gets to work both her jobs when she is hired to determine who or what is causing a number of accidents in the roadshow of Wizard: A Space OZpera, including the dropping of a large chandelier on the Wicked Witch of the East. Ivy… Continue reading

MYSTERY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Mystery, Reviews

April 22, 2019

IMMORTAL ARCHITECTS – Paige Orwin

This follow-up to author Paige Orwin’s The Interminables, features the same tremendous characters with a wild, inventive plot and takes us on another tremendous journey. Edmund Templeton is a sorcerer. One of the best. He is also known as “The Time Thief” because of his magic ability to take time from one person and use… Continue reading

SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

April 19, 2019

MY FOOTPRINTS – Bao Phi & Basia Tran

Thuy is a Vietnamese-American little girl who is bullied and teased at school – in part because of her appearance/heritage, and also because she has two mothers instead of a mother/father parent base. On her way home from a particularly bad day at school she notices her footprints in the snow and her childhood imagination… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Picture books, Reviews

April 16, 2019

ANGELBOUND – Christina Bauer

I wish I could remember how or why I came across this book. I get books to read and review in a wide variety of ways. For whatever the reason, this one sounded quite interesting, and I was not disappointed. Myla Lewis is a young woman – still in school – who is also a… Continue reading

ROMANCE, SF/FANTASY, YA

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Reviews, SF/Fantasy, Young Adult

April 15, 2019

THE FLIMFLAM AFFAIR – Bill Pronzini

I’ve been reading Bill Pronzini books for about as long as I can remember. His may not be a well-known name, but I know when I pick up a Pronzini book that I will get strong characters and a solid story. It has been a year or more since I last read a Pronzini book,… Continue reading

MYSTERY, Uncategorized, WESTERN

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Mystery, Reviews, Western

April 8, 2019

THE LAGER QUEEN OF MINNESOTA – J. Ryan Stradal

Beer? Minnesota? I’m in! J. Ryan Stradal’s The Lager Queen of Minnesota is a story of family and the pursuit of dreams. Edith Magnusson is famous for her pies since they were named third best pies in the state of Minnesota. Edith’s sister is Helen Blotz. Helen turned the family soda business into one of… Continue reading

OTHER, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Literature, Reviews

April 5, 2019

SORCERERS OF THE NIGHTWING – Geoffrey Huntington

Growing up, Devon March learned that the monsters in his closet were real – not figments of his imagination – and that he was stronger than those monsters. The latter was something that his father would tell him repeatedly. But when he is orphaned at age fifteen and sent to live with distant family at… Continue reading

Dark Fantasy/Horror, Uncategorized, YA

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Horror/Dark Fantasy, Reviews, Young Adult

April 1, 2019

PARADOX BOUND – Peter Clines

Eli Teague first meets Harry when Eli is only eight years old. Harry pulls up in a 1929 Model A coup that has been converted to run on water. Harry pulls up and takes Eli’s water bottle to fuel the car. Eli meets Harry again when Eli is thirteen. This time Eli discovers that Harry… Continue reading

MYSTERY, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Mystery, Reviews, SF/Fantasy

March 29, 2019

DON’T DANGLE YOUR PARTICIPLE – Vanita Oelschlager

The only thing wrong about this book is that it wasn’t around when my children were growing up. With truly delightful artwork by Mike DeSantis, author Vanita Oelschlager offers up some silly examples of dangling participles: a deer on a skateboard; a girl blowing away in the wind; a girl melting while eating ice cream,… Continue reading

CHILDREN’S, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Children’s Books, Picture books, Reviews

March 27, 2019

AMERICAN WOLF – Nate Blakeslee

The word “wolf” can definitely conjure up some strong images for people. “Menacing” and “predator” for some, “beautiful” and “regal” for others. For many, wolves became prey because of how they would inflict such destruction on livestock. Add a bounty on wolf pelts and the wolf was nearly hunted to extinction in the contiguous United… Continue reading

NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Nature, non-fiction, Reviews

March 7, 2019

BRIEF CASES – Jim Butcher

Despite all the reading I do, I haven’t read very many of Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series. I’ve read one book, watched some of the television series, and read a number of graphic novel adaptations … and I’ve enjoyed them all. In part, I haven’t read many Dresden Files books because I’m so back-logged with… Continue reading

MAGIC, SF/FANTASY, SHORT FICTION, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Magic, Reviews, SF/Fantasy, Short Stories