Spy x Family #1 by Tatsuya Endo

My first manga! And, it was a good one, which I read thanks to the recommendation of a friendly librarian (who leads the online book group I joined during the pandemic). Yay for librarians!

Spy x Family #1 is about a spy who is ordered to infiltrate a prestigious school. At first he thinks, "I just need a daughter" and goes about adopting a child and getting her accustomed to acting like he's her father. And, then, he finds out that both a mother and father are required for the interview to get his child accepted to admission in the school. So, he has to go out and find a wife. 

The joy of this story is in the silliness. The adopted daughter, it turns out, is a telepath. And, the wife is an assassin. This is, of course, entirely nuts. I loved every moment; I smiled pretty much all the way through the reading. And, it was definitely interesting learning how to read from back to front and right to left. 

Highly recommended - A very entertaining story. Spy x Family #1 is mostly set-up, but I can imagine I'm going to really continue enjoying this series if even the set-up is this amusing. I'm balancing six books at this moment (January does this to me — I want to read everything and I want to read it all now) but I keep looking longingly at Spy x Family #2. I can't wait to read it. 

©2022 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Fortune Favors the Duke (The Cambridge Brotherhood #1) by Kristin Vayden

Quick note: The cover image says Fortune Favors the Duke is a book in "The Cambridge Brothers" series and Goodreads says it's the first in "The Cambridge Brotherhood" series. Since the hero of this book attended Cambridge and his only brother has passed away, I think "Brotherhood" is likely the correct name of the series and that's why I chose to put it in the title line. Hope that's correct. 

Catherine Greatheart and the new Duke of Wesley have something in common: the loss of his brother and her fiancé, the former Duke. Six months have passed and the loss still stings. The new duke, Quinton, misses his brother and is not thrilled that he has been thrust into the management of an estate when he was perfectly happy working as a professor at Cambridge. Catherine actually loved her fiancé in a time when one is more likely to make a match based on money than love and is tired of the pity but not entirely ready to resume her social life. 

When Catherine's grandmother insists that the time has come for Catherine to return to society, she does so reluctantly and is surprised to find friendship offered by Quinton. Meanwhile, Catherine's grandmother and the woman who would have been her mother-in-law have become close and would like to see Quinton and Catherine become a couple. But, when Catherine and Quinton begin to realize that their friendship has grown into something bigger, they must take care. Society may frown upon the new duke taking the place of the former and think Catherine a money-grubbing social climber. 

After disaster strikes and Catherine is no longer allowed to run her grandmother's estate, what will happen? There's definitely something fishy about the fellow who has been named the trustee for the estate and the bitter old woman he has named as Catherine's companion and chaperone. If Quinton marries Catherine, will he be betraying his brother's memory?

Neither recommended or not recommended - I liked Fortune Favors the Duke but . . . there are several buts, actually. There were a few historical anachronisms that bugged me ("And so it begins," a very modern phrase, for example, and women were always swatting the men — in a time period when people barely touched). I was also skeptical that Catherine would be considered a social climber or made a pariah if she married Quinton. Social climbing was pretty much the modus operandi of young women in Regency England, after all, and matchmaking seldom about love. However, in spite of these things, Fortune Favors the Duke is a sweet story, I loved the relationship between Catherine and her grandmother, and I found the building affection between Quinton and Catherine believable and lovely. So, I liked the story and I'm glad I read it, although it's not a favorite.

My thanks to Sourcebooks for the review copy!

And, a further note: This is my very last recently requested review copy (I do have plenty I didn't get to in a timely manner). Last week I received an email saying an unsolicited ARC is on its way to me and that's fine. I will be happy to read and review any unsolicited books that arrive, providing they appeal to me. The goal is to read almost exclusively off my shelves. A few exceptions will be nice, actually. And, apparently, I'm still fine with reviewing so I'll carry on, although we'll just have to see how much I feel like writing about future reads. 

I've just finally printed out my list of 2021 Reads and am working on narrowing down my favorites for a Year in Review post, so that's still forthcoming and I'm thinking that I may try to continue the blog but maybe mix things up a bit and write beyond just book reviews. I have, for example, a few books I want to donate but I'd like to keep the marked quotes so I may occasionally do quote posts. Anyway, it's all up in the air and just call me flighty. I'll figure things out but I'm very much looking forward to some changes, this year. 

©2022 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Apothecary (The Apothecary #1) by Maile Meloy

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy is the first in a magical Young Adult series set in the 1950s. Janie Scott's family has moved from Los Angeles to London after her parents — both in the film industry — are accused of being Communists and feel obligated to leave the country. In London, Janie feels totally out of place but she's fascinated by Benjamin Burrows, the son of the local apothecary, an unusually defiant student who pointedly refuses to get under the table for atomic bomb drills. 

When the apothecary's shop is invaded and he disappears, Janie and Ben set out to find him and discover the apothecary's Pharmacopoeia, the book filled with magic potions that Russian spies were seeking when the apothecary disappeared. To find Ben's father, keep the Pharmacopoeia out of Russian hands, and prevent nuclear disaster, they will have to try some magical potions that do amazing things like turn people into birds. 

Highly recommended - Magic, adventure, and a touch of romance make The Apothecary a total delight. I'm kind of disappointed that I only have the first book in the series. The next two don't get quite the ratings the first does at Goodreads, but I enjoyed The Apothecary enough that I'd still like to read on. I just looked and my library system does have the second book, but not the third. I need to drop off donations, anyway, so I'm tempted to check it out in spite of my library check-out ban —  part of my book-buying ban. I haven't checked out a single book since the pandemic began so one can't hurt, right? Right?

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Throwback by Peter Lerangis (Throwback #1)

All Corey Fletcher needs to travel through time is an artifact from the past. After Corey time travels by accident a couple times, he discovers that the ability to time travel runs in the family and sets out on a mission to save his grandmother, who died on 9/11 in the collapse of one of the Twin Towers. 

But, then something goes terribly wrong and Corey ends up stuck in 1917, hunted by a street gang, and befriended by a cowboy named Quinn. In order to end up back home, Corey will have to find an artifact from his own time. Will Corey be able to find his way home?

Recommended but not a favorite - I liked Throwback but didn't love it. However, I'm a big fan of time travel so I checked the ratings on this series before buying them and the latter two in the series have better ratings than the first book. So, I'm really looking forward to them, in spite of the fact that I wasn't thrilled with Throwback. 

All three books from the Throwback series were purchased when I placed that Husband-approved book order, a few weeks ago. I'm determined to make it to the end of the year without making any more book purchases at all. 

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

This review could have gone in the mini reviews as I have even less to say about it than the ones I posted about, yesterday, amazingly. Not that that's a bad thing. 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han is the story of a 16-year-old, Lara Jean Song Covey, who has written letters to the boys she "loved" (I would use the words "had a crush on") in order to help her let go of them. She has kept the letters in a hatbox given to her by her late mother but when the letters are mysteriously mailed to all of the boys to whom they're written, she is humiliated. 

The story is also a romance but there are two boys competing for her attention so To All the Boys I've Loved Before contains a bit of the dreaded love triangle trope. But, it's such an upbeat read with lots of little surprises that I found it almost impossible to put down. I loved the relationships between her family members in particular, for better or worse. 

Highly recommended - If you love a fun, fluffy YA, this is the book for you. I particularly liked it because Lara Jean was innocent and naive in a way that I was at the same age. So, naturally, I found her likable. 🤪

I haven't seen the film and don't own any more of the books in the series so I won't be able to read on, for now. If you've seen the movie, please let me know what you thought of it!

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Dragon Mountain by Katie and Kevin Tsang

Dragon Mountain by Katie and Kevin Tsang is a middle grade book and the first in a series. Four children who attend a language and culture camp in China are put into a group together. When they're given a task, they end up coming across unexpected danger. But, together, they find that they can overcome the danger. Later, they find a crack in one of the mountains near their camp and the children start disappearing, one by one. The main character sees one of the children as she's snatched and realizes that he's the only one who can save his friends.

Inside the mountain, they find four dragons who have been trapped for a hundred years. The evil dragon who trapped them inside the mountain is about to return; one of them can sense it. The only way they can stop her is to band together, each paired with a human. And, the children are the humans who are needed to help save humanity. After each child is matched with his or her dragon, they will enter the Dragon Realm to prepare for a classic battle of good vs. evil. But, when things go terribly wrong, can they save the dragons from a horrible death before it's too late? 

Highly recommended - Oh, my goodness, what a fun book. So full of adventure and magical powers and dragons!! Who doesn't love dragons? I also love the way the children start out unsure of each other but quickly realize their bond is their strength. 

I absolutely gobbled up Dragon Mountain. It does, unfortunately, have a cliffhanger ending. But I was surprised to find that didn't bother me for the first time in maybe ever. I think the fact that I absolutely loved every moment of the story made Dragon Mountain an exception to my usual distaste for cliffhanger endings. Of course, I'm aching to read on. 

Also worth mentioning: I think both of my kids and my child self would have absolutely loved this book. 

My thanks to Sterling Children's Books for the review copy!

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Psi-Man: Mind-Force Warrior by David Peters, aka Peter David (Psi-Man #1)

I might have skipped reviewing this book completely if a friend hadn't asked me to review it (Hi, Tasha!). The first in a series of books about a man with psychic telekinetic powers, Psi-Man: Mind-Force Warrior is a book I plucked out of a box of my son's books when we were cleaning and rearranging the contents of our guest room closet, a couple weeks ago. Published in 1990, the book takes place in what was then a world 30 years in the future . . . 2020! OK, 2021, also.

Psi-Man's name is Chuck Simon and he's a coach and gym teacher working in a high school. When a student he's known to be reliably present and dutiful doesn't show up for class, Chuck is concerned. And, when he finds the student looking drugged while talking to a shifty stranger, he suspects something dangerous is happening and intervenes. What Chuck doesn't know is that a shadowy government agency has heard of his natural ability. They want to train him to use his special talent to kill. But, first they need to test him to see if he's as powerful as they think he is.

After things go horribly wrong, Chuck agrees to go with the men who claim they'll teach him to control his powers. But, when Chuck finds out the truth, will he be able to escape the well-guarded compound in which he and his new friend (a German Shepherd with whom he can communicate telepathically) have been housed?

All of this is told as a flashback after a scene that takes place in 2021. So, it's basically all set-up for the series, which at least continued for 5 more books. Kiddo owns 5 including the first (one is missing) and I suspect we got the first one at a secondhand book shop because I remember how difficult it was to track down the others at a reasonable price.

What Tasha wanted to know was how close did the author come to predicting what happens in 2020? I mentioned that he was somewhat prescient in some ways and laughably off-base in others. For example, someone rewinds a tape on page 90 of Psi-Man: Mind-Force Warrior:

He sat back, steepling his fingers, and watched intently as Jeffries rewound the tape and started it over again. 

But, payment has gone fully digital. Here's a quote I marked because I found it fascinating:

He sorted through other books, including out-of-date texts on currency. Now there had been another superb idea. Once the ID nature of the Cards had worked out so well, hard money had fallen into such disuse that it was practically obsolete. Everyone had accounts tied in to their cards, and salaries were paid directly into those accounts. Every purchase was deducted from the accounts, as were charges for such services as phone, electricity, and ash removal. 

~ p. 54

So, you can see the author came close. While there's no standard ID card that absolutely everyone owns (this takes place in the US), obviously we have direct deposit and services that are set to make automatic deductions. He didn't anticipate the Internet but did think to imagine that cash would be used less. The "ash removal" bit has to do with the dystopian aspect of 2020 in this fictional world, a world so polluted that the sun almost never breaks through the smoky haze that hangs everywhere.

Also, this is hilarious if you recall Dan Quayle:

Standing nearby was Quint. His arms were folded, and he was leaning against the base of a statue of former President Quayle. 

~ p. 104

And, there's this one moment that will make the people watching for a plague within its pages chuckle:

The sun glinted off the highly polished buildings, bathing them in a corona of light. 

~ p. 175

OK, that's as close as you get to coronavirus. Nope, he didn't predict a pandemic. But, it was funny to see the word "corona" because that obviously is a trigger word at the moment.

Highly recommended to people who like pulp-fictiony action novels - Let's face it, this is not stellar writing and it's not meant to be. It's pure, over-the-top fun with an action hero who has powers in sort of an X-Men vein but without any team of buddies with similar powers, just his faithful, telepathic dog. The dog has some amazing powers, too.

I don't know if I'll read more of the Psi-Man series but it made for a really nice mental break read. I like to step outside my comfort zone and throw in something I wouldn't normally read, now and then, just for a change of pace. It really lifted my spirits in an unexpected way. I think that was mostly because it's just a fun, action read that's not taxing but also because I enjoyed seeing how someone visualized 2020 when it was decades in his future. It was quite fun noting the differences between David Peters' imaginary world and our real one.
©2020 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce

In Premeditated Myrtle, Myrtle Hardcastle is a precocious 12-year-old. Her governess, Miss Judson, uses the Socratic method to teach her. Myrtle is a fan of a pulp mystery series about a young (male) detective and reads medical and law books as well as encyclopedias for entertainment. All of which is to say that it isn't surprising she fancies herself a young detective.

One morning, Myrtle is looking through her telescope (which is supposed to be for learning about the stars, but Myrtle is also a little rebellious) and notes that her elderly neighbor and the gardener have not held to their morning routine. Concerned, Myrtle calls the police and they find the elderly neighbor dead in her bathtub. The death is ruled a heart attack but Myrtle is unconvinced and decides to investigate.

Was the elderly neighbor killed by the gardener for her prized lilies? Or was she knocked off by the first cousin, twice removed, with the American accent for her inheritance? What about the nephew in the tragically loud coat? Who had the motive, means, and opportunity to kill Myrtle's neighbor? If she was killed, why did her death appear to be from natural causes? And, what has happened to the old lady's garden plot where she grew her lilies?

Recommended for middle grade and up - There's a lot to this story and at over 350 pages it's a long one for a middle reader but it has loads of wonderful twists and turns. I loved all of the main characters — Myrtle, her governess, her father, the cook. There's also a secondary character thrown in toward the end, Mr. Blakeney. He is a delight. Myrtle is smart beyond her years and knows it but she's also pretty self-aware. She knows when she's not behaving like a proper Victorian girl and she's also well aware that being a young and female, smart or not, means most people are not going to give her the time of day, much less listen to her ideas about a possible murder.

The only things I didn't like about Premeditated Myrtle were the fact that Myrtle almost never bothered even attempting to tell the adults what she'd discovered on the assumption that they wouldn't listen, anyway, and the fact that nobody sounded English but the gardener with the Yorkshire accent (and I can't say if his accent is accurate). I tend to dislike it when characters keep too much to themselves. It's a personal preference, but I favor actual conflict caused by telling the truth and not being believed to lies and secrets. But, there were a couple scenes in which she did try to let people in on a clue or two and they ignored her, just as she suspected they would. I'm sure 12-year-olds will relate to Myrtle's frustrations with the adults, especially on the occasions that she attempted to get them to listen and failed.

My thanks to Alqonquin Young Readers for the review copy! My copy of Premeditated Myrtle says it's a May, 2020 release but I screwed up again and didn't check to see if the release date has been shoved back due to the pandemic. Sure enough, it's now got an October release date, so if you're interested it will have to be pre-ordered. I've opted to go ahead and review while it's fresh in my mind.


©2020 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Heartstone by Elle Katharine White

In Heartstone by Elle Katharine White, the first in a fantasy series, Aliza Bentaine and her family live in Merybourne Manor on the island of Arle. The area has been plagued by invading gryphons and Aliza herself has lost a sister to them. When the people of the manor hire a band of Riders to hunt down the gryphon horde, Aliza is both relieved and intrigued.

But, when the Riders arrive, Aliza's first encounter is not a positive one. She meets Alastair Daired, a dragonrider with a bad attitude. He's arrogant, handsome, and haunted. And, none too fond of her hobgoblin friends. Yet, they're thrown together in unexpected ways and gradually their opinions of each other change. What will happen when Aliza finds out Alastair may be the reason her beloved sister is heartbroken?

I don't want to go into too much detail because it's far too fun reading the unfolding story, but Heartstone is basically Pride and Prejudice with dragons. And, yet . . . there are times it's all about the social interaction but because it's also a fantasy with fierce battles between monsters and humans (there are some creatures that are friendly with humans, but most seem to prefer eating them or fighting with them), Heartstone is far than just P & P with dragons thrown in. It's a lively blend of action, adventure, and quieter scenes.

While I was reading Heartstone, I discovered that the author has posted lots of material about the creatures of her world online. That was incredibly helpful. I'm not a gamer or a big fantasy reader, so while reading about things like wyverns and beoryns, at first I had no idea whether they were something the author created or creatures that exist in other fantasy worlds. In the process of looking up things I was unfamiliar with, I discovered that some of the creatures are borrowed from the gaming world, some more common. So, gamers and fantasy lovers will likely already be familiar with most of the non-humans in the book. And, if you're neither, you can easily look them up online.

Recommended - I particularly loved two things about Heartstone: the fun of recognizing elements of Pride and Prejudice then seeing how the author put her own fantasy spin on them, making the story very much her own, and the adventurous side of the book. The farther you get into it, the more thrilling it becomes. For a person who generally has trouble reading fantasy, Heartstone was a pleasant surprise. I hope to read the 2nd book very soon.

Side note: Kiddo (younger son) has been intrigued by the sound of this series from Day 1, when the 3rd book arrived in the mail, and is anxious for me to finish the series so that he and his wife can read them. I always love it when he reads something I read because we enjoy talking books, so I'm also anxious to finish the series and pass it on to him. I can't wait to discuss the books with my son.


©2020 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The House on Tradd Street by Karen White - #3 for RIPXIV

I read The House on Tradd Street by Karen White both for the RIP Challenge (ghosts!) and because there's a new Tradd Street book coming out (it's on my October TBR stack). The House on Tradd Street was published in 2008 and has been sitting on a pile of books in my library for a couple years, and the series has chugged on, since then. I'm pretty sure I got my battered copy from Paperback Swap, a few years after it came out. It was one that I packed up and moved from the old house.

The House on Tradd Street is about a real estate agent named Melanie Middleton, in Charleston, South Carolina, who sees ghosts. When she goes to a house in the historic district to talk to the owner, Nevin Vanderhorst, thinking he's about to offer her the listing as he prepares to go into a residential facility, she sees a woman in old-fashioned clothing standing behind a swing. Reluctantly, she admits that she saw the ghost of his mother, after Nevin asks. That night, he dies and leaves the house to her in his will. But, there are conditions. She must stay in the house while it's being restored, try to unravel the mystery of his mother's disappearance when he was a child, and after a year the house will become hers.

Melanie is approached by a writer named Jack Trenholm, who wants to dig around in the house to find out what happened to Mrs. Vanderhorst for his next novel. Did the late Mrs. Vanderhorst run away with Joseph Longo, the man she dated before she married and gave birth to Nevin, as the rumor states? If so, where did the two go and what happened to them?

There are many ghosts in the Tradd Street house. One is a dark presence that has a tendency to shove people. The rest are harmless. But, they're trying to tell Melanie something. As she enlists the help of her friend Sophie, is aided by Jack, and must report her expenses to her father, there is quite an interesting cast of characters. When a relative of Longo's shows up looking to buy the house and he starts taking Melanie out, is a love triangle forming when Jack appears to be jealous? Who are the ghosts and what are they trying to say? Will Melanie figure everything out and help lay the spirits to rest or will the sinister spirit do too much damage and put an end to the restoration?

Recommended but not a favorite - The one thing I really, truly loved about The House on Tradd Street was the ghosts. I thought Karen White did a fabulous job of keeping the spirits close to available literature and other ghost stories so that it felt believable. In fact, I was really quite surprised to find that, after finding Heart-Shaped Box far-fetched enough that it didn't frighten me at all, Tradd Street seriously made my skin crawl and had the hairs on my neck standing, at times. It just felt real to me. I also liked the secondary romance. But, I found the heroine too prickly and didn't understand a few things about her. Why was she so rude to Jack? Why did she think of business dinners as dates? Why did she trust the man that everyone said was fishy and the dog even hated?

Fortunately, I do love a good ghost story and that kept me going. I occasionally felt lost amongst the clues, but I also enjoyed the mystery and the fact that the mystery deepened as the story progressed, keeping the pages turning. So, not being overly fond of the heroine certainly didn't ruin the book for me. And, in fact, she seemed to have laid her own ghosts to rest ("ghosts," in this case, meaning her childhood traumas) by the end of the story, which bodes well for her attitude in future stories. I'm looking forward to reading the new book, particularly for more creepy ghostly fun.

Since this is the first Tradd Street book I've read, I have no idea what's happened in the series as it's progressed but I don't have any problem with reading stories out of order if they're written to stand alone. Hopefully, the new one will stand alone well.

Silly book story: When I moved The House on Tradd Street to my bedside TBR, it became vulnerable to Cats Trying to Get Mom's Attention in the Morning. I don't know who is the guilty party (probably Fiona – she's terrible about chewing on paper) but one of the cats ripped a corner off the cover. I was able to salvage the corner and put it back on with carefully-placed clear packing tape. Whew! Grateful that clear packing tape is a thing!


©2019 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Shred Girls: Lindsay's Joyride by Molly Hurford (Shred Girls #1)

Shred Girls: Lindsay's Joyride by Molly Hurford is the first in a middle grade series about three girls who are into competitive bike riding. Lindsay is 12 years old, painfully shy, has a passion for comic books, and wants to be a superhero. She's decided to spend her summer studying up on what it takes to be a superhero and training in her basement. But, her parents have other plans. 

When Lindsay's parents tell her they're going overseas to work and she will be spending part of her summer living with her cousin, Phoebe, she's nervous. Phoebe has loads of piercings and tattoos. Lindsay's pretty sure she's a supervillain. But, once she arrives at Phoebe's apartment, she starts to realize that tattoos and piercings have nothing to do with character. 

Phoebe works at Joyride, an indoor BMX biking facility, and she wants to share the joy she herself has gained from learning BMX tricks. So, Phoebe talks Lindsay into letting her train Lindsay, along with a couple other girls her age, Jen and Ali. Lindsay is so shy that she's nervous about even talking to them, but Phoebe was just like Lindsay at 12 — so shy that she often spent her time reading to avoid social interaction. Can Phoebe help Lindsay make new friends and learn the joy of biking? When a jumping competition is held at Joyride, will Phoebe be able to talk Lindsay into joining in? What will happen when they find out there won't be a separate competition for girls so the girls will have to compete against the boys?

OK, this is going to be a hard book to review because it wasn't quite what I expected. I thought it was going to be a little heavier on the girl power, maybe more humorous, and less about the technical concept of training for a BMX competition. And, with apologies to the author, I simply did not like the writing style. I found it a little too wordy and exhausting. Because I was committed to doing a book tour post, I went ahead and forced myself to keep reading. I usually try to avoid doing that because I've found that if I'm not enjoying the reading, I generally end up hating a book. 

Surprise! I didn't hate it, in the end. I didn't love it because it didn't work for me, stylistically speaking, but that's a personal thing so I wouldn't tell anyone not to read it. And, as I read the book I found myself thinking that if I was younger and had access to a facility with something to prevent injury like the foam pit in Shred Girls, I might have really enjoyed learning how to do the bike tricks Phoebe trains the girls to do. So, in the end, I thought it was a very positive story and worth recommending.

Recommended but not a favorite - Recommended particularly for girls who need a little encouragement to try something different and those interested in either comics or BMX biking. It's also a very uplifting read for girls who have a bit of social anxiety as it kind of walks the reader through what it's like to take a chance on friendship if she's terrified of meeting new people. 

I received a copy of Shred Girls: Lindsay's Joyride in return for an honest review. Many thanks! 


©2019 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long

First things first: Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long is a bit offbeat as romance novels go. I like that but I think it's worth stating because most of the regular romance readers I know crave consistency. There's a feminist bent to Lady Derring Takes a Lover, a bit less focus on attraction between the two characters who fall in love (it's more of a slow burn, which I prefer, in spite of instant attraction), and more on the business she starts up with two other women. I personally loved the uniqueness of this book and the lack of lengthy, gushy narrative; it was a 5-star read, for me. On to the description.

Delilah Swanpoole, Countess of Derring has just been widowed. Her marriage was arranged for the opportunity to pull her family out of poverty; it was not a love match and she feels somewhat freed by Lord Derring's death. That is, until the lawyer explains that Derring was heavily indebted and that, since they had no children in their six years of marriage, the estate is entailed to the closest male relative. Delilah must find alternative lodgings. Everything in her home is being reposessed and it's only through the determination of her ladies maid, Dot, that she is able to salvage her jewelry and clothing. Only one item is not attached to the estate: a building on the Thames, right by the London docks. It's a seedy part of town and the name of the building is the Rogue's Palace (which doesn't bode well) but it's all she's got.

Lady Derring and her loyal maid travel to the dockside building and stop for a drink in the pub next door, where Delilah discovers her husband's mistress, Mrs. Breedlove, seated at the table where she met Lord Derring and where he suddenly died. She, too, is destitute and has been ill used by men. But, after they get to know each other, Delilah decides to include her in her plan to turn the Rogue's Palace into a boarding house called The Grand Palace on the Thames.

Captain Tristan Hardy is the Captain of the King's Blockade, a hard man who worked his way up from poverty. His investigation into the smuggling of cigars by the deadly Blue Rock Gang has led him to suspect the involvement of the deceased Lord Derring. But, could Lady Derring be involved? In order to find out, he moves into The Grand Palace on the Thames. He will check out the building while his men observe the comings and goings of those in and around the boarding house and track down other leads. The last thing he's expecting is to fall for the beautiful proprietress in half-mourning.

Highly recommended - I was immensely entertained by Lady Derring Takes a Lover. Both Delilah and Angelique (Mrs. Breedlove) are in their 20s but they've already spent their lives serving men in loveless relationships, living well only to be cast back into poverty. Their venture is risky and, at times, absolutely hilarious. The characters in Lady Derring Takes a Lover are wonderful. Most of the romance novels I've read recently have had some sort of a rogue tamed by a young lady. Captain Hardy is quite the opposite. He's the strong, silent type but he's also a very good man who arose from hardship, himself. The maid, Dot, is a hoot. I don't even want to tell you about her for fear you'll miss out on the joy of learning about her quirks. I loved the way Lady Derring and Mrs. Breedlove, who first bristled at each other, learned to work together and eventually became friends. And, the hodge-podge of lodgers are absolutely delightful. I love everything about this book and highly recommend it. Expect uniqueness and a charming set of characters.

Lady Derring Takes a Lover is the first in The Palace of Rogues series and I can't wait to see what Julie Anne Long comes up with, next. I'm hoping the next book will be Angelique's story. I received an advance reader copy of Lady Derring Takes a Lover from Avon Books for review. Many thanks!!

©2019 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

A Duke Changes Everything by Christy Carlyle (The Duke's Den #1)

When Nicholas Lyon's father rejected him, he did so in an extraordinarily painful way. Now, years later, Nick is the owner of a successful gambling establishment and happy to strip the wealthy of their holdings when they lose at his tables. But, then disaster strikes. His brother is killed in an accident and Nick inherits his family's ducal holdings. Nick has never planned to return to his childhood home; it only holds terrible memories for him. But, as the Duke of Tremayne, Nick is responsible for his family's estate, Enderley Castle, the home he and his mother escaped many years ago.

When Nick arrives at Enderley, he intends to only remain at the castle long enough to sell off many of the valuables in preparation for leasing it out while he returns to his London home. He's not expecting to find that the steward of the estate is a trouser-wearing woman with a similar need for order. As he gets to know his steward, Mina Thorne, Nick is surprised to find himself dragging his feet and even enjoying his ability to improve the lives of his tenants. But, Nick was traumatized by his father's abuse. Will he be able to overcome the pain of his past?

Recommended to a specific audience - I read A Duke Changes Everything for the change of pace (thanks to a slumpy couple of months) and I was not disappointed. I thought it was surprising how quickly the duke softened, but the author managed to characterize him as a man with a softening heart and yet still retain the challenge of dealing with his childhood trauma while he was slowly falling in love with his steward. And, there were plenty of little surprises. There was one scene in particular that I felt was more authentic to what I'd expect of the time period than what you often find in historical romance. There were a couple historical anachronisms, but that scene helped to balance things out a bit and, anyway, I just enjoyed the reading. Mina is a likable character and the way Nick's heart is softened by doing good makes sense to me. And, the ending is incredibly satisfying.

My thanks to Avon Books for this unexpected gift. The next in the series is going to be the story of one of Nick's gambling business partners and I found him very appealing so I hope to read the next in the series, as well.

©2018 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen

Orphan Master Spy starts out with a bang. 15-year-old Sarah emerges from the floor of her mother's car to find that her mother has been shot dead at a checkpoint in Germany. Will the Nazis know to look for a child? She's not sticking around to find out.

It's 1939 and Sarah is an orphan, half-Jewish, and on the run. But, Sarah has a few marks in her favor. She is physically adept (a former gymnast), smart as a whip, and blonde with blue eyes. She's small for her age, which means she can get away with pretending she's as young as 11 or 12. And, her Aryan features mean she can hide in plain sight if she can find a way to obtain false papers. After a night sleeping on a roof to evade the Nazis, she finds a friend. But, his life is in danger, as well.

When Sarah offers to help out with an important mission, it means going where the worst of her enemies live, inside a Nazi girls' boarding school where she is tasked with befriending the daughter of a scientist who has created a devastating bomb the size of a grapefruit. Can Sarah survive school and befriend Elsa in time to save the world from this bomb? Sarah finds the task is even more challenging than she'd imagined. She's is naturally a bit caustic and her sharp intellect can get her in trouble. Making friends is not easy. She's already a fish out of water and there's a social hierarchy at the boarding school. The only way to befriend Elsa is for Sarah to make her way to the top tier.

Highly recommended - Smart, scary, tense and gripping - a terrific read with the kind of disturbing, violent moments that are typical of realistic WWII novels. Sarah is fierce but flawed, a tough and witty character whom you can really get behind; and, the English captain she befriends has clearly also lived through a lot. I liked hanging out with them in the first part of the book. But, then comes the really scary part.

Life at a Nazi boarding school is insane. I can admit I found the boarding school parts much more uncomfortable to read, although Sarah is befriended by another girl who doesn't quite fit in (so, at least she always has one friend to rely on) and there are plenty of action scenes. The hardest part is the bullying and some vicious scenes of violent abuse. The girls are rough on each other, with an initiation for the new students and competition to get into the favored group. Will Sarah succeed at befriending Elsa? Will she get caught out as a spy? Will she survive the brutality of the girls she lives with and their teachers? Orphan Monster Spy had a slight sagging middle problem but the phenomenal ending is worth sticking it out. I never even remotely considered setting the book aside. Sarah's a terrific character and I cared about her. The reward for sticking out the slower part is immense.

The ending hints at continuation of Sarah's story, so I wrote to the publicist to ask if Orphan Monster Spy is a series book and she confirmed that it is, indeed, the first in a series. It's wrapped up completely and could stand on its own, though: no cliffhanger ending. I'm grateful to the author for that (I abhor cliffhangers). I'll be looking forward to reading more of Sarah's adventures.


©2018 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things by Simon Van Booy

"So we're in London," Gertie said, looking around at the men in dark suits and women in tall feathery hats. "Have you been here? Where is it?" 

"It's in far western Europe, capital city of an island that's known for bad weather, horrible food, and people who are exceedingly polite--when they're not trying to invade your country." 

~p. 145

***This review may contain some spoilers. Please skip down to the rating if you're concerned!!***

I've read several middle readers, lately, and I have to tell you I'm impressed with the quality of the reading material. Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things by Simon Van Booy is the most adventurous of the books I've read, lately, and if you've hung around my blog for any length of time, you know I love a good adventure. It's also a little bonkers - such an imaginative world!

Gertie Milk doesn't know where she is or where she came from. She doesn't even know her own name until she sees it embroidered on the gown she's wearing. All she knows is that she's on a beach and needs to get to high ground before the ocean swallows her. It's a challenge climbing to the top of the island she's on, but once she gets there she is taken in by a man named Kolt, who lives in a very strange house that is both filled with and surrounded by things that have been lost. He is a Keeper of Lost Things and the Keeper's job is to care for these lost items and return them when needed, as directed by a large, dusty, magical book. He is the last of the Keepers but he's not sure why, although the Keepers have an enemy called the Losers.

When Gertie discovers a key in her pocket, Kolt tells her she is a Keeper, as well. To return items, she and Kolt will travel through time and face all sorts of challenges, meet a new friend called Robot Rabbit Boy, and glimpse history. But, the Losers are out to stop the Keepers from doing their job, forever. And, Gertie will be torn when she finds out the truth about her past.

Highly recommended - What a crazy and fun adventure! As I was reading Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things, I kept thinking to myself, "I would have loved this as a child and would have read it over and over again." As an adult, I appreciated learning a little history that I was unfamiliar with (I'd never heard of Mercedes Gleitze, who swam across the English Channel). And, I love a book with a young heroine. Adventurous children's books tend to skew male in the hero role; the more female protagonists making decisions, the better. I also loved the fact that Gertie is both in charge and emotional, brave but afraid, smart but flawed. Not everything is wrapped up but I don't recall it being such a cliffhanger that it put me off. Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things is the first in a series and I'm looking forward to the next book.

Cover thoughts: I love the cover of Gertie Milk and the Keeper of Lost Things! It not only contains elements of many of the interesting things about the book (so the cover image is relevant to the content), it's gorgeous and eye-catching and even looks a little three-dimensional from certain angles. Very cool!


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis

Cassandra Harwood lives in 19th-century Angland, where men work as magicians and women are in charge of politics. But, Cassandra has never fit into any mold.

4 months after Cassandra tragically lost her ability to cast spells, she has accompanied her brother and sister-in-law to a gathering in the elven dales. But, even as they were traveling, they knew something was wrong. The unseasonably harsh snowfall has continued, leaving them snowbound. Not all of the guests will be able to arrive. And, Cassandra is in deep trouble. During the search for missing members of the party, she uttered a few words overheard by a manipulative elf lord, words that committed her to a task. Obligated to find out who caused the strange change of weather, Cassandra will suffer a horrible fate if she fails.

While Cassandra searches for answers she must also deal with the presence of her former fiancé, who still does not understand that she left him for his own good. Will Cassandra discover the answer in time to save herself from the wily elf lord? What will happen between Cassandra and Wrexham, the man she still loves but desires to protect?

It took me a couple chapters to figure out exactly what was going on in Snowspelled and really get into the book. And, then I was unsure who the audience was meant to be, since Stephanie Burgis writes across age ranges and the book is quite short at a mere 153 pages. After I arrived at a scene that was very adult, I decided I'd better ask. The author confirmed to me that Snowspelled is an adult fantasy novel, hence the recommendation for a specific crowd in my labels. There are no particularly graphic scenes so I wouldn't worry if a child walks off with your copy, though. The "adult" bits are  limited to a bit of innuendo.

At any rate, once I got into the storyline, I really enjoyed it. There's a great cast in Snowspelled but even though Cassandra (called "Harwood" by her former fiancé) is staying at a large estate with a sizeable cast of characters, you only get to know those who are entirely necessary to the plot; the author doesn't overwhelm you with characters (much appreciated). And, I particularly loved the characters who were closest to the heroine. Brother Jonathan is a bit of a rebel, himself, and sister-in-law Amy is quite simply delightful. Ex-fiancé Wrexham is the kind of man you really want your heroine to fall in love with. And, the ending scene is both clever and satisfying. The story is fully wrapped up, no cliffhanger ending.

Highly recommended - A quick, delightful read, first in a series, that is both romantic and adventurous. Read it for a change of pace, a touch of magic, a taste of romance, especially if you're looking for a light, charming read to break a dark mood or a slump. I found myself smiling a lot and I was definitely in the mood for something light since I've been a bit slumpy, post-vacation.


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

The Explorers: The Door in the Alley by Adrienne Kress

This story begins, like most stories do, with a pig wearing a teeny hat. And I'm sure right now you're thinking to yourself, "I've read this story before." But please let me assure you that this isn't that pig in a teeny hat story you're reading but the other one. The one you haven't read. Yet. 


This is the opening to The Explorers: The Door in the Alley by Adrienne Kress. Sebastian is the hero and eventually we meet Evie, who becomes his partner in mystery-solving and adventure. I knew I was going to love the story as soon as I read that first page because I adore an author who writes with a sense of the absurd.

Sebastian is a 12-year-old with a devotion to routine, a photographic memory, a love of maps, and a propensity for science and math. His entire family is equally nerdy, so he gets a great deal of support in his pursuits. Evie is 11 years old, alone and sad, her parents dead, her only escape from the children's home in which she lives a weekly dinner with two very beige people called the Andersons who feed her beige food.

WARNING: The rest of this review contains spoilers. Skip down to the rating if you're concerned.

Then, things begin to change. Sebastian is forced to take a different route home from school and when he does, he happens across a door in an alley that says, "The Explorers Club". And, because of a pig in a teeny hat, he eventually ends up working behind that door and discovering a box full of photographs and newspaper clippings. Evie is out for her weekly dinner when two scary men show up at the Andersons' house looking for a key and Evie ends up having to escape from a fire with a mysterious letter sent by a man she thought was dead: her grandfather.

What happened to the people in the photos hidden inside the box Sebastian has found in The Explorers Club? Why does mentioning their names anger the club's members? How is the letter connected to the contents of the box? Will Sebastian and Evie be able to put all the clues together and duck all the bullets the two bad guys are shooting at them?

Highly recommended - Wow, what an adventure. I love the fact that the hero and heroine in this exciting middle grade book are very sharp kids, weird things happen, the book is action-packed to the point that sometimes you're practically hyperventilating at the end of an exciting scene, and the author has a wicked sense of humor. My only warning is that The Explorers: The Door in the Alley unfortunately ends on a cliffhanger. In fact, the author even makes a joke out of the cliffhanger - you have to love it that she's at least witty about it while she's ripping the proverbial rug out from under your feet. I call it a warning (maybe the correct word is "complaint") because I absolutely hate cliffhangers and often will refuse to buy a second book in a series if a first story isn't entirely wrapped up in some form. The rare exceptions are the books I love so much that I really must read on.

The Explorers may be one of those rare exceptions to my cliffhanger rule. It was so massively entertaining that it would have gotten 5 stars from me if it hadn't been a cliffhanger (I only took one star off -- and, in hindsight, that seems a bit harsh; I'll go back and change it to 4.5/5 at Goodreads). I love the characters. Sebastian is meticulous but kind and gracious. He means well and it's difficult for him to break rules, even when he's encouraged. Evie is sad, at first, but once given a challenge she puts her whole heart into solving the mystery, although she's definitely invested in it because it involves searching for a family member. And, she also really knows her mind. She's a nice, strong heroine.  The writing is excellent and often very, very funny, the pacing perfect -- she does give you a break, just as you're really gasping for air -- and The Explorers Club is an imaginative place that you can't help but wish existed. Also, there's a cat named David Copperfield. Who doesn't love a book with a cat? A perfect read for any adventure-loving kid and the first in a series.


©2017 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

A Most Extraordinary Pursuit by Juliana Gray

I suppose scorn makes one feel more clever, in the same way that indignation makes one feel more moral. 

~p. 197

Emmeline Truelove was the personal secretary to the Duke of Olympia, till his recent death. Now, a young man by the name of Maximillian Haywood has inherited the duchy. But, he has gone missing. At the behest of the newly widowed duchess, and with the charming and dashing Lord Silverton accompanying her, Miss Truelove must head for the Mediterranean to unravel the mystery of the future duke's disappearance.

A Most Extraordinary Pursuit contains a wild, almost bizarre blend of adventure, mystery, characters who may or may not be entirely what they seem, potential for romance, ghosts, time travel, magic, and some very informative history paired with mythology.

The vast majority of the book follows Truelove and Silverton as they pursue clues to Haywood's whereabouts. Somewhere along the way, they pick up another man, a gentleman and scholar by the name of Mr. Higganbotham. Silverton is a gorgeous spy and a cad, Higganbotham an, at times, slightly daffy intellectual. After finding a fresco that appears to be fake in the palace of Knossos, which is being dug up and preserved, and repeatedly facing danger, the myth of Ariadne takes on a deeper meaning. But, what does the myth have to do with the missing duke? And, will either of the men pursue an understanding with Truelove or are they toying with her?

Recommended with postscript - I was absolutely immersed in A Most Extraordinary Pursuit, all week. It's only about 430 pages long (technically, that meets my old definition of "chunkster" from the days when I came up with the Chunkster Challenge, but it's not far over the line) but there's so much happening that it took me a long time to get through the book. I love the fact that A Most Extraordinary Pursuit has interesting characters but is plot-heavy. I love the Edwardian time period and the language. I really love-hated Lord Silverton. I pictured him with the face and hair of Luke Norris (Dr. Enys in Poldark) but with a wicked twinkle in his eye, Edwardian clothing, and a bit of a swagger.

There were portions, however, that didn't work for me. There are two ghosts: the ghost of Queen Victoria and Truelove's father. Both visit Miss Truelove but it's Queen Victoria who tries to guide Emmeline and the ghost of her father contributes little. There are two men who may have romantic interest in Truelove, but one is known for enticing and abandoning women. The other is a either an enigma or exactly what he seems. Higganbotham almost completely fades away within the last 100 pages; he's there, but he's no longer key. Are we to distrust Higganbotham or simply dismiss him? Has his interest waned for good or will he appear in the next book? Because, herein lies another issue. A Most Extraordinary Pursuit is not a stand-alone. Although it's mostly wrapped up, at least one bright red thread is left dangling; clearly the story will continue.

Also, toward the end of the book, the mythology became extremely confusing. I thought the author did a fairly good job of interspersing bits of the tale of Ariadne and Theseus between chapters and explaining the characters (I'm not knowledgeable about mythology) till that last 50 pages or so. Then, it became suddenly overwhelming, to the point that I began to skim over the mythological portion. I didn't mind the craziness -- there is even a paranormal aspect, a magical touch -- but the author nicely warned her readers that she'd asked permission to take the book to extremes and it was granted. Well, she certainly did that. The book is wildly adventurous but it's also rather strange.

In the end, I gave the book 4 stars and I would, in fact, like to see where Juliana Gray (more commonly known as Beatriz Williams) takes Miss Truelove in future installments, but I also felt a slight bit let down and perplexed after the last 30-50 pages. And clearly I need to bone up on mythology.

There was also one particular feature of the book that I believe could have been minimized, if not left out entirely, and that was Truelove's repetitive seasickness. It was neither important to the plot, nor necessary for character development at any time, in my humble opinion, although perhaps it was meant to show us that Silverton could display compassion and kindness. I would have preferred that the author minimize those scenes; they were not fun to read at all.


©2016 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery  or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.