Book Nerds Across America: #bookreview

Showing posts with label #bookreview. Show all posts

Sunday, February 15, 2026

Book Review: The Last Vampire by Romina Garber

GOOD READS SUMMARY:

When a boarding school opens in a once-condemned Victorian manor buried in the woods of New Hampshire, Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Instead, she stumbles across a coffin and accidentally awakens the world’s last vampire.

After hibernating for nearly three centuries, William Pride is desperate to find his family—and clueless about the modern world. Relying on Lorena for more than just blood, he enrolls at the school to catch up on all he’s missed.

Soon, William uncovers a chilling truth: He is the last hope for his kind’s return to power. Torn between protecting the humans around him and fulfilling his fate, William must make a choice that could change everything. Will he sacrifice his species for love . . . or will he embrace his dark destiny at last?

TEE'S THOUGHTS

I seem to be reverting back to my old love of YA vampire books and I am not even mad about it! This my second one that I have read in a month, I think the last ones I had read were.....yep.... you know it....The Twilight Series. I quit reading YA vampires because I thought Breaking Dawn was so bad. Listen it is ok if you like it, I am good with that, but in my mind the entire Bella getting pregnant thing was just way over the top. Yes I know, even vampires are over the top, but I had to draw the line somewhere hah.. I will say, vampires in this age group have come along way since Twilight...thank goodness.

I just finished up THE LAST VAMPIRE by Romina Garber ( Thank you Net Galley and RB Media for the advance listen ), what really caught my attention was the Pride and Prejudice meets Crave. Honestly, Crave was the first vampire book I read last month. It had been sitting on my shelf for years, but it was the Pride and Prejudice mention that reeled me in.

Now I did see similarities to Crave, Lorna enrolled in a boarding school and falls in love with a vampire, however I saw little of Pride and Prejudice, which was a little disappointing. Lorna is a fan of Austin, and William who is the vampire has the last name of Pride.

It is fairly typical- kind of- Lorena accidentally finds Williams casket and awakes him. She of course is frightened of him, I mean yea, he is a vampire after all, but William is in a constant state of annoyed with her. They slowly find themselves falling for each other. To me the feelings felt fast, not

like fast or soon in the book, but more like a jarring I was reading on one page and they disliked each other and the next page, they were in love

William is apparently the last of his kind, but then he finds out he is not, so he sets out to solve the mystery of what happened to the other vampires, esp. his family.

For me, this booked work in several places, but not others. It felt slow at times, but then would move at a quick place in others. Besides being a romance, it is also a mystery, there are lots of secrets as William tries to figure out his past.

I did struggle a bit with the characters. I guess, well, they were school age, I cant remember if it was high school or college, because I am older I found them a bit frustrating, and very whiny at times. I did listen to the book as opposed to reading it and I thought both the narrators, Stacy Gonzales and Eddie Lopez did a great job at playing the characters. Lopez, especially made me feel William's annoyance with Lorena.

The Last Vampire isn't a bad book, it certainly kept me entertained enough to keep listening to the finish, and I will say it was much better than the Twilight books. I am in no way denying my love for Twilight, I think it will always have this place in my heart, but I also think it was a moment in time, and maybe you have had to be there to understand, but the writing in The Last Vampire was 100 percent better if I must be honest.

This is a good book for paranormal, vampire, or dark academic readers, so if that includes you, give this one a try,

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

BOOK REVIEW: FOR THE RECORD EMMA LORD

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Once the most notorious rivals in the music scene, pop princess Mackenzie Waters and punk rockstar Sam Blaze electrified audiences as their bands clashed on stage. But behind the scenes, their simmering tension grew into something more — until suddenly both bands fell apart, and the idea of Mackenzie and Sam did, too.

Two years later, Sam has traded the rockstar lifestyle for a quiet life raising the son he didn’t know about. Meanwhile, Mackenzie is dealing with a postoperative change in her voice by singing only under a pseudonym. The only way to revive their public careers? A joint comeback album.

With fans over the moon and their futures on the line, Sam and Mackenzie face their biggest challenge yet: giving up the old rivalry and learning to work together. But as old sparks fly and new secrets emerge, they set off a chain reaction neither of them could have anticipated — one that proves that sometimes, the greatest hits are the ones yet to be written.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

I have never read an Emma Lord book, but I have always heard people gushing over her romances. When I was allowed to review her new book, For The Record, I figured this was a great time to finally read her. I am very much a music lover, and worked in the music business for several years, so this would be the book for me; however, I had a love-hate relationship with it. I didn't hate it, but I also can't say it was a favorite.

The premise was cute, and honestly, I am drawn to the enemy-to-lover trope. Mackenzie Waters and Sam Blaze are two singers who used to know each other, both in bands, from what I understood, bands similar to the 2000 Boy Bands and girl bands. Of course, they were rivals, and at the time the story is taking place, neither had in some time. Mackenzie had throat surgery that changed the tone of her voice, and she was struggling with her new sound. And somewhere along the way, Sam had an oppsy and found out he was a father.

Fast forward to the present day, where they meet again...and I will stop there, I can't give anything away, that would be just wrong.

So, as I said, I didn't hate this book; I listened to it on Audio, and maybe if I had read it, I might have liked it somewhat better. The story was, of course, told in both Mackenzie and Sam's point of view in individual chapters, as so many romances are, but I had a problem when listening to Mackenzie's POVs and the narrator had to switch over to Sam's voice; there was something about it that just grated on my nerves. Look I am not in anyway knocking the narrator, she was the perfect Mackenzie, and I am in NO way saying I could pull off a mans voice, she did what she could do, but there was something about it that just did not resonate with me.

The story's plot was fine; it kept me listening. Again, the subject of music was heavy in the book, and that is always something that will keep my attention. The characters of Sam and Mackenzie were fine, but like the book, I had no strong feelings for either of them. I didn't feel any of the tension I expected in an enemy-to-lover plot. They had been heavy rivals in the past, and I really would have liked just a bit more tension between the two.

I certainly didn't mind all of the above; I mean, it didn't stop me from listening to the book. If I didn't DNF, there was enough in this book to keep me going; there were some very good moments in here. I think the one thing that really got me, and probably lowered my opinion on For The Record the most, was, I am not sure how to say this, but the overly sweet cheesy lines that the two of them used often about each other...

" I am too deep into Mackenzie Waters..." and something to the effect that he can't get out, yada yada. I can't imagine anyone saying things like this to me, I think I would run, or at least, have a heavy eyeroll, they would certainly see. For some reason, I just could not get past this one thing, and I felt like I was reading dialogue from a 12-year-old who had just discovered the opposite sex.

So For The Record was an ok read, I did think I would have enjoyed it much more than I did, and as I have mentioned, I have read way worse books in my lifetime. Will I pick up another Emma Lord book in the future? Maybe I am not dismissing her at all. I believe in second chances, especially if I can finish the book; there was still something there I found enjoyable about it. I also think a lot of people will really enjoy this; it has a little bit of spice, just enough to feel the heat on your tongue, but not enough to burn your tongue uncomfortably, and it has many funny parts. So yeah, pick it up, it might be your perfect read.

Book Review: If All Else Sails by Emma St Clair

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

When Josie's brother sends her to a random address for their (sometimes) annual Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza, she finds neither siblings nor extravaganzas. Instead, ends up at a run-down cottage on the Northern Neck of Virginia occupied by a hockey player she knows and loathes.

A hockey player who isn't just one of her sports agent brother's clients. He's also his best friend. And Josie's sworn enemy.

Oh--and her brother wants Josie to help Wyatt recover from his injury.

Dragging grumpy hockey players to physical therapy is a far cry from bandaging skinned knees, but for the price her brother offers to pay, Josie is willing to try.

Even if it means sharing what she dubs the quaint little murder cottage with Wyatt.

Begrudgingly, Josie starts to see a little more of the man behind the grumpy exterior. And when she finds out he was supposed to sail the Intracoastal Waterway south to Savannah scattering his uncle's ashes, Josie surprises even herself by offering to be Wyatt's first mate.

Smooth sailing is nowhere to be found, and Josie begins to wonder if they'll be able to make it home without killing--or kissing?--each other.

And yet, the longer they share cramped quarters and canned food, the more of Wyatt's layers she peels back until Josie realizes she misunderstood him, their shared history, and perhaps herself as well.

TEES THOUGHTS

This is such a cute book and I loved listening and reading it. It was funny, sweet and heartwarming and I needed all of that right now.

Wyatt is Josie's brothers best friend, and she gets tricked into taking care of him as he recovers from a sports injury. Josie is a cheery, sunshining type of person, who seems never to let things get to her. Wyatt is the opposite of Josie, grumpy and not at all happy with his situation. Their differences and the time they spent together made for some great laugh out loud moments in the story. Josie and Wyatt are joined with a great case of characters, who perfectly fit their personality and into the story naturally.

The tension between Josie and Wyatt is great and gets better toward the end of the book. My only problem with the book, and I wouldnt really call it a problem honestly, but it did throw me off a bit. If All Else Sails is advertised as a enemy to lovers troupe, however both characters have known each other for awhile, and both had secret feeling for the other. The couple did not feel like enemies at all.

If you are looking for a sweet funny romace, with a touch of adventure, I highly recommend If All Else Sails.

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

BOOK REVIEW: BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS BY INA GARTEN

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining, and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose.

From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain.

TEES THOUGHTS

I won't lie, I enjoy watching Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa is my go-to when I can't find anything else to watch or if I don't need to pay much attention to the show, I have seen them all several times.

Sure Ina is on a level of pretentiousness that I will never reach, but boy can that lady cook and serve cocktails to her name-drop-worthy friends.

I can't say that this book was extremely insightful, or exciting, but it was a bit interesting to hear how she started her business, bought her lifelong dream apartment in Paris, and her house in the Hamptons.

I am not sure luck had much to do with her success as the title might suggest, she had a privileged upbringing from the git-go...so...you know...

She was open about her and Jefferies separation, something I knew nothing about, and that she had no desire to have children because of her difficult childhood. I did like how she validated women not wanting children, and that without them you can live a fulfilled life. That needs to be heard by many.

For the most part it was what I expected from Garten, a pretentious read from a pretentious person, for me her cookbooks offer me more substance and entertainment.

I borrowed this on Audio from my local library and like a lot of celebrity memiors, it was read by the author, and I always enjoy that much better than the book being read by someone else. That is what it was, a celebrity memior, fun to read but nothing really sticks to your ribs !

BOOK REVIEW: A KILLING COLD BY KATE ALICE MARSHALL

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

A whirlwind romance.

When Theodora Scott met Connor—wealthy, charming, and a member of the powerful Dalton family—she fell in love in an instant. Six months later, he’s brought her to Idlewood, his family’s isolated winter retreat, to win over his skeptical relatives.

Stay away from Connor Dalton.

Theo has tried to ignore the threatening messages on her phone, but she can’t ignore the footprints in the snow outside the cabin window or the strange sense of familiarity she has with this place. Then, in a disused cabin, Theo finds something impossible: a photo of herself as a child. A photo taken at Idlewood.

I’ve been here before.

Theo has almost no recollection of her earliest years, but now she begins to piece together the fragments of her memories. Someone here has a shocking secret that they will do anything to keep hidden, and Theo is in terrible danger. Because the Daltons do not lose, and discovering what happened at Idlewood may cost Theo everything.

TEE'S THOUGHTS

I am a true fan of thrillers set in isolated locations. The psychological aspect of being so far from anywhere or anyone gives them an eerie feeling that pushes the story even further. So A Killing Cold, written by Kate Alice Marshall was a given for me to listen to.

Theo hasn't been engaged to Connor very long when he takes her to his rich family's mountain cabin for Christmas. Things start taking a weird turn, she gets a message from someone who tells her she needs to stay away from Connor, and she begins receiving small gifts, and things begin to look and feel familiar to her. Someone does not want her at the cabin----

Ok that is all I am going to tell you, I don't want to spoil anything

So obviously you know they are all at this mountain cabin, and it's winter, and the weather is going to get real bad... this is just what I love in a book

I have never read anything from Kate Alice Mitchell, I do not even know if this is a debut, or if she has written more, but that is not important, the important thing is she has written this sinister, locked-room thriller that is perfection.

The characters are complex, it is a family of evils, so just when you think you know who to trust or who to not trust, you are thrown against the wall, turned around, and find yourself going in another direction. I could not figure it out until the author told me, but honestly, I am no armchair detective, I just like to think I am.

A Killing Cold is one of those books that will keep your attention, so pick it up and enjoy the story.

** I LISTENED TO AN EARLY RELEASE OF THIS BOOK ON AUDIO, THANK MACMILLAN AUDIO **

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

BOOK REVIEW: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MCCRAY'S BY TRACEY LANGE

GOODREADS SUMMARY

When Kyle McCray gets word his father has suffered a debilitating stroke, he returns to his hometown of Potsdam, New York, where he doesn’t expect a warm welcome. Kyle left suddenly two and a half years ago, abandoning people who depended on him: his father, his employees, his friends—not to mention Casey, his wife of sixteen years and a beloved teacher in town. He plans to lie low and help his dad recuperate until he can leave again, especially after Casey makes it clear she wants him gone.

The longer he’s home, the more Kyle understands the impact his departure has had on the people he left behind. When he’s presented with an opportunity for redemption as the coach of the floundering middle school hockey team, he begins to find compassion in unexpected places. Kyle even considers staying in Potsdam, but that’s only possible if he and Casey can come to some kind of peace with each other.

TEE'S THOUGHTS

Usually, I don’t really jump on a book that everyone is raving about on bookstagram, I find myself being an odd man or girl in this case, out. I tend to get so hyped up by what everyone is saying about it that it never seems to live up to it for me. But I did pick up We Are The Brennan’s by Tracey Lange when it came out and I can honestly say it is one of those books that seemed to be everywhere that worked out for me. So when I was offered a chance to read her latest book ( I’m a little behind on getting reviews out as you can tell ) What Happened To The McCrays I knew I’d enjoy it.

I have always loved a good family saga and Tracey Lange knows how to write a good one. You get good drama, characters that pull at your heartstrings, and writing that brings out such emotions.

The narration on the audio was fantastic, with a dual narrative. Both the female and the male drew out feelings with their reading that I never imagined feeling...

I’m not going to go into what the book is about, you can read the summary anywhere, but I highly recommend picking What Happened To The Mc Cary’s up, it’s a wonderful story

Monday, July 1, 2024

Book Review: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

From the get go Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst won my heart. Who knew the Cottage Core Aesthetic could overflow into a book, but it has with her magical new book. Also who knew I would read a fantasy and totally enjoy it, certainly not me, but Spellshop made that happen also =0)

This book is beautifully written, it's cozy, yes, seriously. Yo will want to tuck in with a cup of steaming hot tea and have a long read. It is delightful, sweet, slightly romantic , has small town vibes, a plot that will keep you engaged. The fantasy in the book is even magical and cozy..... you will garden in a magical garden, help a mermaid baby, ride seahorses, and that is only the beginning.

Main character Kiela is much like me, she is not fond of people, she works in a library or she did, but she had to escape to her childhood home on an island to escape death. Have you ever lived in a small town? Well her home town is small and of course there are problems, mostly noisy neighbors. There is conflict of course, but it is fun and resolved quickly. Also, there is a good amount of comic relief in the story from Kiela's sidekick, who happens to be a spider plant names Caz.

Please pick this one up, but don't try and take it seriously- it is not meant to be, it is the escape we all well need right now.

Monday, June 3, 2024

Book Review: Klara's Truth by Susan Weissbach Friedman

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

It is May 2014, and Dr. Klara Lieberman—forty-nine, single, professor of archaeology at a small liberal arts college in Maine, a contained person living a contained life—has just received a letter from her estranged mother, Bessie, that will dramatically change her life. Her father, she learns—the man who has been absent from her life for the last forty-three years, and about whom she has long been desperate for information—is dead. Has been for many years, in fact, which Bessie clearly knew. But now the Polish government is giving financial reparations for land it stole from its Jewish citizens during WWII, and Bessie wants the money. Klara has little interest in the money—but she does want answers about her father. She flies to Warsaw, determined to learn more.

In Poland, Klara begins to piece together her father’s, and her own, story. She also connects with extended family, begins a romantic relationship, and discovers her repairing the hundreds of forgotten, and mostly destroyed, pre-War Jewish cemeteries in Poland. Along the way, she becomes a more integrated, embodied, and interpersonally connected individual—one with the tools to make peace with her past and, for the first time in her life, build purposefully toward a bigger future.

TEE'S REVIEW:

I think most people have some interest in the history of their families, where they originally came from. what our families were like etc... I have done some research on my own family and have found some interesting things, my other family, on my dad's side, I am fully convinced they hatch one day, as I can find NOTHING on them...oh well lol. This, among other things really made Klara's Truth an interesting read for me.

Klara's father disappeared from her life when she was 6 years old, and she spent years wondering what happened to him. As she neared 50, she received two letters in the mail, one from her mother who has known all her life what happened to her father, making their troubled relationship a bit harder. The other was from the Poland government telling her that she has a large amount of property that the Nazi's stole from Jewish citizens during WWII.

I really loved Klara's story, how she discovered not only her family but her heritage. Friedman has written a beautiful debut novel with sensitivity on several touchy subjects. It is an inspiring, emotional and compelling read that any lover of family drama and discovery will really enjoy

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Book Review: The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

Goodreads Overview:

Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

Jacque's Review:

I selected this book because it was a 2020 Goodreads choice nominee for best historical fiction and best debut novel, but primarily because I needed a book that started with J for last year's A-Z reading challenge. I read a couple of Jane Austen's books when I was in high school, but I can't say that I am a huge fan. Not because I didn't enjoy her books, I just haven't read any recently and don't remember much of the content.

The story takes place in a small town in England where Austen lived and wrote her famous novels. A few locals plus an American actress, who is a huge Jane Austen fan, decide to establish a society and museum to help preserve her home and legacy. I really enjoyed seeing how they bonded over their shared love of Austen's novels. This diverse group of characters were able to help each other through some challenging times. This never would have happened if they hadn't stumbled across each other due to their shared love of Jane Austen. It really shows the importance of connecting with others in some way versus trying to deal with life's struggles on your own. Each was coping ineffectively with their struggles but was able to come out on top thanks to the help of these new friendships.

There were a number of quotes and references to her works, which I couldn't fully appreciate since it has been so long since I have read her novels. That, however, did not diminish my appreciation of this story. If anything, it encouraged me to read some of her books in the future. I'm sure Jane Austen fans will love this story, but you certainly do not have to be a fan to appreciate the message. There are references to the famous author's life and works, but it is more about survival and overcoming adversity.

Thursday, January 4, 2024

Book Review: Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Goodreads Overview:

Welcome to Elsewhere. It is warm, with a breeze, and the beaches are marvelous. It's quiet and peaceful. You can't get sick or any older. Curious to see new paintings by Picasso? Swing by one of Elsewhere's museums. Need to talk to someone about your problems? Stop by Marilyn Monroe's psychiatric practice.

Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver's license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she's dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn't want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

Jacque's Review:

I bought this book back in 2012 when Gabrielle Zevin came to my library to speak. I really enjoyed listening to her talk about this book, but I didn't actually read it until after I read her more recent book Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. I think what took me so long is the fact that it is about death. I thought it would be like one of those Nicholas Sparks tearjerker books, but it absolutely was not.

I found the book to be very original, creative, and inspiring. Liz is the victim of a hit and run and ends up in Elsewhere, which is a sort of heaven, but operates like a regular city. People have jobs, but not necessarily the job they had on earth. Someone who was a surgeon on Earth could be a fisherman in Elsewhere. It is more about what you want to do vs. what you have to do to make ends meet. The other major difference is that people age backwards while in Elsewhere until they reach zero and return to Earth to start a new life again.

Elizabeth goes to live with her grandmother, who she never met, but has aged back to 34 and is now younger than her mother. She has a difficult time adjusting to her new situation and acts out. She spends a considerable amount of time at the "observation deck" which is like those viewing stations you can use at various attractions. If you put a coin in the machine, you get a limited amount of time using the binoculars. In this case, the binoculars give you a view of life on Earth. She can see what her friends and family are doing now that she is gone and how they are coping. She even tries to make contact with them, which is strictly forbidden.

She discovers that she has the unique ability to communicate with dogs, so she gets a job working to place dogs who arrive in Elsewhere with new owners. Her friend Owen has a dog named Jen, but he doesn't speak canine, so she helps him out with the dog. She also adopts a dog named Sadie her first day on the job. Some of the conversations with the dogs are laugh out loud funny.

Once she settles into life in Elsewhere, she tells her Grandma Betty "Happiness is a choice. There is no difference in quality between a life lived forward and a live lived backward." That is what I took away from this book as the overall message. You can choose to hold a grudge or fixate on the negative aspects of your life, or you can look at all of the positives and make the most of each and every day that you have.

I have only read the two books mentioned by Garielle Zevin and would highly recommend both of them. The topics may not sound like something you are interested in, but they are not at all what they seem. They are more about life, friendship, and making your way in an imperfect world. There are great messages and take aways in both of these books.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Book Review: Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed

Goodreads Overview:

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely.

Jacque's Review:

Jamie Goldberg and Maya Rehman were friends when they were very small. Their parents had them in the same play group, but they drifted apart once they were older. Jamie is very smart and passionate about politics, but he is happy remaining behind the scenes. He has had a series of unfortunate events over the years that have affected his confidence and ambition to become a politician himself someday.

Maya is struggling now that her best friend is leaving for college and her parents have decided to separate. Her mom talks her into helping out with the campaign, but she doesn't really want to be there. Jamie and Maya begin canvasing, but are merely going through the motions to meet their daily quota. When they discover a bill that is being proposed to prevent the wearing of head/face coverings, that clearly is intended to discriminate against Muslims, they decide to take action.

They become a media sensation thanks to the help of Jamie's grandma's Instagram account. His grandmother is helping with the social media for the campaign and posts some content with Jamie and Maya that goes viral. Everyone assumes they are a couple, but Maya insists she can't date due to her religious and parents' beliefs. They become close friends over the course of the campaign and begin to consider the option of dating when something happens that could jeopardize even their friendship.

This was a very thought provoking and entertaining book. It explores the effects of religious discrimination, and the impact political activism can have towards achieving equality. Jamie and Maya begin the story thinking they are nothing more than two lowly constituents who aren't even old enough to vote, but the impact they have on the campaign and their community is enormous. I would highly recommend this book to high school teachers looking for "choice reading" to recommend to their students.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Book Review: The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White

Goodreads Overview:

The gripping conclusion to the acclaimed Arthurian fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White finds Guinevere questioning everything—friends and enemies, good and evil, and, most of all, herself.

While journeying north toward the Dark Queen, Guinevere falls into the hands of her enemies. Behind her are Lancelot, trapped on the other side of the magical barrier they created to protect Camelot, and Arthur, who has been led away from his kingdom, chasing after false promises. But the greatest danger isn’t what lies ahead of Guinevere—it’s what’s been buried inside her.

Vowing to unravel the truth of her past with or without Merlin’s help, Guinevere joins forces with the sorceress Morgana and her son, Mordred—and faces the confusing, forbidden feelings she still harbors for him. When Guinevere makes an agonizing discovery about who she is and how she came to be, she finds herself with an impossible choice: fix a terrible crime, or help prevent war.

Guinevere is determined to set things right, whatever the cost. To defeat a rising evil. To remake a kingdom. To undo the mistakes of the past...even if it means destroying herself.

Guinevere has been a changeling, a witch, a queen—but what does it mean to be just a girl?

Jacque's Review:

I started reading this series because I received the first book in an Owlcrate book box. I enjoyed the first book, The Guinevere Deception, and gave it 4-stars. The second book did not advance the plot much, but I was still interested enough after the shocking ending to continue the series. This book was a bit of a letdown for me, so I gave it a generous 3-stars. It did not contain a level of action, adventure, or even a love story that held my attention or propelled the story forward. The focus was primarily on Guinevere trying to figure out who she was before she arrived in Camelot. I kept reading with the hope that there would be some epic conclusion, but I ultimately finished it to check the box that I completed the series.

The issue could have been that I do not know much about Arthurian legend and didn't fully appreciate the retelling, but this book was not my cup of tea. There was so much potential with a female Lancelot, Guinevere's magic, King Arthur and Mordred competing for Guinevere's affection, and finding Merlin to turn this into a captivating story. As it is, I can't really recommend this series. It was a major time commitment to reach a conclusion that was average at best.

Friday, December 29, 2023

Book Review: Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

Goodreads Overview:

Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC Championship game against Denver, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually got into the game. With a 17-point lead and just minutes to go, Rick provided what was arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he became a national laughingstock and, of course, was immediately cut by the Browns and shunned by all other teams.

But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent, Arnie, find a team that needs him. Against enormous odds Arnie finally locates just such a team and informs Rick that, miraculously, he can in fact now be a starting quarterback–for the mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy.

Yes, Italians do play American football, to one degree or another, and the Parma Panthers desperately want a former NFL player–any former NFL player–at their helm. So Rick reluctantly agrees to play for the Panthers–at least until a better offer comes along–and heads off to Italy. He knows nothing about Parma, has never been to Europe, and doesn’t speak or understand a word of Italian. To say that Italy holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement.

Jacque's Review:

I am a fan of Grisham's legal thrillers and have slowly but surely been catching up on his books. I read every one of his books when they were first released starting with A Time to Kill through The Runaway Jury. After my college graduation, I didn't have much time for reading and now I am playing catch up.

Playing for Pizza is very different from Grisham's other books. It is not a legal thriller, but a story about an NFL quarterback who isn't quite ready to choose an alternate career path. His NFL career is essentially over after he single handedly threw the game away and landed himself in the hospital with his third concussion. Nobody will hire him, so his agent suggests he play in Italy for a while to let things die down in America. He is offered a free place to stay, the use of a car, and $20,000 a year to become the starting quarterback for the Parma Panthers. The team consists of players who work day jobs to pay the bills, but have a passion and love for the game. They want nothing more than to win their equivalent to the super bowl and believe Rick Dockery is just the player to help them achieve their goal.

I listened to the audio version of the book and found it to be entertaining, but not up to the standard of his other books. I usually rate Grisham's books in the 4–5-star range, but this was a 3-star book for me. I enjoyed the story, but there wasn't anything exceptional about it. I wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next like I am with most of his books. I am happy that I read it, but I will choose a legal thriller for my next Grisham book.

Thursday, December 28, 2023

Book Review: An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

Goodreads Overview:

We can't choose the strangers we meet.

As the guests arrive at beautiful, remote Mitchell's Inn, they're all looking forward to a relaxing weekend deep in the forest, miles from anywhere. They watch their fellow guests with interest, from a polite distance.

Usually we can avoid the people who make us nervous, make us afraid.

With a violent storm raging, the group finds itself completely cut off from the outside world. Nobody can get in - or out. And then the first body is found . . . and the horrifying truth comes to light. There's a killer among them - and nowhere to run.

Until we find ourselves in a situation we can't escape. Trapped.

Jacque's Review:

This was a highly entertaining murder mystery along the lines of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. The story takes place at a family run Inn located in a very remote part of the Catskill Mountains. A father and son operate the Inn, which sounds like a very elegant and relaxing place for a weekend getaway, until a storm cuts off all power and the guests become stranded.

I found it difficult to fathom that a place like this did not have a generator or a snowmobile in case of emergencies, but they did not. Everyone was making the best of things and expected the power to be restored in a reasonable amount of time, but it was not. They did not have cell service and the land lines were out, so they were completely isolated until plows could make it up the mountain.

One of the guests is found dead in the morning from an apparent accident, but one of the other guests isn't so sure. He insists on leaving the body where it is until help arrives. When a second person is found dead, everyone starts to panic. They begin pointing fingers at each other and actions become even more irrational. They establish a buddy system, not only for their own safety, but to provide an alibi in case someone else turns up dead.

The body count continued to increase, and I still had no idea who the killer was or what the motivation could be. In retrospect, I can think of clues for all of the murders except the first and last. What kicked off this entire chain of events wasn't something the reader could have known until everything was spelled out at the end, which I didn't care for. I believe a good murder mystery should provide all of the clues during the story to allow the reader to solve the crime on their own, if they are astute enough to pick up on all of the small details.

Overall, it was an entertaining story with an interesting group of characters. If you enjoy Ruth Ware's murder mysteries and are looking for something with a similar vibe, this is a good option.

Friday, December 22, 2023

Book Review: The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson

Goodreads Overview:

On a cool June evening in 2009, after performing a concert at London's Royal Academy of Music, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist boarded a train for a suburban outpost of the British Museum of Natural History. Home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world, the Tring museum was full of rare bird specimens whose gorgeous feathers were worth staggering amounts of money to the men who shared Edwin's obsession: the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. Once inside the museum, the champion fly-tier grabbed hundreds of bird skins--some collected 150 years earlier by a contemporary of Darwin's, Alfred Russel Wallace, who'd risked everything to gather them--and escaped into the darkness.

Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was waist high in a river in northern New Mexico when his fly-fishing guide told him about the heist. He was soon consumed by the strange case of the feather thief. What would possess a person to steal dead birds? Had Edwin paid the price for his crime? What became of the missing skins? In his search for answers, Johnson was catapulted into a years-long, worldwide investigation. The gripping story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man's relentless pursuit of justice, The Feather Thief is also a fascinating exploration of obsession, and man's destructive instinct to harvest the beauty of nature.

Jacque's Review:

This was the July selection for the Books on Tap book club hosted by my library at a local brewery. This book was a 2018 Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Best Nonfiction, and I can see why. I knew nothing about this robbery that took place at a British Museum. Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of rare bird skins were taken without the museum staff immediately noticing. I am not a fly fisherman, so I don't fully appreciate the appeal of using extremely rare and expensive feathers to catch fish. I'm sure in most cases the people making and selling these flies are just putting them on a shelf to display and are not actually using them, but still...it was fascinating to learn about this art and the black-market sale of bird feathers.

We learn the history of how all of the birds were originally collected and cataloged at the museum and why it was deemed to be such an important collection. The heist takes place, and the reader learns about what happened during the investigation and trial. The author, Kirk Wallace Johnson, is determined to find the remaining birds that were not returned to the museum or clearly destroyed by making flies. He completes his own investigation and eventually lands an interview with the thief himself. I have no idea why Edwin Rist would agree to an interview. He clearly had nothing to gain at that point, but he did, and the reader can get a better understanding of his personality.

It is incomprehensible to me that someone as smart and talented as Edwin could have committed such a crime. He was so consumed with the fly-tying world that he would do anything to acquire the feathers needed to make some of the most famous flies. In addition, he wanted money for a new flute. His family did not have the money to buy it for him and he deemed it necessary if he was going to compete with the finest musicians in the world at the Royal Academy of Music. The fact that he basically walked off scot-free is even more astonishing.

I am not much of a non-fiction reader, but I really enjoyed this story. It was very entertaining and educational without coming off like a history book. Even someone with no prior knowledge of the heist or fly-tying will enjoy this book.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Goodreads Overview:

his is a world divided by blood - red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart...

Jacque's Review:

This book has been on my TBR list for a LONG time. It was the 2015 Goodreads winner for Best Debut Author and was nominated for Best YA Fantasy and Science Fiction. I finished a few series I had been reading and decided to read this because Victoria was one of the upcoming authors participating in my library's digital author talk program. She actually spoke at the beginning of this month, so I was happy I had some understanding of her work as she discussed world building and other aspects of her writing.

I loved the concept of the Silvers having special powers, but it was sad to think of how it affected the Reds. They didn't have a chance of gaining any power or wealth in a world where they simply could not compete. Mare was doing everything she could to keep herself and those she loved alive, but nothing seemed to be enough. The discovery that she had a power more dangerous than the fire wielded by the royal family allowed her to escalate in the ranks rather quickly. She went from a thief to a servant to the fiancé of Prince Maven in the blink of an eye.

Maven was not at all what he seemed to be. I was shocked at the turn of events at the end of this book, but I felt like Mare and Cal had more chemistry. I am hopeful that their relationship will evolve throughout the series, but they are in a lot of danger. Cal and Mare are extremely powerful, but I'm not sure they can compete against the collective power of the Silvers. The Scarlet Guard is growing, but their resources are limited. I can't wait to see how they attempt to overthrow this corrupt government and end the war that has been going on for ages and taking the lives of so many Reds.

This was an exceptional start to the series and an impressive debut novel. I look forward to reading the rest of this series and seeing what is in store for Mare, Cal, and Maven.

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