4 Stars. I have loved and laughed out loud at Christopher Moore’s earlier work but Fool, Sacre Bleu, and Secondhand Souls did not do much for me. I had pretty much decided that I would stop reading his books. Then I was scrolling through my husband’s TBR looking for a book we could both listen to on […]
Seeing a Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters: Book Review
4 Stars. The ninth entry in the Amelia Peabody series is another solid mystery with the usual delightful characters against the backdrop of Egyptian archaeology in its most famous heyday. The author introduced some memorable new characters who I either appropriately loved or loathed, as intended […]
Enter the Detective by Mark Waid: Book Review
4 Stars. This graphic novel reminded me of a mashup between Sherlock Holmes stories and the TV series Penny Dreadful. It seems like an odd mix at first but it absolutely worked for me. I liked that the narrator of the story is a woman who is not all that she seems to be. I’m very curious to know more about her. The Sherlock […]
Time and Again by Jack Finney: Book Review
3 Stars. I’m not a fan of New York. To be fair, I’ve only spent one day there and that was the day after my best friend’s funeral; still, nothing about the city has ever appealed to me. That said, Time and Again didn’t work particularly well for me but I think those who love New York and its history will relish it. I don’t […]
Goldie Vance Volumes 3 & 4 by Hope Larson: Book Review
4 Stars. I love this series so much! Goldie can be annoyingly cocky sometimes but her friends keep her grounded. The mysteries are fun and somehow remind me of cartoons I would watch as kid. The diverse cast of characters is a delight. There were some new illustrators added into the mix in these two volumes. There are some […]
The Zig Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths: Book Review
3.5 Stars. I’ve never read any of Elly Griffiths’ other mysteries but this one was good. I had a vague guess as to “whodunnit” but I didn’t really know why or how. There was a more personal twist at the end that did surprise me quite a bit. I like surprises. But somehow the whole novel felt a bit gray. DI Stephens seems to have […]
Sovereign by C. J. Sansom: Book Review
Matthew Shardlake has been summoned by Archbishop Cranmer to assist with some law work as King Henry makes a royal progress through the rebellious north. He must also try to keep a prisoner alive for later questioning. But conspiracies still abound in the area and Shardlake’s life is endangered when he stumbles onto something. Reading […]
Dark Fire by C. J. Sansom: Book Review
Matthew Shardlake has been asked to defend a young woman accused of the terrible murder of a child. The problem is that the girl refuses to speak in her own defense and time is running out. Luckily, Thomas Cromwell intervenes and gains Shardlake two more weeks to prepare a defense. In exchange, Matthew must find […]
The Weed that Strings the Hangman’s Bag by Alan Bradley: Book Review
3.5 Stars. This didn’t quite have the charm and originality of the first book, but it was still good. I think this one felt a bit too dark for me. I typically steer clear of books that involve children’s deaths. I know it happens, but I prefer to read in a world where it doesn’t. I guess I like to keep my head in the sand. The […]
The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters: Book Review
*Possible spoilers for Crocodile on the Sandbank* Amelia Peabody and Emerson have married and had a son, Ramses. They’ve decided to stay home in England with him and live a quiet life, at least until he’s older. They’re both going slowly crazy. Emerson has been reduced to practically begging the neighbor to let him dig […]
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: Book Review
4 Stars. I have waited entirely too long to write this review– over a year. But. I absolutely loved this story of brilliant little Flavia de Luce. She is going to be intimidating when she grows up. Wait. What am I talking about? She already is intimidating at the tender age of 11 or so. She’s a brilliant scientist with an […]