Month: September 2023

Book Review: The Final Spark

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

The Final Spark
Michael Vey #7
by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: YA sci-fi adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Prisoner of Cell 25.

After Michael’s sacrifice, the rest of the Electroclan tries to go on without him. Hatch and the surviving Elgen are still a threat to the world and need to be stopped.

I was so disappointed in this book. Evans built Hatch up to be just about the most sadistic bad guy in history, which is something that’s bothered me about the series, yet I was still looking forward to the downfall of him and his people. I had my ups and downs with the series up to this point, intrigued by the plot while actually not being a fan of the writing and characters, but as I came to what was meant to be the final book in the series at the time it was written, and certainly still the wrap-up to the books-long plot, it’s not a stretch to say I was looking forward to seeing some Elgen butt being kicked by some electric teens. But that is not what I got. Instead, the electric teens are sidelined (yet again), there’s lots of military strategy filler from characters we just met in the previous book as well as some brand new characters (who are all just about as sadistic as Hatch himself), and there’s even suddenly supernatural abilities from characters that aren’t electric or teens. The two “nonels” in the Electroclan, Ostin and Jack, get a chance to bond in this book, which is probably the only good thing that came out of it.

It’s pretty safe to say that no reader is going to go into this book believing Michael to be dead (sorry if that’s a spoiler), but Evans still could have done something less predictable to bring him back than what he did. Michael is barely even in this book and only shows up to be one of the most boring, lazy tropes in writing. And murder lots of people who aren’t even Elgen, who are just following orders. And not even bat an eye or feel bad about it later. The ending was not just unsatisfying, it was completely saccharine and unrealistic, not to mention leaving us without any wrap-up for several plots and characters. I would echo comments from other reviews that I’ve read that say it seems like Evans was bored with the series by this point and just wanted to get it through it without much thought, except that 5 years after this book came out, he started the series back up! And you know what the worst part is? I know I’m going to read the newer books. I don’t know why, but I just can’t seem to help myself with this series—I know it has major flaws, and I have a hard time deciding whether or not I’d really recommend this series (it’s ridiculously brutal for the age group it’s meant for and way too angsty for adults), yet I can’t seem to help but want to see where it goes.

Find out more about The Final Spark

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: The Cat Who Brought Down the House

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

The Cat Who Brought Down the House
Book #25
by Lilian Jackson Braun

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Cozy mystery

When a glamorous Hollywood resident, though former resident of Moose County, moves back to Pickaxe City in her retirement, it gets all the small-town residents in a tizzy. But things don’t seem quite right to former crime reporter Jim Qwilleran and his uncanny Siamese, Koko, who cries foul at a murder in the county over.

I could easily just copy half of my review for the book before this for this review too. In fact, I’ll save myself some time and do just that: “I kinda feel like the author is putting more page time into Qwilleran getting content for his collection of short stories or his twice-weekly newspaper column than into the episodic mysteries. The mystery in this book takes leaps forward that don’t allow for much intrigue or suspense. Still, I do generally enjoy the happenings in Moose County, as well as the characters.” The mystery in this book was even more of an off-to-the-side kind of deal than normal, and then it’s tied up almost too nicely.

It’s funny to me that one particular scene in this book was one I’ve remembered for years, so though I didn’t remember this particular book from when I was younger and read several of these, I definitely did. Yet, apparently this mystery-lite story didn’t leave me feeling like this series isn’t worth caring about. And it still doesn’t now. Because the truth is, 25 books into the series, the everyday happenings and special events of Moose County do interest me. So I still gave the book 3 stars, even though it probably doesn’t deserve it, because the primary reason I read these books is for the mystery, not the slice-of-life views of the locals. But as for whether or not I’d recommend this book to others, I would definitely not suggest that you pick up this book as your introduction to the series. Definitely start closer to the beginning.

Find out more about The Cat Who Brought Down the House

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

/ Kristi / 1 Comment

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
Book #1
by Holly Jackson

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: YA mystery, suspense

Using her senior school project as a guise, Pip decides to dig into the cold case of a girl that was supposedly murdered by her boyfriend, who then killed himself, five years in the past. At first, she just wants to come up with reasonable doubt that Sal Singh killed his girlfriend, and it’s not long before she comes up with quite a few potential suspects. But the more she digs into her town’s secrets, the more someone doesn’t like what she’s doing, and Pip and her loved ones might be in danger.

I don’t know exactly what I was expecting from this book—something more shallow, maybe, or full of teen angst—but instead I found it to be an enjoyable, fast-paced mystery that kept me guessing! There was a major Veronica Mars feel to the story (a show that I love), though Pip is much less jaded than Veronica Mars. Pip’s progression through the clues, adding suspects to her list, and re-arranging those suspects all coincide with her attempt to maintain her friendships and get a college application and essay done on time. There were some decisions that Pip made that I thought were pretty terrible, all the way up to the end, though I don’t know if that’s a fault in the writing or in her teenage decision-making skills. And I have to admit, at some points along the way, I was worried the ending and reveal would be anti-climactic, but it was anything but. Even when you think you know what’s going on, there’s a little more to uncover.

My 13-year-old daughter read this book as well; she might be a little on the young side for its target audience (not even being in high school yet), but she loved it! For those who want to know about content, there is some language, including 3-4 f-words, and plenty of references to teen sex and drug use, though nothing explicit. If you’re concerned, I’d definitely recommend reading it before your teen does (especially a younger teen). In the end, though, I’m glad I read it and look forward to continuing the series.

Find out more about A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: Annabel Lee

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

Annabel Lee
Coffey & Hill #1
by Mike Nappa

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Thriller/suspense, Christian

When an eleven-year-old girl is hidden in an underground bunker by her uncle and told to not open the door for even him, unless he gives her the secret passcode, she doesn’t know why she’s there or how long she might be alone in the room with only a guard dog as company. Private investigators Trudi Coffey and Samuel Hill are turned onto the hunt for something secret and hidden, never expecting it to be a human being.

This book hooked me from the beginning and didn’t let up. It was fast-paced, suspenseful, and intriguing with some well-developed characters. I particularly like the bond that forms between two of those characters, though I think it’d be a spoiler to say who they are. It’s not Coffey and Hill, though, not because they aren’t good characters and good partners, but they were once married and are now divorced. And though the book seems to be leading toward a possible future reconciliation, at least as partners (they were also partners in a private investigation business when they were married), I could take or leave a reconciliation of romance, because one particular thing that Samuel did while they were married is something I know I could never get over. If Trudi can in a future book, good for her.

The book is told from three perspectives: Trudi Coffey’s and a mysterious ex-Special Forces man called The Mute’s are in 3rd person, past tense, and then there’s Annabel Lee (the 11-year-old girl), whose perspective is in 1st person, present tense. Normally this kind of changing between tenses and POV types bothers me, but I found that I didn’t mind it in this book. I suppose an author’s style can really affect how well it works. There was something about the writing that reminded me a lot of Frank Peretti or (early) Ted Dekker books I’ve enjoyed. I would not call this a Christian-genre book, exactly, but more like a book written with a Christian worldview, as Trudi had become a Christian in the years before the story and tries to filter her life through that newish lens. On the other hand, there are some really brutal and gory fight scenes in and around the climax. It got to be just a bit too much for me, which is the reason for the half-star detraction. Outside of that, I loved this book and recommend it to fans of suspense and thriller novels, especially with a Christian leaning.

Find out more about Annabel Lee

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: Greetings from Witness Protection!

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

Greetings from Witness Protection!
by Jake Burt

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fiction

Thanks to years in foster care making her tough and street smart, Nicki Demere is asked by the U.S. Marshals to join a family of three that needs to be protected from their criminal family, camouflaging them as a family of four. As Charlotte Trevor, she does what she can to help protect her new family while also being the most average student possible. But before long, all of the Trevors learn how difficult it can be to outrun one’s past.

I don’t know why it’s so much harder to figure out how to start a review when I like a book than it is when I dislike a book. I guess because it just doesn’t seem good enough to start out with, “This book is great!” But this one really is. I don’t know how plausible the premise is, but the author sure made it seem realistic, considering that Nicki isn’t the only kid tapped for “Project Family.” From the orphanage to training with the Marshals and finally to her new home, Nicki makes an impression with everyone along the way. I didn’t always feel like her voice was all that realistic to a 13-year-old, but on the other hand, her rough history makes her anything but average. And the way her past affects her in the present was written well and adds to her being quite the sympathetic protagonist.

There were some things about this book that were predictable (at least for me, reading it as an adult) but at least one thing that happened that I did not expect at all. Throw in few emotional moments, a style that’s easy to read, and suspense built in the form of brief mentions of the criminals trying to track down the hidden family, and it’s easy to see why this book hooked me. There were even several laugh-out-loud moments here and there. I read this at the same time that my 13-year-old daughter did, and she loved it too. She agrees that it was suspenseful and thrilling. High endorsement from the target audience!

Find out more about Greetings from Witness Protection!

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Top Ten Tuesday: My Fall 2023 TBR

/ Kristi / 14 Comments

It’s time for another Top Ten list from That Artsy Reader Girl. Today’s topic is my fall TBR. I don’t generally choose books based on the season (except at Christmas time), but I do keep a short list of the next 5-10 books I want to read out of the longer TBR. For over three years now, I’ve had a system for how I choose the next 5 books from my full list to move up to the top. Each next 5 books will include (not necessarily in this order):

1 book recommended to me by family/close friends OR a book that was self-published
1 book I own
1 book to continue a series
1 book that’s amongst the oldest on my full TBR list
1 book that’s an ARC, if needed (and it always is)

This keeps me from having any books on my TBR list too long, leaving a series sitting too long before going on to the next book, or ignoring books I’ve acquired for myself in favor of books from the library. And I’m not much of a mood reader. This system keeps me from feeling overwhelmed by my overall TBR (which is considerably small compared to most people). Using the system, here are the first 10 books I expect to read this fall (it’s just a coincidence that so many of them are mysteries, but it sure does work out well for the season).

1. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Recommended to me by my sister – She’s recommend many good books to me over the years. She also works in the teen section of her local library, a county away from where I live, and chose this to be the book for the teen book club for October. My 13-year-old daughter will be attending that book club and is reading this book now, and I enjoy reading books along with her when I can.

2. The Cat Who Brought Down the House by Lilian Jackson Braun
A book I own – I’ve picked up almost all of the books from this series at thrift stores. Though it’s also the continuation of a series (I have a lot of series in progress at any given time, so often more than one book in a set of 5 next up on my TBR are the continuation of a series I’m reading).

3. The Final Spark by Richard Paul Evans
A book to continue a series – I’ve had my ups and downs with this series, but I’m 6 books in, so I’m invested now. Though the end keeps getting further away, because the author keeps writing new books…and that’s considering that this one, #7, was clearly billed as the “last book of the series” when it first came out.

4. ‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas by David Rosenfelt
ARC from Netgalley – Though this book is set during Christmas, I’ve read another book from this same series that was also set during Christmas, and it wasn’t what I’d call a Christmas read. It just happened to be set during that time. So though I normally prefer to read Christmas books during Christmas, I also like to read Netgalley ARCs before or close to the time they’re published, and this one is set to be released in October.

5. Abby’s Letters by Dana Romanin
A book that’s amongst the oldest on my full TBR list – This is the oldest book on my TBR, put there 3 years ago. It’s definitely time I read it.

6. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
A book I own – I picked up a copy of this book at a thrift store. I’ve never read it, but it seems to be one of the most well-known Holmes stories, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the hype is all about.

7. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Recommended to me by my sister – She’s asked me multiple times if I’ve read this series, and renewed the suggestion after hearing that I’d recently read and liked The Hunger Games series.

8. The Viper’s Nest by Peter Lerangis
A book to continue a series – My husband brought home the entire (main) series that he got for a good deal at a thrift store. I remember this series being a big deal when it was first out, though at the time, I didn’t buy the hype. I’m more than halfway through, though, and it’s been a decent series overall.

9. The Event by Whitney Dineen
A book that’s amongst the oldest on my full TBR list – I got a free digital copy of this self-published book 3 years ago, and it’s been waiting on me to get to it ever since.

10. Snow Place for Murder by Diane Kelly
ARC from Netgalley – I don’t know why cozy mysteries always have to feature a dog, a cat, or some kind of food, but this wintery book might just end up perfectly timed to read as the weather is turning cold outside.

Have you read any of these? What do you plan to read over the next few months?

Book Review: Take Me Out of the Ball Game

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

Take Me Out of the Ball Game
McGee and Me! #8
by Bill Myers

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s Christian fiction

In an interesting take on the dangers of idol worship, both Nick and his normally wise father put all their hopes in a particularly athletic teen on their Little League team. Though the stakes are small compared to the lesson, it’s also a situation many of us have found ourselves in (probably with something other then baseball). It can be rough to be reminded that the only One you can really put your trust in is God, though on the other hand, life is certainly easier when we do remember that. Though I’m not much of a baseball person, I enjoyed this story overall. These books may not be easy to find anymore, but if you do have the chance to read this book or procure it for an 8-10-year-old child, I recommend it.

Find out more about Take Me Out of the Ball Game

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Character Relationships

/ Kristi / 33 Comments

It’s time for another Top Ten list from That Artsy Reader Girl, and today’s topic is “Favorite Character Relationships.” I love a close relationship that develops over the course of a book or a series, or even one that is in place at the start of a book and is shown well by the author. For this list, I’ve decided to steer clear of romantic relationships and instead chose those between friends or relatives. I only ended up with 9, and I ran out of time to expound on any of these, so with the book name, I’ve only given the people in the friendship in question and a brief explanation of their relationship to each other. The book title links to the book on Goodreads, and I’ve shared a link to my full review of each book as well. It’s probably no surprise that each of these books is a 4-5-star read for me, mostly 4.5 and up. These are listed in the order in which I read them, longest ago to most recent.

Spoiler notice: For some of these books, the relationship could be a bit of a spoiler. If you see the cover of a book you don’t want to be spoiled on, please skip past it, just in case.

Kevin Parsons and Dr. John Francis – student and professor
Thr3e by Ted Dekker – See my review here.

Stanley Yelnats and Hector Zeroni – co-prisoners 
Holes by Louis Sachar – See my review here.

Myrad and Walagash – future son-in-law and father-in-law
The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr – See my review here.

Gammon and Maraly – father and daughter (found family)
The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson – See my review here.

Dr. Gibson and Molly – father and daughter
Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell – See my review here.

Sophie and Mamie – almost daughter-in-law and mother-in-law / Mamie and Penny, Thea, & Betsy – elderly woman and wards
The Indebted Earl by Erica Vetsch – See my review here.

Ryland Grace and Rocky – fellow space travelers
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir –  See my review here.

Lina and Doon – friends
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau – See my review here.

Vincent and Lili – adopted brother and sister / Vincent and Georgia – second cousins
Beneath the Swirling Sky by Suzanne Collins – See my review here.

Have you read any of these? What’s on your list this week?

Book Review: Beneath the Swirling Sky

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

Beneath the Swirling Sky
The Restorationists #1
by Carolyn Leiloglou

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian children’s fantasy

Though named after Vincent van Gogh and loving to paint when he was younger, 13-year-old Vincent wants nothing to do with art anymore, after realizing that he’s not as good as he hoped he’d be. So when his parents leave him with his great-uncle Leo, a painting restorer, during spring break, Vincent expects to be bored. He expects to be lectured about art. What he doesn’t expect is to fall into a painting of van Gogh’s Starry Night and find out that he has the ability to travel through paintings. Then his little sister gets lost inside the same painting, and it’s up to Vincent and his strange cousin Georgia to find her.

Full disclosure: I am not an art lover; in fact, I’ve never had more than a cursory interest in even famous paintings. Yet I really enjoyed this book and can say that one does not need to be really into van Gogh, Rembrandt, etc. to read and like the book. The author does a good job of allowing the reader to tap into the enthusiasm of the characters in the book, even Vincent, who tries to convince himself he doesn’t care about art anymore. The focus on that in the narration got a little repetitive and almost caused me to lower my rating by half a star. However, the story and characters outside of that, and the payoff to Vincent’s attempt at being dispassionate about art are all wonderful, so I couldn’t bear to give the book anything less than 5 stars.

As Vincent and Georgia try to track down Vincent’s little sister, they come across others that can travel through paintings—others whose intentions are not exactly noble. And Vincent comes face-to-face with his own worst qualities in a very real way. But in a fantastical twist, he also comes face-to-face with the One who sees everything he is and still loves him. I don’t want to say anymore about this, because it was the absolute high point of the book for me, the moment that I knew I was going to recommend this book to everyone, young and old, and that I will read it again and again in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: September 12, 2023

Find out more about Beneath the Swirling Sky

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: The Cat Who Went Up the Creek

/ Kristi / Leave a comment

The Cat Who Smelled a Rat
Book #24
by Lilian Jackson Braun

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Cozy mystery

Former crime reporter Jim Qwilleran travels to a nearby town to investigate a “dark cloud” over a newly re-opened inn, using the guise of a vacation. As his vacations often go, a dead body leads to more intrigue than he anticipated.

I kinda feel like the author is putting more page time into Qwilleran getting content for his collection of short stories or his twice-weekly newspaper column than into the episodic mysteries. The mystery in this book takes leaps forward that don’t allow for much intrigue or suspense. Still, I do generally enjoy the happenings in Moose County, as well as the characters. What I did not enjoy in this book, though, was the side plot where Polly is on vacation with her sister and sends postcards back to Qwilleran hinting at a guy she met and is spending a lot of time with. Qwilleran and Polly’s long-term relationship has started to wear on me, since they tend to go back and forth being jealous of each other, and in between, are just super happy to be in this not-fully committed relationship. 

Twenty-four books into the series, there is not much that hasn’t been done. And to be fair, when a book takes us away from Moose County and its citizens, I usually like it even less. But because of how many of these I’ve read, it’s also often easy to guess who’s going to be involved in the murder, whether victim or killer. Though in this case, I did have one guy pegged as being on the side of the bad guys, and instead he ended up being a victim, so I can’t say there isn’t still some unpredictability now and then. In the end, though, this installment in the series was okay, but not a stand-out.

Find out more about The Cat Who Smelled a Rat

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!