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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.

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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.

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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.

Book Review: Peril at End House

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Peril at End House
Hercule Poirot #8
 by Agatha Christie
read by Hugh Fraser

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Classic mystery

This was my favorite Poirot novel so far. Somehow it didn’t feel as bloated or muddled, or at least it managed to keep me more engaged throughout. I don’t know if it was due to there being a few less characters or less unnecessary side trails during the mystery, though there were certainly still some. Really, I can’t pinpoint the reason, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Granted, I guessed at the culprit fairly early on and ended up being right, though I had no idea about the motive. Maybe that played a part in my enjoyment, but maybe not, since I second-guessed myself several times, since, without a motive various things that happened along the way made me doubt my theory. 

Huge Fraser does a great job narrating, and I hope to enjoy the next book as much as I did this one.

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Book Review: Hold Back the Night

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Hold Back the Night
A Detective McDaniel Thriller #1
by Axel Blackwell

My rating: 3.5 / 5
Genre: Crime drama

When Detective Darren McDaniel is called in on a case involving a pre-teen girl found dead on a bus bench with a chain around her ankle, he knows it’s going to be bad. Child molestation and human trafficking feature heavily in this book, so let that be a warning to any who would prefer to avoid those topics.

Overall, this book reads like a typical police procedural story. It drags a bit as the lead characters wait for things to go through the proper channels, warrants to come through, etc., though it’s broken up some by the main character’s backstory being given to us in bits and pieces. There is some attempt at comic relief, but the book mostly stays dark and serious throughout. McDaniel’s relationship with his family is a breath of fresh air in this kind of story, and I really liked the way his wife pushes him to open up to her. There are some clichés, especially near the end, but it’s not overdone. There is a decent amount of language in the book (much of it even more unnecessary than usual), but no other content issues, other than the glaringly obvious one mentioned in the first paragraph.

When I read a self-published book, it is my intention not to let things that a professional editor would help with affect my view too much. I’m not saying that there is no burden of responsibility here, but it’s harder for self-published authors. So while it did not affect my rating, I will at least mention that there are definitely some typos and incorrect word choices, things that probably would have been fixed by some research and/or more editing (for example, a character uses an M1 Garand, but it’s spelled “Grand” in the book). Things like this can detract from the book for some, so let that be a warning. Overall, I enjoyed the book, even though the author left a pretty major loose end. I don’t know if I’ll continue the series, but I do recommend the book to fans of procedural crime dramas.

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Book Review: The Blunder Years

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The Blunder Years
McGee and Me! #11
by Bill Myers & Robert West

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

Nicholas’s entry into middle school may be pure cliché, as he ditches his friends to hang out with the cool crowd, but it still made for a touching story, at least to me. The key to that is Derrick Cryder, Nick’s erstwhile bully, whose change of heart is maybe a bit tenuous. Derrick being the catalyst to getting Nick back to his real self is great. As for McGee, it’s no secret that I’m not a fan of his adventures, but it adds another layer to Nick’s attempt to change himself when McGee sort of disappears for a time. Though Nick will have to outgrow his cartoon friend some time, apparently this is not that time. Cliché plot or not, I really enjoyed this entry in the series. 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.

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Book Review: I Think I Was Murdered

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I Think I Was Murdered
by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
read by Karen Peakes

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Christian mystery, romance

After Katrina’s beloved grandmother dies and the FBI goes after the CEO of the tech company for which she is legal counsel, she retreats to her hometown to figure out her next steps. She also lost her husband a year previous, and she eases her grief by talking to an AI chat program that is loaded with her his texts and emails. But then an innocuous question to her the bot returns a response that sets her world spinning even more: “I think I was murdered.”

The premise of this story intrigued me greatly, and the mystery aspect of the story was suspenseful and engaging. The book mostly takes place in a small town in California, where Katrina grew up with a Norwegian father and grandmother (called “Bestemor”), and there are a lot of references to Norwegian food and traditions, which I enjoyed. There is romance, but it’s not quite as front-and-center as a lot of these Christian romantic suspense books tend to be. The main male character has family issues that don’t connect to the main story, though they do provide an in-depth backstory for him that make him a well-rounded character.

However, there are several side stories, and I’m not sure all of them are particularly beneficial to the story. There are a couple of minor twists in the book, one of which I suspected from pretty early in the book. I don’t know if it was just that obvious or if I simply took a leap that happened to be correct. In the end, the book wasn’t a stand-out read for me, but I did enjoy listening to it. The narrator is decent, differentiating voices well enough to make the story easy to follow, though there were times when it seemed like her voice was more distressed-sounding than it needed to be. Overall though, I’d recommend this book for fans of Christian romantic suspense/mystery novels, especially those who are interested in the AI angle.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Publication date: November 12, 2024

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Book Review: Unfixed

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Unfixed
Book #1
by Amy L. Sauder

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Urban fantasy

A mysterious circus in a barley field becomes a pivotal point for two intersecting storylines—one before the fire that destroyed the circus and one after. As Max looks for Julia, the last person to join the circus before the fire, the story of Julia joining the circus unfolds for the reader. This circus, though, is not ordinary. With living puppets, each of whom has a special power, there’s much more going on than meets the eye.

Urban fantasy is not my normal fare, but I couldn’t help but be intrigued by an “enchanted circus.” The author did a great job with the dark, mysterious atmosphere, and there is certainly some intrigue involved. Unfortunately for me, I struggled to follow the story most of the way through. Dialog between characters often felt like a peek into a longer discussion I wasn’t privy to. I had the feeling of “just hang in there until it makes sense” for a lot longer than I prefer in a book, and by the end, I was still left with a lot of questions and things that didn’t make sense. A cliffhanger or an open-ended book is fine sometimes, but not when there are this many questions, this many bizarre things that don’t get any kind of explanation. I won’t list them, because most could be seen as spoilers. Maybe these questions will be answered in the 2nd book of the duology, and I don’t mind some questions being left for a future book to resolve. But I really feel like nothing was resolved in this book, and some of what’s left hanging seems fundamental to the plot, which makes this first book difficult to enjoy.

When I read a self-published book, it is my intention not to let things that a professional editor would help with affect my view too much. I’m not saying that there is no burden of responsibility here, but it’s harder for self-published authors. So while it did not affect my rating, I will at least mention that the narration tends to switch between past and present tense—Max’s sections are in present tense but switch to past, and vice versa for Julia’s sections. It can detract from the book for some, so let that be a warning. Also, there’s a torture scene, which is feels out of place to me and gets a bit graphic for my taste. In the end, I wish I liked the book more, but I think it’s just a bit too muddled and dark for me. Perhaps I’m the wrong audience for a story like this, but if you have any interest in the book, please still consider reading it for yourself.

I received a free review copy from the author in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Publication date: November 7, 2024

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Book Review: The Secret of Red Gate Farm

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The Secret of Red Gate Farm
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #6
by Carolyn Keene
read by Laura Linney

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

The coincidences that occur around Nancy that lead her to solve this case would bother me if the book was meant for adults or even teens. But I often have to remind myself that the books are written for kids, and with that in mind, the elements that don’t seem connected at first might create an exciting story for the target audience. The plot of this book didn’t seem as bloated as the previous couple in the series did, but I was still annoyed by the “Nancy is the best at everything she does” aspect that I suppose I’ll just have to get used to. Whatever reason the writers had to think that was the role model kids needed at the time these were written, I’m sure it won’t be toned down at any point in the series. Linney does a great job bringing Nancy to life, and I’m looking forward to continuing.

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