Early Reader Review: A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or reivew.

A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow 

Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Publication Date:  February 8, 2022

 

Format: Ebook/ Purchased Audible book as well.

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Sure enough, the sea woman will come for what’s hers.

Ever since her mother’s death, Kela feels every bit as broken as the shards of glass, known as “mermaid’s tears,” that sparkle on the beaches of St. Rita. But when she discovers a different kind of treasure, she accidentally summons an actual mermaid—the wrathful Ophidia.

Ophidia makes Kela a bargain: her ancient comb, in exchange for a wish. And though Kela knows that what she wants most is her mother back, a wish that big will exact a dangerous price…

Review: 

This was a delightful tale that used Carribean mythology and tales to create a magical story. Kela, a young girl recent lost her mother and is depressed and not sure how to have a normal life anymore. One day Kela finds a box on the beach containing a comb and after that she starts to experience weird things. Kela realizes that she might have a comb of wishes that was talked about with sea women in tales by her village.

This story is all about love and loss and the details make you feel like you are on the island with Kela and her family. The vengeful mermaid is intense and at times a little scary, creating a thrilling plot. Kela tries her best to do all the right things but it seems like everything is also going wrong. Her grief is so real and the reader can feel it though the tale. I really like how she developed through the story and grew. 

I am also glad that I picked up the Audiobook on Audible, the reader, Bahni Turpin, did a fabulous job and added to the feel of the story. Her voice it beautiful and atmospheric and she built the suspense so well. I highly recommend the audiobook for this one!

The folklore/mythology made this book all the more interesting and having a mermaid is often a win in my book - the sea and its creatures are so mysterious. This was a fun, adventure that middle grade reader will enjoy. 

Building the Book Pile #389

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Wooo weekend! Here in New England we are experience the spring fakeout, one day it is 50F, the next is it 10F and snowing... I am ready for warmer weather again, this winter has been weird.  We also had a fun time this week where we lost heat for about 12 hours. We have obviously survived but it was not ideal. 

We went to a friends BOOK RELEASE party this weekend! We are so excited for him, it is a Thriller set in VT. I have not read it yet and just got a copy, but please support him if you can. You can find the book here on Amazon: If These Flames Could Talk by Michael Burnham

In other news:

I have been mentally wiped for the past few weeks with work and family stuff going on that reading kind of fell off the radar but I plan on listening to an Audiobook and doing some indoor starts for my garden this weekend/week so that should help.

What are you reading? What are you getting into these days? Would love to hear in the comments.

If you are interested in supporting my ability to stay awake and read please consider dontating - Coffee  is appreciated ... Ko-fi

 

Coming up on the Blog

Early Reader Review: A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow (MG)

Early Reader Review: Squire by Nadia Shammas (MG, GN)

Ealry Reader Review: Blood Scion (#1) by Deborah Falaye (YA)

Early Reader Review: Chef's Kiss by Jarrell Melendez (NA, GN)

Books Received Recently...

  

 

The Day He Left (Violent Crime Investigations Team #2) by Frederick Weisel - from the publisher for review

  

Listen to the Language of the Trees: A Story of How Forests Communicate Underground by Tera Kelley - from the publisher for review

Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez - from the publisher for review.

If Thesse Flames Could Talk by Michael Burnham - Bought

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: Batman and Robin and Howard by Jeffrey Brown (MG, GN) - 2 stars

Early Reader Review: Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson (YA,GN) - 3 stars

Early Reader Review: The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (Adult, Audio) - 1 star/DNF

Waiting on Wednesday: Gallant by VE Schwab

Early Reader Review: Wingbearer by Marjorie Liu (MG, GN) - 3 stars

Comment or leave me a link and I will see you online again soon.

Happy Reading!

Early Reader Review: Wingbearer by Marjorie Liu

Source: From Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Wingbearer by Marjorie Liu, Illustrated by Teny Issakhanian  Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Publication Date:   March 1, 2022

 

Format: ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

A young girl must stop a threat to her magical world in this epic graphic novel from New York Times bestselling author Marjorie Liu and remarkable debut illustrator Teny Issakhanian.

Zuli is extraordinary--she just doesn't realize it yet. Raised by mystical bird spirits in the branches of the Great Tree, she's never ventured beyond this safe haven. She's never had to. Until now.

When a sinister force threatens the life-giving magic of the tree, Zuli, along with her guardian owl, Frowly, must get to the root of it. So begins an adventure bigger than anything Zuli could've ever imagined--one that will bring her, along with some newfound friends, face-to-face with an ancient dragon, the so-called Witch-Queen, and most surprisingly of all: her true identity.

This captivating middle grade graphic novel, the first of a series, is perfect for fans of the Amulet books and the Wings of Fire series.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Review: 

Wingbearer is a Middle Grade, Graphic Novel about a young girl that has known nothing of her life before the Great Tree and the birds. She has been there since she was an infant and raised by the birds and the bird spirits that come there to be reborn into the world. The book begins when something starts to threaten the magic of the tree and the spirits are no longer appearing to be reborn, Zuli, our main character is confused, upset, but determined to figure out what has happened and fix it. The means venturing into the real world to figure it all out. 

Zuli is young, innocent, and very sheltered. She doesn't know anything of her background or history, but is fully alright with leaving the safety of her home/tree to save it. She is determined and a bit stubborn. When she doesn't understand something she just pushes forward and hopes for the best. She is a strong character that I think younger readers will like. 

The plot of the book begins with the missing spirits and then leads us on a journey about who Zuli might be. Although we don't learn a lot about her yet, there is a lot of mystery for the reader to follow and attempt guesses with. 

This graphic novel was very well done. The illustrations were bright and the worldbuilding was very well done throughout the images and the plot. I found that there was a lot of dialogue and not enought being told through the images, however I know that middle grade graphic novels tend to have this issue as it tries to lead younger readers more easily through the story.

Overall, if you liked the Amulet series or are looking for more middle grade graphic novels, this is a great beginning to a new series that you may also enjoy. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Gallant by V.E. Schwab

 

Gallant by V.E. Schwab
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: March 1, 2022

Synopsis:  

Everything casts a shadow. Even the world we live in. And as with every shadow, there is a place where it must touch. A seam, where the shadow meets its source.

Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.

Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.

Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?

Why I Am Waiting:

This cover.... swoon! I have read a few V.E. Schwab books and have many on my TBR, this is certainly one of them. YA fantasy with a mystery and a mom's journal... I am so excited to read this one!

Early Reader Review: The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

Source: From Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont 

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date:  February 1, 2022

 

Format: Audiobook ARC


Rating: DNF at 50%

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Nina de Gramont's The Christie Affair is a beguiling novel of star-crossed lovers, heartbreak, revenge, and murder—and a brilliant re-imagination of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.

Every story has its secrets.

Every mystery has its motives.

“A long time ago, in another country, I nearly killed a woman. It’s a particular feeling, the urge to murder. It takes over your body so completely, it’s like a divine force, grabbing hold of your will, your limbs, your psyche. There’s a joy to it. In retrospect, it’s frightening, but I daresay in the moment it feels sweet. The way justice feels sweet.”

The greatest mystery wasn’t Agatha Christie’s disappearance in those eleven infamous days, it’s what she discovered.

London, 1925: In a world of townhomes and tennis matches, socialites and shooting parties, Miss Nan O’Dea became Archie Christie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted and well-known wife, Agatha Christie.

The question is, why? Why destroy another woman’s marriage, why hatch a plot years in the making, and why murder? How was Nan O’Dea so intricately tied to those eleven mysterious days that Agatha Christie went missing?

Review: 

Trigger Warnings: Adultery, infant death, sexual abuse

Even after reading the synopsis for this book, it was not what I expected. I love reading Agatha Christie mysteries, I have been reading them for many years and I guess I thought that this book would be both more about Agatha but also more in line with a Christie mystery. It sadly was not.

This book follows Nan, the mistress who steals Agatha Christie's husband away from her thus leading to her disappearance. Much of the book is about Nan and her life leading up to the affair and the disappearance. However, even weirder is that it is told from Nan as an omnipotent narrator... so she 'knows' what happened as she was doing her thing, to Agatha, and the husband, and the police etc. I found the way that the story was told to be off-putting. 

I made it to the 50% mark in the audiobook, so I gave it a real try, but the story was not enough to keep me into it, and I really didn't care about Nan at all either. I think that one of the biggest downfalls of this book is that 'it is about Agatha's disappearance' but really it isn't it is a story about a sad mistress and her life leading up to adultery and Agatha is collateral damage.  I think that the author is alienating her audience from the beginning in this sense. I came for a story about Agatha and where she went and what she did during her time away, not a story about the woman that made her life difficult. As a fan of Agatha Christie, I had strong negative feelings for Nan from the beginning and as she tries to justify her decisions to allow a man to cheat it only made me dislike her even more.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year and I really wanted to love it, sadly that was just not the case. This story might make a miraculous turn at the very end, much like the Agatha Christie mysteries I know and love, but I didn't have it in me to make it as it was currently moving along.

Early Reader Review: Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson

Source: From DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson, Illustrated by
Daniel Isles
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date:  January 25, 2022

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Falling in love was never part of the escape plan.

Scott Free is a student at the Goodness Academy, on the planet Apokolips, ruled by Lord Darkseid. Sounds pretty cool, right? Wrong. Scott Free wants nothing more than to leave Apokolips for planet Earth; the only problem is that no one has ever left Apokolips of their own free will...or alive.

Scott Free has a plan, a foolproof plan, a plan that his found family depends on for their own freedom. But that plan never involved falling in love with the head of the Female Furies, Big Barda-the one person tasked with ensuring he never escapes.

From the Coretta Scott King Honor-winning author of The Parker Inheritance, Varian Johnson, and afrofuturist artist Daniel Isles (DirtyRobot) comes the story of an escape plan that will take a miracle to pull off. Lucky for Scott, everyone calls him MISTER MIRACLE! Okay, fine, no one calls him that...yet.

Review: 

I am not familiar with the Mister Miracle graphic novels or comics but it was sent over and I love reading graphic novels, so I gave it a chance. 

Mister Miracle follows Scott Free, a student at an academy/ orphanage, that is more like a prison than anything else. His goal is to escape his school and make for Earth, only that is not done so easily. 

Scott is a pretty typical teenage boy, he has jokes and talks a lot, getting himself into trouble at every available instance. But he also tries to stand up for others. While a smart ass, he seems like a good-natured teen. 

The world is miliary-themed and messy and the illustrations do a good job of showing that. I liked the detail throughout. There was just enough text and dialogue to keep things moving but not too much to drag the story down. I was a little confused by one detail that was recurring - there were little red dots throughout the graphic novel, often emphasizing movement, but it seemed like it could be blood at first so I kept thinking it might be blood and I was very confused about the choice stylistically. 

Overall the story was a good one, it emphasized burden and the weight that it can carry even for teens. This was a fun coming of agee / origin story and it was a good book to pick up for Black History Month. If you are looking for diverse characters, some action, and maybe even a little love, this would be a good graphic novel to pick up.

Recent Reads: Batman and Robin and Howard by Jeffrey Brown

Source: From DC Comics in exchange for an honest review. This in now way alters my opinion or reivew.

Batman and Robin and Howard by Jeffrey Brown 
Publisher: DC Comics
Publication Date:   November 9, 2021

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Sidelined by a crime-fighting field trip gone wrong, Damian Wayne must refocus his attention on his life as an average student and learning how to be a team player--especially when he meets his match in his new rival, Howard.

To Damian Wayne, there is nothing more important than protecting the streets of Gotham City as Robin. But when he makes a critical mistake while out on patrol, Damian finds himself benched. And what's more, Damian's dad, Bruce Wayne--a.k.a. Batman--decides that starting over in a new school will be just the distraction Damian needs from his superhero routine.

Certain that Gotham Metro Academy has nothing to teach him, Damian is completely unprepared for the challenge he finds in Howard--the smartest and most athletic kid in school. The boys' rivalry is instantaneous and fierce...and both are sure only one of them can be the best in their class.

What follows is a funny story of rivalry, friendship, and mystery from bestselling author and illustrator Jeffrey Brown. 

 

Batman and Robin and Howard is a graphic novel themed for a younger audience. It follows Damian Wayne, who is told that he needs to take a break from being Batman's sidekick. He is moved to a new school and must make new friends in this new enviornment all while in a mood from being told that he couldn't crime-fight right now.

The book was illustrated very well, lots of details, with nice colors and I think that younger readers will like that aspect. However, because it is for a younger audience, I found it to be too wordy. There was a lot of writing and dialogue here and it was hard to stay focused. Graphic novels should use the illustration just as much as the writing to tell the story. I understand that not many young readers understand imagery as story but they aren't so far from picture books to try. 

While I think that this was a good story about overcoming feelings of lonliness and abandonment in some ways, I found Damian to be a brat. He was a snob, rude, and selfish, making it very irritating to read about him and care about him as a character. It was like reading a book about a bully, i found myself cringing a bit. 

Howard was a much nicer characters and sadly Damian's rudeness initially rubs off on him. Even weirder was that Batman seemed like an idiot. He was not a ruthless, dark knight fighting crime, he was a slow, stubborn, and a little dumb. It was sad and I think young readers that follow Batman will also be a bit disappointed. 

Overall, this was an ok book. I think that a lot of young readers will probably really enjoy it, but Damian's behavior, all the writing, and a lack-luster Batman just didn't do it for me for this time. 

Building the Book Pile #388

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Good morning! I hope you had a great week. 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday and almost Valentine's Day. Do you have anything fun planned? We are staying in, we did a lot of house things yesterday and today I hope to just take it easy - listen to a book while prepping my seed trays for spring veggies. 

As you might know I have a cat... he gets into everything. As an example, last week I got a daily update about what kitchen items he tried to eat - Circus Peanut candy, a self size cup of caramel for apple dipping, he got into the trash etc... (Disclaimer, we don't starve him but he is regulated bc of a bladder issue and if we leave dry food out he will eat forever until puking). This is a long story to day, I got a green house to use inside... so the cat doesn't sit on/ eat/ destroy my seed babies. I also got a lamp and a little heat mat. My hope is to grow all our veggies this summer and fall. It will be a lot of work but we have the space and I am super excited about it.

Do you have garden? Any tips? I will take them!

If you are interested in supporting my ability to stay awake and read please consider dontating - Coffee  is appreciated ... Ko-fi

 

Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: Batman and Robin and Howard by Jeffrey Brown (MG, GN) 

Early Reader Review: Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson (YA,GN)

Early Reader Review: The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (Adult, Audio)

Early Reader Review: A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow (MG)

Books Received Recently...

 

  

Mister Miracle: The Great Escape by Varian Johnson (YA,GN) - From DC Comics for review.

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: The Inheritance Games (#1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA) - 5 stars

Recent Reads: Adventurous Ali: Temple of the Monkey God by Tyler Jolly and Mary Geis (MG, Audio) - 4 stars

Comment or leave me a link and I will see you online again soon.

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: Adventurous Ali: Temple of the Monkey God by Tyler Jolley and Mary Geis

Adventurous Ali: Temple of the Monkey God by Tyler Jolley and Mary Geis
Series: Adventurous Ali
Publisher: Joley Chronicles
Publication Date:   Sept 26, 2019

 

Format: Audibook
Source: From the author. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

After Alison Liv Isner is sucked into an old globe that sat on her father’s desk, she wakes beside a campfire in a lush jungle, surrounded by five talking animals. She quickly realizes these are the same friends her mom wrote about in her expedition journal. Now, at only eleven-years-old, she has the opportunity to complete her deceased Mother’s unfinished expedition in the Temple of the Monkey God.

With her new found friends, a monkey, a fat rat, a bat, a burro with a piranha in a mason jar tied around his neck, Ali decides to face the treacherous booby traps inside of the temple and save the monkey idol from an evil group called The Geese.

As she learns more about her deceased mom through her adventure journal, Ali and her friends realize the book is the key to lead them through the tunnels of the dreaded Temple of the Monkey God. If not, their lives are at stake and Ali will be trapped in the expedition realm forever.

Review: 

Isn't this cover adorable! It looks like so much fun! and it would be right, this was an action-packed read/ listen.

Ali is a young girl living during the Great Depression with her father, her mother disappeared while on an expedition. While in her father’s office waiting to go to a lesson, Ali finds herself transported into another world, with talking animals, who seem to know her mother and have been waiting for her.

This book gave me a The Chronicle of Narnia’s transport to another world mixed with Indiana Jones vibe. (Then I saw someone mention Dora the Explorer… and yes! That too).

Ali is spunky, intrigued, and determined and being thrust into an expedition to retrieve an idol from a temple was perfectly fine by her. She was living out one of her mother’s adventures and going to help her complete it. Ali is not along though, she has her animal companions – a donkey, a fish, a rat, a bat, and a monkey. I am not going to give much away, because this book is a short listen, but so much fun. However, one of the animal companions is very annoying and whiney, all his friends are nice to him but wooo did I wanna shake him to get some calm.

I think that young readers will really enjoy this book. The adventure/ expedition plot was very fun and I loved the animals and the quirks (well most of them). The writing is great, easy to follow and will be easy to understand for younger readers. 

Many thanks to Tyler for offering me the audiobook to listen to.

Recent Reads: The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Inheritance Games #1 by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 
Series: The Inheritance Games #1
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date:  September 1, 2020

 

Format: Audiobook
Source: Bought with Audible subscription credits.

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

A Cinderella story with deadly stakes and thrilling twists.

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he's determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather's last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

Review: 

Trigger warning: This book contains domestic abuse, violence, guns and blood. 

I picked up this audiobook on a whim because I was feeling a bit burnt out and needed an audiobook for chores and I am SO glad that I finally did. I fell for this book hard. 

Avery is surviving, she is on the poorer side of life living with her sister after her mother passes. She is making the best of a bad situation with odd jobs, some gambling and bets, and a bit of luck and somehow she hits a lot of luck - an inheritance like no other. She is whisked away to the reading of a will for a billionarie that she has never met, to learn that she is inheriting it all with only a few stipulations. Sadly, his living family are pissed about the situation. 

She is sucked into a new world with people she has never met and way too much money to know what to do with. Avery is such an interesting lead character, she is more determined to figure out the why then she is to really think about the money. The other characters were interesting too, however the Hawthorne boys were hard to tell apart. While slightly different, they all seemed a bit one-note. I wanted more desciption of them, of Avery, and of the whole cast. I also wanted more backgrounds and details there. I am hoping to gain more in the next book in the series. 

What I liked was all the mystery, scavenger hunts, clues, and trying to guess and play along. As with the characters I wanted more description of the mansion too. The plot does a great job leading the reader through the story, there is enough action and finding out information to keep me fully invested but I expect a lot more from the rest of the series and really hope it lives up to that expectation.

As a comparison, this book was Knives Out mixed with Escape from Lemoncello's Library, and sometimes weird like clues in The Da Vinci Code. It came together in a really fun way though.  The plot overall was centered on the mystery and game, it answered some questions, but I came away with so many more. Excited to keep reading / listening to the series.

Building the Book Pile #387

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Happy Sunday night readers! I hope you had another great week. 

This week we got about 18 inches of snow, the first reallllll big storm and I was very excited about it. A 'snow day' is nice, I still had to work but got to do it from home and enjoy the falling snow from my office window. 

I also got a lot of reading done this week! Some reviews will be up soon and others will be planned for closer to the book releases in March. 

Are there any books you are looking forward to? I just started The Christie Affair which I was super excited about this year.

If you are interested in supporting my ability to stay awake and read please consider dontating - Coffee  is appreciated ... Ko-fi

 

Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: The Inheritance Games (#1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA)

Recent Reads: Adventurous Ali: Temple of the Monkey God by Tyler Jolly and Mary Geis (MG, Audio)

Books Received Recently...

 

 

  

 

Squire by Sara Alfageeh and Nadia Shammas (YA, GN) - from the Publisher for review

The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Game #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (YA) - Bought on Audible with credits.

Have you missed anything lately?

Monthly Recap (Jan 22) and TBR (Feb 22)

Comment or leave me a link and I will see you online again soon.

Happy Reading!