Category: Book Reviews!
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#HeavensRiver: The Bobs are back!
Heaven’s River (Bobiverse, Book 4)By: Dennis E. TaylorMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest For: 16 and up Haven’t jumped on the Bobiverse train yet? If you’re a fan of nerdy ScyFy, what the heck are you waiting for?! Heaven’s River is book 4 of Bob’s story: former human, current AI brain of a self-replicating […]
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#TheWildRobot: Why Didn’t I Think of That?
The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot, Book 1)By: Peter BrownMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Update Feb 2021Third time for me, first time with a new set if kiddos. I have nothing but praise for this book. I love it, the kids love it. Thank you Peter Brown for your amazing story! One note […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Serafina Series
Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina, Book 1)Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina, Book 2)Serafina and the Splintered Heart (Serafina, Book 3)Serafina and the Seven Stars (Serafina, Book 4)By: Robert BeattyReviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 10 and up Looking for an exiting fantasy mystery? You HAVE to read Serafina!Guest review by Gisele, […]
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#Serafina: Creepy Fun for the Pre-Teen Crowd
Serafina and the Black Cloak (Serafina, Book 1) Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina, Book 2) Serafina and the Splintered Heart (Serafina, Book 3) Serafina and the Seven Stars (Serafina, Book 4) By: Robert Beatty My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 10 and up Feb 2021 Re-Read My 11-year-old has a new […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Girl You Left Behind
The Girl You Left BehindBy: Jo Jo MoyesReviewer Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up WWI history, romance, and mystery!Guest review by Catina Haverlock It’s World War One France and Sophie Lefevre and her sister Helene have but one goal – keeping their family safe until the war ends and their husbands […]
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#MuseofNightmares: The right mix of fantasy and romance…
Muse of Nightmares (Strange the Dreamer, Book 2)By: Laini TaylorMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 18 and up I had hoped Muse of Nightmares would continue that balance Laini Taylor found in Strange the Dreamer–just the right mix of romance mixed in to help keep the fantasy moving and emotional. And it did…mostly. […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Lost and Found Bookshop
The Lost and Found BookshopBy: Susan WiggsReviewer Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 16 and up Except for three pages… Wonderful!Guest review by Julie Hilton A woman returns to take care of her grandfather and his Bookstore under traffic circumstances. She has friendships with two intriguing men through a series of humorous and sad […]
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One Man Book Club: The Interview!
Loose Leaf Author Podcast invited me to hang out with them for a bit last week! We had a blast talking about the origins of One Man Book Club, why I’m passionate about reading, my book rating systems, matching people up with books they’ll love without being surprised by the content inside, and how to […]
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#StrangetheDreamer: The sweet spot.
Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, Book 1)By: Laini TaylorMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 18 and up I expected a fantasy romance when I picked up Strange the Dreamer, and funny enough–I found exactly that. Except I found more, too. Laini Taylor keeps surprising me: the reading dad who calls romance novels […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Other Side of the Stars
The Other Side of the StarsBy: Katherine KingReviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 12 and up Beautiful and unexpected love story set in and after WWIIA guest review by Catina Haverlock After the sudden death of her parents, Gita finds herself alone on the family farm in post WWII America. She has absolutely […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of One Life to Give: A Path to Finding Yourself by Helping Others
One Life to Give: A Path to Finding Yourself by Helping OthersBy: Andrew BienkowskiReviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 16 and up Find Yourself by Helping Others—Life Lessons from an Extraordinary Story of Sacrifice and Survival In the winter of 1939, five-year-old Andrew Bienkowski was exiled to Siberia with his family. The two […]
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#DragonandThief: Dragons in Space–Finally!!!
Dragon and Thief (The Dragonback Series, Book 1)Dragon and Soldier (The Dragonback Series, Book 2)Dragon and Slave (The Dragonback Series, Book 3)Dragon and Herdsman (The Dragonback Series, Book 4)Dragon and Judge (The Dragonback Series, Book 5)Dragon and Liberator (The Dragonback Series, Book 6)By: Timothy ZahnMy Rating: Three out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Infinity Ring Series
A Mutiny in Time (The Infinity Ring, Book 1) by James DashnerDivide and Conquer (The Infinity Ring, Book 2) by Carrie RyanThe Trap Door (The Infinity Ring, Book 3) by Lisa McMannCurse of the Ancients (The Infinity Ring, Book 4) by Matt de la PenaCave of Wonders (The Infinity Ring, Book 5) by Matthew J. […]
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#QB: My Life Behind the Spiral–Steve Young Drinks Milk
QB: My Life Behind the SpiralBy: Steve Young, with Jeff BenedictMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up This was a surprise! I’ve had NFL great Steve Young’s biography sitting in my Audible Library for a while, but always found a reason to skip it. I generally opt for fiction over reality […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of A Haunting at Havenwood
A Haunting at Havenwood (Seasons of Change, Book 6)By: Sally BrittonReviewer Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 14 and up Cute regency mystery with a touch of romanceReview by Charity Bradford I’m not usually a regency fan, but I liked that this woman’s change of circumstance brought her into her own. It was really […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of Daybreak
Daybreak (Girl From the Stars, Book 1)By: Cheree AlsopReviewer Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 16 and up Surprisingly clean military science fictionReview by Charity Bradford A girl that’s been basically tortured her whole life finally gets the chance to be part of a group that is more family than crew. There is an […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of Orphan Train
Orphan TrainBy: Christina Baker KlineReviewer Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 16 and up An eye-opening and moving story about a forgotten spot in American historyReview by Catina Haverlock Between 1845 and 1929, more than 250,000 orphaned, abandoned and homeless children (mainly Irish immigrants) were scooped from the streets of New York and transported […]
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Read Happier: Join One Man Book Club’s 2021 Reading Challenge!
Want to Read Happier in 2021? Join One Man Book Club’s Read Happier Challenge! Reading makes me happy, and SHARING what I read makes me even happier! Want to be a happier reader? Share what you read! Accept the challenge: Join me in the One Man Book Club Read Happier in 2021 Challenge! Read happier […]
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#SkippingChristmas: A new Christmas Tradition
Skipping Christmas My Rating: Four out of five stars By: John Grisham Best For: 14 and up Oh gosh, I’ve just been reading some other reviews of Skipping Christmas–and laughing out loud at the disdain for the grumpy Kranks and their nosey neighbors. So many one-star reviews! Obviously, some people take their reading much too […]
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#Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow–Knock, knock, knocking on Harry’s door…
Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, Book 3)By: Jessica TownsendMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!!!Best For: 12 and up I don’t know if there will ever be another Harry, although everyone’s always looking for it. After three books though, things are looking pretty great for Morrigan Crow. I don’t know what the future […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of Short Stories from Hogwarts : of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies
Short Stories from Hogwarts : of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (Pottermore Presents Book 1)By: JK RowlingReviewer Rating: FIVE out of FIVE StarsBest for: 10 and up Behind the scenes at HogwartsReview by Julie Hilton This is a collection of short stories about Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Sybill Trelawney and Silvanus Kettleburn. Behind the scenes […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Boy Between
The Boy BetweenBy: Amanda Prowse and Josiah HartleyReviewer Rating: Four out of five starsBest for: 18 and up Interesting Mother and Son writing about difficult subjectReview by Julie Hilton This is a tough book but also hopeful if you hang in there. This mom writes self help book for parents but doesn’t realize what is […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of Code Name Camelot
Code Name Camelot (Noah Wolf Book 1)By: David ArcherReviewer Rating: Four out of fives starsBest for: 16 and up If you like Bourne…Review by Julie Hilton …and lots of details. Hard to tell about this one without giving away some serious storyline, but it’s basically about a guy named Noah with PTSD and feels no […]
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#ReadyPlayerTwo: The sequel no one wanted.
Ready Player Two (Ready Player One, Book 2)By: Earnest ClineMy Rating: Two out of five starsBest for: Adults only who like to read disappointing books Yep. Just as I thought. We were fine with Ready Player One. Ready Player Two is a disappointment I’m going to pretend doesn’t exist. Ready Player One was my JAM […]
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#RhythmofWar: RUN! It’s a Sanderlanche!!
Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archives, Book 4)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! Best For: 16 and up Over 1200 pages, and I still want more! Rhythm of War, book 4 in The Stormlight Archive, was my most anticipated new release of 2020, and wondered how it could possibly top its predecessor, […]
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#SpaceCaptainSmith: Funny, not hilarious
Space Captain Smith (Chronicles of Isambard Smith, Book 1)By: Toby FrostMy Rating: Did Not Read. Goodreads Avg 3.71, Amazon Avg 4.1Best For: 18 and up I haven’t read Space Captain Smith myself, but I was asked for an opinion. So I did some research, and here’s what I learned: Space Captain Smith is dry British […]
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#Dawnshard: “Just” a novella…
Dawnshard (Stormlight Archive, Book 3.5)By: THE Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE StarsBest For: 14 and up Brandon Sanderson cracks me up when he calls his 200-page books “novellas.” It takes him like a week to write the thing and acts like it was an afterthought…it’s not a novel or a book, it’s just […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Story of Awkward
The Story of AwkwardBy: R. K. RyalsReviewer Rating: FIVE out of FIVE Stars!Best for: 14 and up Wonderful look inside the world of AwkwardReview by Julie Hilton Peregrine Stork is awkward. Because of it she has been bullied her whole life. She has found a great way to deal with it. She carries a sketchbook […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs
Letters from a slave girl: the story of Harriet JacobsBy: Mary E LyonsReviewer Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up A Good Picture of Slavery Pre Civil WarReview by Julie Hilton I think if this weren’t a re-write of the original book by Harriet Jacobs (Incidents in the life of a Slave) […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Star Darlings Series
The Star Darlings SeriesBy: Shana ZappaReviewer Rating: 5 (000,000,000,000…) Stars!Best for: 10 and under THE STAR DARLINGS by Shana Muldoon ZappaReview by Jessi, age 11 An AMAZING group of 12 star-charmed starlings (people/girls?) Who secretly save there planet many many… times, by granting wishes from Wishworld (earth) to give starland (there planet) much needed energy, […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Five Kingdoms Series
Five Kingdoms seriesBy: Brandon MullReviewer Rating: Four out of five StarsBest for: 10 and up The Five Kingdoms Series by Brandon MullReview by: Russell, age 12 It’s about a boy who goes after his friends who was kidnapped on Halloween. And he ends up in the world called the outskirts. It’s not like any world […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry FinnBy: Mark TwainReviewer Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 10 and up The boy who became a hero by doing what he thought was wrong.Review by: Kirsten Johnston Huck is wise in some of the dangers of life, such as alcoholic parents. He is a smart, smooth lier. But in other ways he […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of Where the Forest Meets the Stars
Where the Forest Meets the StarsBy: Glendy VanderahReviewer Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARSBest for: 12 and up A Five Star Read!Review by: Julie Hilton A post grad student is recovering from a death, and a serious medical condition, and a breakup. She is working in a remote area, secluded and using work to both […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of The Babbling Brook Naked Poker Club
The Babbling Brook Naked Poker ClubBy: Ann WarnerReviewer Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 10 and up A fun mystery with a sea of complicated people!Review by: Julie Hilton A woman gets shuttled off to a retirement home by her son after an inheritance. She has other plans and other resources. She gets tricked […]
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A Book Club Guest Review of Billy Cannon: A Long, Long Run
Billy Cannon: A Long, Long RunBy: Charles N deGravellesReviewer Rating: FIVE out of FIVE StarsBest for: 12 and up A Story of Success, Pride, a Fall and RedemptionReview by: Julie Hilton This book is the only time I am aware of that Billy really opened up about his life story. Since he is my cousin, […]
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#ReturnoftheThief: Worth the Wait? Absolutely!
Return of the Thief (The Queen’s Thief, Book 6)By: Megan Whalen TurnerMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF STARS.Best for: Advanced 12 and up Ah, the end of an era. 25 years in the making. The Queen’s Thief is finished. Return of the Thief, book 6, was as grand a finale as I could have hoped for. […]
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#ThickasThieves: The only thing you know is you don’t know anything!
Thick as Thieves (The Queen’s Thief, Book 5)By: Megan Whalen TurnerMy Review: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest For: Advanced 12 and up Finally, a new book in The Queen’s Thief series! Book 5, Thick as Thieves, was published 7 years after book 4! This reader chose to wait an additional 3 years to read it […]
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#AConspiracyofKings: It’s a cantputitdowner
A Conspiracy of Kings (The Queen’s Thief, #4) By: Megan Whalen Turner My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS! Best for: Advanced 12 and up Oct 2020 The great The Queen’s Thief re-read of 2020 continues! I’ve just finished book 4, and thus ends the “re-read” part of my re-read. Book 5 was published in […]
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#TheKingofAttolia: How to be awesome.
The King of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief, #3) By: Megan Whalen Turner My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS! Best for: Advanced 12 and up October 2020 This series re-read is going beautifully. My re-read of both book 1 and book 2 made me wish I’d left book-specific reviews the first time instead of the […]
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#TheQueenofAttolia: This is how you do it.
The Queen of Attolia (The Queen’s Thief, Book 2) By: Megan Whalen Turner My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS Best for: Advanced 12 and up October 2020 I’m enjoying my re-read of this wonderful series! Going through a second time, I find myself wishing I hadn’t only left a series review the first time. […]
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#TheThief: A slow build to the big reveal. And it’s awesome!
The Thief (The Queen’s Thief, #1)By: Megan Whalen TurnerMy Rating: Four out of Five StarsBest for: 12 and up Oct 10 to Oct 13 2020Wow, I really gushed over this series the first time. I’ve just finished my re-read of book 1, The Thief, and I’m wondering if I was a little too dramatic. I […]
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The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn, #6)
5/5 stars The Bands of Mourning (Mistborn, #6) By: Brandon Sanderson My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS Best for: 16 and up October 2020 And this completes the great Mistborn re-read of 2020. It’s been so much fun these last few weeks to re-fall in love with this amazing series. The Bands of Mourning […]
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Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5)
Shadows of Self (Mistborn, #5) by Brandon Sanderson My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS Best For: 14 and up Oct 2020 My Mistborn re-read continues. Shadows of Self was a blast to read. I’d forgotten how heavy the ending was. I’m getting spoiled by these amazing Sanderson fight scenes. I’ve been reading (and loving) […]
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#AlloyofLaw: Mistborn in the Industrial Age: Magic and guns
Alloy of Law (Mistborn, book 4)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!Best For: 14 and up 9/23/2020 to 9/27/2020This was my third time through Alloy of Law, and I still love it. It seems the deeper I get into seeing the Cosmere fit together, the greater my appreciation for what Brandon Sanderson has […]
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#MistbornSecretHistory: Keys to the Cosmere Kingdom
Mistborn: Secret History (Mistborn, Book 3.5)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up who have RECENTLY read the original Mistborn trilogy September 2020So, I just finished a much needed re-read of the original Mistborn trilogy, and I’ve got to say it was supremely satisfying. It’d been nearly a decade since […]
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#TheHeroofAges: Simply Brilliant, x3
The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, Book 3)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!Best for: 14 and up September 2020Man, I’ve put of this re-read for way too long. After I finished Well of Ascension I said it was my favorite of the trilogy. Well, now that I finished Hero of Ages I can […]
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#TheWellofAscension: Simply Brilliant. Again.
The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, Book 2)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up September 2020Man, I’ve put of this re-read for way too long. Well of Ascension might be my favorite of the trilogy…and I liked it even better the second time around. There are complexities in this story […]
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#TheFinalEmpire: Simply Brilliant
The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1)By: Brandon SandersonMy Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARSBest for: 14 and up September 2020Man, I’ve put of this re-read for way too long. I can easily say I loved The Finale Empire (Mistborn, Book 1) even more the second time. There are complexities in this story that went way […]
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#Lolita: No.
LolitaBy: Vladimir NabokovMy Rating: one out of five starsBest for: Adults only–but I don’t think anyone needs to read Lolita Taking one for the team here. I wanted to be able to give One Man Book Club readers a perspective on Vladimir Nabokov’s “classic” novel Lolita–a.k.a., “How to justify being a pedophile.” I didn’t finish […]
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#FasterThanFalling: Hope you’re not scared of heights…
Faster Than Falling (The Skylighter Adventures, Book 1)By: Nathan Van CoopsMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!Best for: 12 and up Nathan Van Coops has created a wonderful new story set in a wonderful new world. Faster Than Falling is a scyfy-pirate-steampunk-adventure, and it was a BLAST to read! On this world, the sky is […]
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#WarCar: It’s as fun as it sounds
War Car (Kingdom of Engines, Book 2) By: Nathan Van Coops My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up Sword Fight: Kingdom of Engines, Book 1 was a Mad Max/King Arthur/[Insert teen drama TV series here] mashup I loved and didn’t even know I needed. It was a blast to read, […]
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#SwordFight: Mad Max+King Arthur+Beverly Hills 90210=a mashup I didn’t even know I needed
Sword Fight (Kingdom of Engines, Book 1) By: Nathan Van Coops My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best For: 14 and up Nathan Van Coops, time-travel extraordinaire, has changed gears with his latest–Sword Fight: Kingdom of Engines. It was the perfect summer popcorn read, and I had a BLAST with it! What’s a popcorn […]
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#TheHeroandtheCrown: WE HAVE DRAGONS!
The Hero and the Crown (Damar, Book 2) By: Robin McKinley My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up Yea! Dragons! When I read The Blue Sword, Robin McKinley’s pioneering YA Fantasy, I said any story that features a strong girl who wields a magic sword and rides a cool horse […]
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#TheBlueSword: Strong Girl + Magic Sword + Cool Horse = Classic 80’s YA Fantasy!
The Blue Sword By: Robin McKinley My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best For: 14 and up Ah, the 80’s! The music! The movies! The clothes! The books? Wait…the books? Yes! The 80’s were a glorious decade for books! Steven King and Tom Clancy were at the top of their games. So were John […]
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#WizardforHire: Magical fun–But what makes something magical?
Wizard for Hire (Wizard for Hire, Book 1) Apprentice Needed (Wizard for Hire, Book 2) Magic Required (Wizard for Hire, Book 3) By: Obert Skye My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! Best for: Independent readers 12 and up, but great to read aloud with the whole family! The Wizard for Hire Trilogy wasn’t exactly […]
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#WizardforHire: Magic and Magical are different things.
Wizard for Hire By: Obert Skye My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: 12 and up Not what I expected–but what do I know? Wizard for Hire was fun AND funny! I know Obert Skye from the Levin Thumps series, which I remember enjoying despite the whimsy. So when Wizard for Hire was […]
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#TierTrilogy: A cautionary tale for a cautionary time
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 By: Cindy Gunderson My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up Well now, here’s an unexpectedly unique take on dystopian future scyfy—and oddly (unintentionally) timely for this crazy year of 2020. The set up: The world wasn’t ready when the virus came. Our selfish, me-first […]
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#NetworkEffect: #Murderbot is back–Introverts have a new hero!
Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, Book 5) By: Martha Wells My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! Best for: Adults only All right! A new Murderbot story! If you’re not familiar with Murderbot but you’re a fan of Scy-Fy and good stories, you’re going to want to check out All Systems Red, book 1 in […]
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#ArtemisFowl: Hilarious, Magical Fun!
Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, Book 1) The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl, Book 2) The Eternity Code (Artemis Fowl, Book 3) The Opal Deception (Artemis Fowl, Book 4) The Lost Colony (Artemis Fowl, Book 5) The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl, Book 6) The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl, Book 7) The Last Guardian (Artemis Fowl, Book 8) […]
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#DeathsDoor: Did you know Edgar Allan Poe could time travel?
Death’s Door (The Immortal Descendants, Baltimore Mysteries #1) By: April White My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE Stars Best for: 14 and up April White writes the stories I want to read! I hope you’ll check out her Immortal Descendants series. It’s time travel, shape-shifters, and vampires (who don’t sparkle). It brings to life the […]
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#Fablehaven: If only it were real…
Fablehaven (Fablehaven, Book 1)By: Brandon MullMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS!Best for: All ages Yea for good books! The kids and I just finished Fablehaven last night. It was my second trip to Fablehaven, but the first for the my 10 and under crew. Did it deliver? Oh yes. They loved it! And how […]
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#ArtemisFowl: The bad guys are the good guys and dwarves poop dirt.
Artemis Fowl By: Eoin Colfer My Rating: Four out of five stars Best for: 10 and up I guess I’m the boring one. I first read Artemis back in 2011. It was my young teen who recently read it and declared it “AWESOME” that prompted this re-read. That, and the upcoming, strait-to-Disney-Plus movie coming out […]
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#OneWordKill: Don’t make me read book 2!
One Word Kill (Impossible Times, Book 1) By: Mark Lawrence My Rating: Three out of Five Stars Best for: Adults One Word Kill is a cancer book. Not a spoiler, it introduces itself on page 1. But I don’t like cancer books, and I wish someone would have told me. So I’m telling you. Other […]
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#TheLightofAllThatFalls: A truly grand finale!
The Light of All That Falls (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 3) By: James Islington My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! Best for: 14 and up James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!” So he did. As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve […]
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#AnEchoofThingstoCome: Now that’s how to do book 2!
An Echo of Things to Come (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 2) By: James Islington My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS! Best for: 14 and up James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!” So he did. As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve […]
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#TheShadowofWhatWasLost: Ambitious, complex, and…magical!
The Shadow of What Was Lost (The Licanius Trilogy, Book 1) By: James Islington My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up James Islington read Mistborn and The Name of the Wind and thought “I can do that!” So he did. As far as debut novels go, I don’t know I’ve […]
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#Unwind: Teenagers beware…
Unwind (Unwind, Book 1) By: Neal Shusterman My Rating: Three out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and Up I’m gonna give this a “meh.” Unwind has been on my Mount TBR for years, and I finally decided to give it a try because I loved Scythe, another Neal Shusterman book (that I highly recommend). […]
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#TheKingdomofBack: To never be forgotten…
The Kingdom of Back By: Marie Lu My Rating: FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS!!! Best for: 14 and up I love fantasy. I love historical fiction. I love music. I love to be surprised. I love learning new things. I love books that inspire me. The Kingdom of Back is all of those. I loved […]
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#JustMercy: Just Wow.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption By: Bryan Stevenson My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS! Best for: 16 and up Warning: This review is going to be a gusher. Just Mercy stopped me in my tracks. Knocked me out cold. Froze me where I stood. It taught me things I didn’t know […]
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#TheDelphiTrilogy: X-Men, 2020
The Delphi Effect (The Delphi Trilogy, Book #1) The Delphi Resistance (The Delphi Trilogy, Book #2) The Delphi Revolution (The Delphi Trilogy, Book #3) By: Rysa Walker My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 16 and up Here’s X-Men, 2020. True story: In 1978, the US Military sponsored a program that investigated the […]
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#Bob: Just one more chapter, PLEASE!
Bob By: Wendy Mass & Rebecca Stead, Illustrated by Nicholas Gannon My (and the kids) Review: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best For: Everyone, and great to read aloud. The elementary kids and I just finished a big-hearted book with a little name–Bob, by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead. Bob is about an 11-year-old girl […]
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#AlongCameaSpider: Yea…no.
Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross, Book 1) By: James Patterson My Rating: One out of Five Stars Best for: Adults who like to read about violence against women and children Yea…no. Going to gracefully set this one aside. I always heard James Patterson is an author I was missing out on, and the Alex […]
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#Wishtree: A book with a purpose
Wishtree By: Katherine Applegate My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 10 and up Wishtree… I didn’t like the beginning, but LOVED the ending. So Wishtree was net positive for me. Katherine Applegate has become known for middle-grade books with a purpose. She’s given us a kids-eye-view on immigration, treatment of animals, and […]
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#TheCalloftheWild: That’s not a BOOK–that’s a TIME MACHINE!
The Call of the Wild By: Jack London My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS Best for: Advanced 12 and up Have you ever wanted to time travel? Read a classic novel. Jack London’s most famous book is a classic in every way. Buck is the four-legged narrator of this wonderful story. When he’s dog-napped […]
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#TheToll: Thou Shalt Kill. Folks, we have a winner!
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, Book 1) Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, Book 2) The Toll (Arc of a Scythe, Book 3) By: Neal Shusterman My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE STARS! Best for: Advanced 14 and up What a great story! I loved the Arc of a Scythe trilogy. It’s original, new, relevant, exciting, […]
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#Thunderhead: Still Kills
Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe, Book 2) By: Neal Shusterman My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Advanced 14 and up Book 2 is done. I’m still impressed. It’s original, new, relevant, exciting, interesting, thoughtful… …and uncomfortable. How’s this for our future: The “Cloud” grew up, became sentient, and took over the world. […]
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#Scythe: This book kills.
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe, Book #1) By: Neal Shusterman My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Advanced 14 and up I’m impressed. Scythe felt original, new, relevant, exciting, interesting, thoughtful… …and uncomfortable. How’s this for our future: An impartial, flawless AI has taken over the world government. Government is perfect. Everyone is […]
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#Anthem: Oh, you mean Communism is bad?
Anthem By: Ayn Rand My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 16 and up Those thick door-stops (aka books) by Ayn Rand, everyone’s favorite Russian-American political philosopher, have never been high on my list of books I must read before I die. I get it…socialism, bad. Individualism, good. I don’t need to read […]
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#Singularity Series: ScyFy + Religion…when opposites attract.
The Legacy Human (Singularity, #1) The Duality Bridge (Singularity, #2) The Illusory Prophet (Singularity, #3) The Last Mystic (Singularity, #4) By: Susan Kaye Quinn My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 16 and up Ah, the treasure hunt. I’m a dork, I know. It’s just that there are few things as satisfying in […]
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#Pax: Baited and switched.
PAX By: Sara Pennypacker (Illustrated by: Jon Klassen) My Rating: Three out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up Yes! An “Incredible Journey” story! Yea! That’s just what I’m in the mood for and what my kids will love! Baited. Switched. Sigh. What Pax is: Beautfully written. Lovely illustrations. Excellent characters. Moving. What Pax […]
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#ForgettingYou: If the Hallmark Channel were a book series…
Forgetting YOU By: Hillary Ann Sperry My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 16 and up I don’t love romance novels (because they’re barf), but I do love supporting family friendly literature, friends who are authors, local-to-me authors, and undiscovered authors who deserve to be known. So when a talented, local friend publishes […]
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#Matched: Hunger Games Lite. Kinda.
Matched (Matched, Book 1) Crossed (Matched, Book 2) Reached (Matched, Book 3) By: Ally Condie My Rating: Three out of Five Stars Best for: 12 and up I keep hearing this series is the next Hunger Games, but I don’t see it. Hunger Games lite, maybe. There wasn’t much by way of hunger or games […]
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#GodsofBloodandPowder: Grit and Awesome
Sins of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, Book 1) Wrath of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, Book 2) Blood of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, Book 3) By: Brian McClellan My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Adults only for language and violence I feel like I’ve got grit in […]
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#WrathofEmpire: What’s bigger than AWESOME? Book 2.
Wrath of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, Book 2) By: Brian McClellan My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Adults only Book 1 was awesome. But what’s bigger than awesome? Awesome-er? More awesome? What ever it is, that’s book 2. It’s awesome-er. I feel like I’ve got grit in places it doesn’t […]
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#SinsofEmpire: I’ve got grit in places it doesn’t belong…
Sins of Empire (Gods of Blood and Powder, #1) By: Brian McClellan My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Adults only because of language and violence I feel like I’ve got grit in places it doesn’t belong… I loved Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage trilogy, and I’ve been anxiously waiting for the follow up […]
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#Supernova (Renegades #3): Superheros make great stories!
Supernova (Renagades #3) By: Marissa Meyer My Rating: Four out of five stars Best for: 14 and up Superheros make great stories. That’s why Marissa Meyer’s Renegades trilogy works–although they tried really hard to NOT work by being just a little too YA predictable. The parents are dead, protagonist is an outsider, the adults are […]
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#Archenemies (Renegades #2): More superheros, anyone?
Archenemies (Renegades #2) By: Marissa Meyer My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up More superheros, anyone? The angsty-teenager-in-love-double-agent-superhero-book-full-of-YA-cliches is back for part two! It took me a book and a half, but I think I’m over the things that annoyed me in book 1. The eye-roll-inducing stuff is still there, […]
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#Renegades: Super! (Kind of…)
Renegades (Renegades #1) By: Marissa Meyer My Rating: Three out of five stars Best For: 14 and up A book about superheroes? Yes! Is the book super? Not really, but it’s okay. It’s total YA, so start plugging in all the necessities. The parents are dead, protagonist is an outsider, the adults are useless, token […]
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#MadeThings: Nope, different Tchaikovsky.
Made Things By: Adrian Tchaikovsky My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: Adults Having a name like Tchaikovsky–that’s a lot to live up to. If Made Things is any indication, Adrian Tchaikovsky is holding up pretty good. I think the most talented writers are ones who can build a whole world in less […]
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#Starsight (Skyward #2): I WANT MORE!
Starsight (Skyward #2) By: Brandon Sanderson My Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars Best for: Advanced 12 and up Skyward was Fantasy-standard-bearer Brandon Sanderson’s first foray into Science Fiction, and it was awesome. It turned out to be less Science Fiction and more Space Fantasy, but that’s absolutely okay. That’s how I’d classify Star Wars, […]
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#Singularity: What defines a soul?
The Legacy Human The Duality Bridge By: Susan Kaye Quinn My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up Ah, the treasure hunt. I’m a dork, I know. It’s just that there are few things as satisfying in the reading word than finding an unknown story that deserves to be told. The […]
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#Flipped: I’m FLIPPED for Flipped!
FlippedBy: Wendelin Van DraanenMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars!Best for: 12 and up Well, dang. I’m flipped for Flipped. I LOVED this book! Empathy and and kids are like oil and water. Been to Junior High lately? My favorite books for young people are ones that help them see their life through a different […]
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#Crenshaw: Try spending a few pages in someone else’s shoes…
Crenshaw By: Katherine Applegate My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: Middle Grades (9 and up) Crenshaw is a sweet story that will help middle-graders get outside themselves while they walk in someone else’s shoes for a few pages. Its simple prose and short chapters make it accessible, and it’s smart story and […]
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#Unbroken: Follows the story of one. Tells the story of thousands.
UnbrokenBy: Laura HillenbrandMy Rating: FIVE out of FIVE starsBest for: Mature 16 and up It’s Veteran’s Day in the US. What a day to finish Unbroken. I know I’m late to Unbroken, but I put it off until I was ready. I expected it would be special. I was ready, and I was right. It […]
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#Forward: Tomorrow is today.
Forward Written By: Blake Crouch, Veronica Roth, Amor Towles, Paul Tremblay, N.K. Jemisin, and Andy Weir My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 16 and up Now here’s a cool anthology. In my professional life, it’s my job to stay close to technology. As a matter of fact, I’m at a conference this […]
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#Educated: I’ve been educated.
Educated By: Tara Westover My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 14 and up Now that’s a coming-of-age story. Tara Westover was raised by survivalist/fundamentalist parents. Untrusting of government or modern medicine and misunderstand what it means to have faith in God, Tara’s parents opted to let her and her siblings learn lessons […]
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#Lightbringer: A decade in the making…
Lightbringer Book 1: The Black Prism Book 2: The Blinding Knife Book 3: The Broken Eye Book 4: The Blood Mirror Book 5: The Burning White By: Brent Weeks My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: Adults only Lightbringer fans, book 5 is finally here! It only took nine years… Was it worth […]
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#KeeperoftheLostCities: Middle-Grade quality for Middle Grade readers
Keeper of the Lost Cities By: Shannon Messenger My Rating: Three out of Five Stars Best For: All readers who can handle 500 pages Here’s a fun middle grade series…especially if you’re an actual middle-grader. Just look at all those 5-star ratings on Goodreads! The grown-up me was put off by a few (mostly) forgivable […]
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#Outland: Sing along: It’s the end of the world as we know it!
Outland By: Dennis E. Taylor My Rating: Three out of Five Stars Best for: 16 and up Before there was Bob, there was Outland. I’ve loved reading Dennis E. Taylor’s Bobiverse and The Singularity Trap, especially because of the amazing way he creates believable science FICTION that’s based in science FACT. His books are smart […]
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#TheShadowoftheWind: What an ending!
The Shadow of the Wind By: Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Translation by Lucia Graves My Rating: Four out of Five Stars Best for: 18+ Well that meandered its way to awesome. There were times reading The Shadow of the Wind that I felt annoyed by the translation, and other times I felt frustrated with the slow […]
One Man Book Club 