I really can’t get enough of Nick and Kate—the smooth conman and intense FBI agent. I love how through the books, they are ever so slowly drawing closer together, their comfort level increasingly growing, and even their attitudes leaning toward one another. The capers are always fun, the banter sharp, and it’s always good to see the recurring side characters staying on their entertaining different brands. I will say, the books are starting to become a bit formulaic… the ending of this one was almost exactly the same as book one, which was a little disappointing. But I totally plan to listen to the books 4 and 5 (the last two written by both Evanovich and Goldberg.) After all, who doesn’t love good clean fun?! I’m definitely along for the ride!
⭐⭐⭐⭐1⁄2
I can’t remember the last time I read a series longer than a trilogy. Keep ’em comin’!
The Interstellar Slayer is a fun science fantasy adventure that takes us into a thoroughly interesting and detailed universe. In a way it reminded me a lot of The Mandalorian in the way that the story follows this rather taciturn assassin as he navigates through this rich new universe on a mission from his guild. There’s plenty of action to show off his interesting, magic-like abilities that make him so effectively deadly, and we also got a glimpse of some colorful side characters and lore which I’m sure get more facetime in future books.
Honestly, the only criticism I have this book is that it packs of lot of info into such a short book, and we didn’t get to know the characters as much as I would’ve liked. But with lots of sequels to follow, there’s still so much to explore and see through Hozark’s adventures. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a fun new space-fantasy world to explore with a fresh new magic system and lots of action. Thanks so much to Booksirens for the free ARC!
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½
Cheers to a fun sci-fi! Alas, if only I had a cute mug to toast with!
Darling there are Wolves in the Woods by LV Russell follows Teya as she enters an enchanted, dark wood to find her sister who was stolen by the fey ten years past. As she struggles to survive the horrors of the wood, the complex fey, Lathaniel, become inextricably entwined with her journey.
I really loved the writing style of this book. The descriptions were incredibly evocative and painted such a vivid picture of the darkly magical wood. I also super loved just how dark this fairytale-like story was. It was just the right amount of creepy and disturbing without feeling like anything was added for shock value or out of place. Even though the woods are obviously a death trap you wouldn’t want to find yourself in, they sounded so beautiful, I could see how they would draw someone in. And I loved all the interesting descriptions of the dark magic that exists in this world.
I found Lathaniel to be a very interesting, complicated character… which, after countless years as a fey, a cruel race, and with his a thorny past, makes a lot of sense. Even though he’s very forward about his flaws and is dangerous in so many ways, I can see how Teya would be drawn to him. Teya though, was a bit frustrating to me. Teya has definitely had it rough too in life, but I found her to be rather mercurial in her relationship with Lathaniel, and I had trouble understanding her motivation for some of her choices. But I was definitely still rooting for her, and since there are sequels there’s still a lot of room for growth.
Totally recommend to anyone looking for a unique, dark fairytale with complex characters and beautiful writing.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
And, it’s been set free into the local Little Free Library. I have no doubt it’ll be snapped up in no time!
Suffer Little Children by Freda Hansburg starts out as Robin begins a new job opportunity in cancer research, and struggles with her relationship with her boyfriend Ben over his unruly children, Amber and Jaden. Enter Gloria, a concerned friend of Ben’s trying to get her son into the cancer research study.
I had trouble starting this one, because Amber (one of the POVs) and Ben really grated on my nerves. Which is pretty much how Robin feels too though, so it’s easy to connect with her. The plot thickens as Gloria, an incredibly well-spun character, goes from irritating to unhinged, and the last half is quite engrossing as the characters’ lives start to unravel. As the twists are thrown at them (which were definitely surprising), Robin and Amber both evolve in satisfying ways, ending in a well-executed conclusion. I was a little thrown off by the prologue, which I thought was unnecessarily spoilery, but I would still recommend to anyone looking for a satisfying psychological thriller! Thanks so much to the author for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.
A Storm of Silver and Ash follows a young thief as she gets caught up in an assassination plot. Written in first person, Storm’s voice and personality pops off the page, and I really enjoyed the world building of the underworld guilds and the lore of the elves. I did think Storm’s light/young tone seemed a bit at odds with her image as an intimidating master thief and killer, but I’m not a huge fan of this style of first person that breaks the fourth wall, so this could just be me! Although there’s no romance in this story, I can see the outlines of the relationships that could be developed in the future sequels. Overall, a solid fantasy recommended for fans of voicey YA fantasy!
Another fabulous impulse check out audiobook from the library! Still reeling from her fiancé’s suicide ten months ago, Anna takes off in his sailboat on a trip they were supposed to take together, and quickly realizes she’s going to need a guide. Enter the handsome Irishman, Keane, who’s still recovering from his own loss.
This is the perfect beach read. Beautiful storytelling, gorgeous imagery of sailing the Caribbean, a lovely romance, and a powerful message about healing. Although I found Anna irritating at some junctures, and I felt like the ending was a little rushed, overall I absolutely Loved listening to this story. The narrator really brought the characters to life, and I would Definitely be on the lookout for more books by Trish Doller. Totally recommend for anyone looking for a beautifully told story of healing, love, and running away to the gorgeous Caribbean.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1⁄2
My attempt at a finger heart… yeah… I’ve might’ve been watching a lot of K-drama lately. 😂
This is Exactly how a thriller should be done! The story follows a father trying to move on after the death of his wife, his young son who is… different, an older detective who investigated the whisper man (a child killer who whispers to children through their windows to gain their trust) decades ago, the detective who’s assigned to the case now, and… the killer. ☠️
This book totally sucked me in, hitting all the right beats. With some deliciously creepy vibes, this book kept me on the toes with quite a few surprises I didn’t see coming. The characters’ wildly different perspectives are great, and I love how it flirted with the paranormal for an extra creepy feel. The overall tone is definitely somber and chilling rather than breakneck thriller, but it still keeps you hanging on every line.
I picked up this audiobook from the library, and the narrator did a fabulous job of bringing this story to life. A perfect weekend read for fall that I would recommend to any and all fans of slow build thrillers and mysteries with a side of spook. And it left me seriously craving more thrillers! More!!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A big thumbs up for this creepy thriller! But… if anyone whispers to me through a window, I will probably just keel over right there. 😂
It’s a little difficult to describe this book without spoilers, so this will be a short review for a great sequel to finish this duology! Queen of Night by Katherine Macdonald veers from the sequel, and plunges into new territory with this sequel. I loved the raised stakes and the growth of the Persephone’s character as the strands of her life come together. I also really loved the peeks we got into Hades’ perspective, and the happily ever after was a perfect end to their sweet romance. On the whole, this book was more serious and heavier than book one. It starts off a littler slower than the first, but makes up for it with an intense, action-filled second half. If you enjoyed the first book, I absolutely think you will love this one! Highly recommend this duology and can’t wait to read more by Katherine Macdonald.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Also, as a side note, the copy of Thief of Spring that I put in our local free library only lasted a week before getting snapped up. It makes me smile so big to think someone might be enjoying it right now! 😊
It was a tropical storm day on Monday, and what better way to pass the time than read and review NetGalley picture books! And luckily, there were a few good ones on “read now.”
We started with Tag and the Magic Squeaker by Sam Hundley. So this book was really cool. The story follows a dog that loses his squeaker toy under the couch, a mouse that helps him out, and a suspicious cat. It’s a simple but sweet story perfect for ages 2-5. But the coolest part is that the characters are made of scrap art of dug relics. There is some explanation in the back of the pieces used to make the art, and also a picture of Theo the beagle and his squeaker (the inspiration of the story.) Overall, totally cute and interesting kid’s book that I would highly recommend. And my 3yo & 5yo both said they liked it a whole lot! 😍 We all agree we’d rank this #3 out of the 4 books we read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Then we moved to Brian the Dancing Lion by Tom Tinn-Oisbury. I loved this book! My kids have actually started dance class, so I thought this message was fantastic. Lion loves to dance, but feels too shy to dance in front of his friends because lions are supposed to be brave and strong and fierce, and no one would think a dancing lion is brave and strong and fierce. But when his friends find out, they’re actually really supportive, and also share their own hobbies (singing, knitting, crafts etc.) Really loved the message of being a supportive friend, and also being brave enough to be yourself! And the illustrations were super cute too. Weirdly both of them said it they only liked it some, 😕 and ranked it #4 of the 4 books we read. (I rank it #2.)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Melville by Paul Schmid was next. A cute little book where the baby octopus goes out on an adventure to find a place just for him and eventually finds his way back to his mother’s embrace. The illustrations are cute and vibrant, and the story is simple but both my 5yo and my 3yo said they liked it a whole lot. 😍 They ranked it #2 out of the 4 books we read. I ranked it #4 but I think it would definitely be a best fit for the younger picture book crowd (ages 1-3), and I’d definitely recommend!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lastly we read My Pet Cloud by Amanda Rawson Hill, and this was unanimously our favorite. The story follows a boy who decides to adopt a cloud as a pet, but realizes there’s a lot to know about taking care of a pet (even a cloud!). The clever story concept perfectly showed the responsibility of having a pet, the illustrations were adorable, and I loved the cloud science knowledge sprinkled throughout. A fantastic story for ages 3-7, and my 3yo and 5yo both said they liked it a whole lot. 😍 Highly recommend!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Got lucky with our picks this time! Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARCs. (And Husband, stop making me laugh while I’m trying to take embarrassing selfies! 😂)
We try to take our littles (ages 5 and 3) the library almost every Saturday to get a fresh armful of books to tide us over for the week. We’ve missed the past few weekends, so this library haul is from a while back, but I thought I’d try to give a quick sum up.
Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates. Dog loves books so they open a book store. A cute story, but a little bland. ⭐⭐⭐ ½ And no request for rereads. 😕
Michael Recycle Meets Litter Bug Dougby Ellie Bethel. Cute story, great message, fun rhymes, and great illustrations. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ But… no request for rereads. 😕
Pirate Chicken All Hens on Deck by Brian Yanish. Chicken gets tired of being a chicken, so becomes a pirate. But then gets tired of being a bad pirate… and goes back to chicken life. Story fell a little flat for me. ⭐⭐⭐ And no request for rereads. 😕
Fire Truck vs Dragon by Chris Barton. Fire truck and Dragon are friends and do a lot of fun things together. A cute simple story with great illustrations aimed at the younger picture book crowd (2-4). ⭐⭐⭐⭐ And it seemed to be a hit with the 3yo with multiple reread requests. 😍
Eerie Elementary by Jack Chabor. After perusing the pictures, my 5yo rejected this one on the basis of being too scary. No rating.
The Last Firehawk by Katrina Charman (#6-9). Owl, squirrel, & firehawk go on epic fantasy adventure, battling against the evil vulture and finding the firehawk’s family. My 5yo LOVED this series. They were always the first books he wants when we get in the car, an whenever get back he checks to make sure they don’t have #10 yet (it doesn’t come out until November.) So this one gets double heart eyes! 😍 😍
Kung Pow Chicken by Cyndi Marko. Goofy super hero chicken and sidekick egg brother fight silly crime. My five year old seems to enjoy these, and he reads through them very quickly independently. We’ll definitely be picking up more of this series. 😍
Who Would Win? Ultimate Jungle Rumble by Jerry Palotta In which they make a bracket and postulate which animals would win in a fight to the death. A bit morbid perhaps… but as a kid I probably would’ve loved this series. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ And my kids asked me to reread this SOOOO many times. 😍 😍
Maisy Plays Soccer by Lucy Cousins. Exactly as the title describes. Super simple story, but Maisy books have always been a hit at our house in the younger age groups (1-3). ⭐⭐⭐⭐ And 3yo asked for a reread. 😍
FlyguyPresents Dinosaurs by Tedd Arnold. Very standard dinosaur book. No facts we didn’t know before, and the illustrations were pretty basic. This is my second flyguy book, and it hasn’t really resonated with the boys or me. ⭐⭐⭐ ½ And no reread request. 😕 Which is kind of shocking considering this is a dinosaur book!
Our Saturdays are busier with fall sports, but hopefully we’ll still be able to squeeze in our library visits!
Whew! And that’s it for now! Tune in next week for the review of our next library haul! Kid’s book recommendations and review requests welcome (as long as it’s find-able at our library).
Hayley Reese Chow 