Month: November 2024

Book Review: Disney After Dark

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Disney After Dark
Kingdom Keepers #1
by Ridley Pearson

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Middle grade fantasy

Due to some fictional technology, five kids whose likenesses were used as holographic hosts in the Magic Kingdom start “crossing over” and waking up as their holographic selves, in the park, when they sleep at night. They find out that various characters from different Disney media have started coming to life and are threatening the park. Worse yet, if they grow stronger, they might threaten the world outside of the park. And only the five hosts can stop them.

I think someone’s status as a Disney buff probably greatly affects their enjoyment of this book, for better or for worse. I’ve only been to Disney World once, many years ago, and I haven’t actually watched very many of the classic Disney cartoons. If there was anything about this book that was relying on the reader to know more about either of those things, it may have affected my understanding or enjoyment of the book. Even with that limitation, the premise of the book captured my attention. I may not know the park well, but I can imagine the excitement of wandering a magical park after hours.

However, it fell short in execution. The book just wasn’t written all that well in general. The dialog is often stilted, and the prose is clunky and even non-sensical at times. There are continuity issues, even within a single page. And the characterization is lacking. Any book with this many characters working together to defeat the villain(s) has a heavier burden making sure that the different characters don’t blend together and that there is at least some development for each. In this case, basically none of the characters were developed, and for the most part, I couldn’t tell the four kids that weren’t the MC apart.

By the time I read this first book, my husband had already gotten almost the entire rest of the series for me, as we’ve seen the books at thrift stores and such. For that reason, I had more desire than even normal to really like this book, and so I was disappointed that it was mediocre at best. However, since I do own most of the series, and I can see that the rating on Goodreads goes up a little with each book, I will continue on in the hopes that it gets better. In the meantime, I wouldn’t really recommend this book to anyone, but if it does sound intriguing to you, certainly check out other reviews at the link below, as others have liked it more than I did (and others liked it less).

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

Book Review: The Clue in the Diary

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The Clue in the Diary
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #7
by Carolyn Keene
read by Laura Linney

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic mystery

Nancy again stumbles onto a mystery when a house she’s driving by explodes. But it’s all good, because she’s able to save a mother and daughter whose husband/father is blamed for the fire. Coincidences and Nancy-is-the-best moments aside, I enjoyed this story more than most of the previous books in the series. It didn’t feel as bloated, and I can’t pretend to not have liked the introduction of Ned Nickerson. He seems to be a bit of a stereotype himself, but I’d imagine that was on purpose. Giving the young readers these books were intended for ideals in the main characters seemed pretty important to the creators. Linney does a great job bringing Nancy to life, and I’m sad to learn that this is the end of those that were narrated by her.

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Book Review: World of Warcraft, Vol. 3

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World of Warcraft, Vol. 3
written by Walter Simonson & Louise Simonson

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Fantasy graphic novel

I found the continuing storyline after King Varian Wrynn was “re-united” more interesting than I expected. New characters and locations that I remember from my earlier WoW days were brought into the story, which I’m sure had a lot to do with my interest. It didn’t hurt that both the Alliance and the Horde are now beginning to make plans to go to Northrend and fight the Scourge. WotLK was my favorite expansion, so I can’t pretend that didn’t make a pretty big impression on my reaction to the book as well.

I also enjoyed continuing to see Prince Anduin stretch his peacemaking muscles. Other new arcs and characters that came up in this book had me running to the Wowpedia website to try to remember what I should know about these characters and situations from the game. I’m now finding myself wanting to know more about the backstory and things that I’ve forgotten or never knew. I have a feeling this graphic novel series will be a launching point for me into diving into more WoW lore, but in the meantime, I will again say that those who do or have played the game, especially back in vanilla days, this might be worth checking out, but I really couldn’t say whether anyone who hasn’t played WoW as much as me would appreciate this graphic novel series at all.

Find out more about World of Warcraft, Vol. 3

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

Book Review: What’s So Funny

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What’s So Funny
by Tim Conway with Jane Scovell

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Autobiography

In this book, Tim Conway discusses his life, both before and after he broke into show business. Though his time in show business is most likely what most people want to know about, the chapters about his home life and his time in the Army were enjoyable to read about as well. Conway’s depiction of his father as a well-meaning but somewhat clumsy/dangerous man and his mother’s Romani ways are fun to read about, and it’s great insight to what made Conway the funny man he was.

I may be a bit too young to have watched The Carol Burnett Show, but I’ve seen clips, and I saw Tim Conway in movies and other things, especially growing up. I’ve always felt he was a true comic, and I loved reading about how he would purposely go off-script during The Carol Burnett Show just to make the others crack up. He even mentions a similar moment in the movie The Private Eyes, which holds a special place in my heart, since I watched that movie many, many times when I was younger. Conway manages to strike a balance between modest, kind, and funny in this autobiography that made it a joy to read. I recommend it for all of his fans, as well as anyone who is interested in celebrity memoirs in general.

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Book Review: An Honorable Deception

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An Honorable Deception
The Imposters #3
by Roseanna M. White

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

When a young socialite who seeks the Imposters’ help in finding her missing ayah is subsequently shot, Yates knows there’s more to this case than it first appeared. And since two of his team are semi-incapacitated, it’s easy to accept help from his old friend Lady Lavinia, who is still reeling from the betrayal uncovered in her family in a previous Imposters case.

Yates was a semi-side character in the previous two books, but there were always sections from his POV, giving us a chance to get to know him as an Imposter, brother, and earl. In this book, he’s in the forefront, and his history with Lavinia shown in the first book is expanded upon. I always liked Yates, so I was happy to see more of him. And though his sister Marigold is married now, I love their sibling relationship in this book.

Besides Yates, this book has two other POVs—Lavinia and Lady Alethia, the woman whose ayah has gone missing. Alethia has her own dark past, and the way Lavinia and Alethia help each other through their healing is one of my favorite things about this book. There was one quote in particular that I found very moving:

“‘Whoever made you think you’re not worth it— they’re wrong. So very wrong. And you let them win when you keep thinking those thoughts. You are precious….You must not take any unnecessary risks. Your life matters.’”

After reading the first book in this series, I already knew I needed to read other books by Roseanna M. White, and after reading the author’s note and finding out that some characters from another series of hers appeared in this book, I’ll definitely be starting with that one. The ending makes it seem like there’s more to come in this series, though I don’t know if that will be the case, or if it will spill into a different series like the Shadows Over England series did into this one. I’ll definitely keep an eye on White’s future books, but in the meantime, I highly recommend this book for fans of Christian historical mystery (this is set during the Edwardian era in London).

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: November 19, 2024

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Book Review: Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale

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Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale
Mr. Lemoncello’s Library book #6
by Chris Grabenstein

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Children’s adventure

Thirteen 13-year-olds compete to win Mr. Lemoncello’s biggest competition yet. As Mr. Lemoncello prepares to name an heir to his billion-dollar empire, his rivals attempt to take him down once and for all.

This ending to a fun series is just what I wanted it to be. Mr. Lemoncello hasn’t gotten any less eccentric or generous, and Kyle Keeley is back at the center of things, with some new and returning side characters. Though I was able to predict a lot of what happens at the end of the book, younger readers will most likely be surprised by twists and turns. There is less of the puzzle-y goodness that first got me into these books by this point in the series (there are still puzzles, but not as many or as difficult to solve as I remember), but I still think this series as a whole is a good one to draw in reluctant readers, especially boys.

I recommend this book, and the entire series, to readers 10 and up, and I definitely recommend starting at the beginning. I also suggest reading the prequel, Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game, before reading this book, as characters and backstory from that book come up a decent amount in this one. 

The author’s note at the end of the book was a nice added bit of information, and I was very happy to read that the rest of this series will be made into graphic novels like the one that’s already come out for the first book. It’ll be a fun way to relive the series.

I received an eARC of this book, but then I pre-ordered a copy and sent in for the “titanium” bookplate with my name and my daughter’s name (who first introduced me to the series), signed by Chris Grabenstein. I was a little sad that some of the marker had smeared or scraped off in the envelope, and I’ll probably cover it with packing tape after I apply it to the book, but it’s still a nice collector’s item to have.

Find out more about Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket

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Notebook Collection, part 16

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This batch of notebooks all came from Amazon. I don’t generally go online looking for notebooks, because I could end up spending way too much money. These were procured over the course of about a year, some by my husband, some by me.

Past posts about the collection I have so far: Post #1  |  Post #2  |  Post #3  |  Post #4  |  Post #5  |  Post #6  |  Post #7  |  Post #8  |  Post #9 | Post #10 | Post #11 | Post #12 | Post #13 |  Post #14 |  Post #15

I’m a sucker for a nice leather cover, which my husband knows. That’s why I ended up with 2 different notebooks with similar covers (though they were procured a year apart), and why he took a risk on getting me the one on the right, which has unlined pages. But since it’s a 6-ring binder inside (see below), the pages will be easily replaced with lined paper, if/when I get to using this notebook. 

The escape room enthusiast in me was drawn to these notebooks with locks on the covers. The one on the right also appealed to my love of maps on notebooks.

This spiral notebook is notable because the subject separators can be removed from the front and put wherever in the notebook I need them to be.

These are both from the same company, and they’re both beautiful leather covers, with a notebook inside that can be removed and replaced when I fill it.

Is it crazy that I still have the ambition to eventually use each of these notebooks? I keep telling myself that I need to do more writing in a notebook, even though it’s just so much faster to write on a computer. Plus, my writing work consists of revision far more than actual writing these days, so there’s just not much to use a notebook for. Then I get sad, thinking that so many of these will never be used…

Do you collect anything related to reading or writing? Feel free to share!

Book Review: Dog Tags

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Dog Tags
Andy Carpenter #8
by David Rosenfelt
read by Grover Gardner

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Mystery

After taking part in a crime, former police dog Milo is freed from custody by reluctant defense attorney Andy Carpenter. Though at first Andy wants nothing to do with the dog’s owner who masterminded the crime and is in jail for murder, eventually Andy comes to see that there’s a lot more to the story than is being told. Getting to the bottom of a conspiracy is Andy’s specialty.

Grand conspiracies have become the bread and butter for this series, and this installment has plenty of that. Andy’s team is still a large part of what makes the book so good. Marcus makes an appearance, but I don’t recall him getting to come out and play much. Kevin is “replaced” by a pessimist (who calls himself a realist). And I noticed a distinct lack of song-talking in this book.

One major note is that this book has a largely different format. Normally, these books are 1st-person all the way through—Andy tells us the story. This time, we get a lot of 3rd-person sections to show us things that happen when Andy isn’t around. Listening to the audiobook makes it difficult to estimate accurately, but it seemed like somewhere in the 40-50% range was 3rd person. It would probably have been very jarring if I were reading the series normally, but since I’ve been reading the new installments as they come out (the last 3 so far), I’ve had a chance to start getting used to it. I can only guess that writing this way makes it easier for Rosenfelt to show the depth of the conspiracy without dumping it all on the reader at once at the end. I suppose it also might add some suspense. Normally I’m not a huge fan of this kind of meshing of perspectives, but I like these books enough that it doesn’t bother me.

There isn’t a lot of surprise in the ending of this book, and it wasn’t my favorite in the series, but I still completely enjoyed the journey. I recommend the book (especially the audio—Grover Gardner makes Andy’s sarcasm and wit come to life) for fans of mystery, crime fiction, and courtroom dramas.

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Book Review: The Revenge of Seven

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The Revenge of Seven
Lorien Legacies #5
by Pittacus Lore

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

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with I Am Number Four.

The Garde are split up and hurting, betrayed by one of their own and on the run. But they’ve also gained an unlikely ally in Adam, who can help them understand the enemy a little better. The disastrous future that John saw in Ella’s vision is looming, maybe sooner than they think, so their next steps are crucial.

The action, suspense, and stakes are really ramping up here in the back half of the series. Since the author(s) clearly has/have no issue with killing characters off (not that it’s been super common, except for the Cêpan), I’m often on edge waiting to see the outcome of an encounter with the Mogadorians, especially during the climax. The revelations of what the “Beloved Leader” and his human allies have done or allowed is totally believable, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the fallout and looming invasion continue into the next book.

Find out more about The Revenge of Seven

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October in Review

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I read 15 books last month, my 2nd-highest count for the year, and almost exactly matching the page count in February, during which I also read 15 books. I didn’t really feel like I read more last month than the several months before it, but apparently I had a lot of time to listen to audiobooks, since they account for 7 of the 15.

Here are the books I read in October:

Nightfall
Poirot 6
Fall of Five
39-4
Seat beside me
Carpenter 7
Cahills vs 2
anne-5
Clergy Couples
ND6
Unfixed
McGee 11
I was murdered
Hold Back
Poirot 8

Nightfall by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski (3.5 / 5)
The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (3 / 5)
The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore (5 / 5)
Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson (5 / 5)
The Seat Beside Me by Nancy Moser (5 / 5)
New Tricks by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)
A King’s Ransom by Jude Watson (5 / 5)
Anne’s House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery (5 / 5)
Clergy Couples in Crisis by Dean Merrill (5 / 5)
The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Unfixed by Amy L. Sauder (2.5 / 5)
The Blunder Years by Bill Myers & Robert West (5 / 5)
I Think I Was Murdered by Colleen Coble (4 / 5)
Hold Back the Night by Axel Blackwell (4 / 5)
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (5 / 5)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from October was The Fall of Five. I started 0 series, continued 7 series, and finished 0 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.