The Book Review Club (December 2021)

Welcome to the December 2021 edition of The Book Review Club. It's that time of year when we're rushing around, buying gifts and wrapping gifts and writing cards and baking and, and and! Here's our holiday tip: Books make the best gifts. For everyone on your list. While you're at it, buy one for yourself. Then grab a tea/coffee/hot chocolate, a cookie and some quiet reading time. Below my post are links to more book reviews. Terrific gift suggestions. Enjoy!

TANGLED UP IN LUCK (MG, mystery)

by Merrill Wyatt 

If I had to choose one word to describe this humorous middle-grade mystery, I'd choose "fun."

Much to their chagrin, seventh-graders Sloane Osburn (popular volleyball star) and Amelia Miller-Poe (melodramatic misfit) are partnered up for a class project. Their task? To find the jewels that went missing in their town of Wauseon, Ohio way back in 1887. We're talking graveyards, hidden compartments, family secrets. There is serendipity (great luck) and zemblanity (horrible luck). A mysterious someone is also after the jewels. This someone is following the girls and the centuries-old clues. Who will get there first? Fun! Fun! Fun!

TANGLED UP IN LOVE is a twisty-turny mystery with well-rounded characters (my favorite is Amelia) and a satisfying ending. Secondary characters, such as Sloane's grandmothers, provide great comic relief. A narrator ups the tension with ominous pronouncements. The girls learn about friendship and family and standing up for yourself and standing up against bullies. And they learn that luck isn't really all that important. It's "how you choose to live your life around that luck" that counts.

And hurray! There will be a sequel. Also, I'm not the only one who loved this book. Kirkus gave it a starred review: "Funny, cheering, and narratively fulfilling."

P.S. I will attempt to use the word "zemblanity" in a sentence daily.

(Dear FCC: bought for Kindle)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Phyllis Wheeler: THE STRANGEWORLDS TRAVEL AGENCY by LD Lapinski (fantasy)                 

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks: mysteries by three different female authors (mystery)

Linda McLaughlin: THE LIEUTENANT'S NURSE by Sarah Ackerman (historical)

Lucy Sartain: STATE OF TERROR by Louise Penny and Hillary Clinton (thriller) 

Patti Abbott: OH, WILLIAM by Elizabeth Strout (literary)

Ray Potthoff: LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger (mystery)

Sarah Laurence: THE WORLD THAT WE KNEW by Alice Hoffman (historical, magical realism)

NONFICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Lucy Sartain: I'LL TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS NOW by Stephanie Grisham (memoir)

Lucy Sartain:  THE BOYS by Ron and Clint Howard (memoir)

Margy Lutz: FOR JOSHUA: AN OJIBWE FATHER TEACHES HIS SON by Richard Wagamese (memoir)

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (June 2021)

Welcome to the June 2021 edition of The Book Review Club. We're taking the summer off, so our next "meeting" will be September 8. June is a big month in California as we open up on the 15th. Whew. And a little June history trivia for you: Queen Elizabeth II's coronation was on this very date in 1953. Enjoy the summer solstice on June 20. And definitely enjoy the terrific reviews of terrific books we've compiled for you!

RIVER MAGIC (middle grade, fantasy)

by Ellen Booraem

RIVER MAGIC is one of those books that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let you go. You think I'm exaggerating? Ha! Try this first paragraph on for size: "The river is wide and calm in front of our house, like it never meant you any harm. But you hear the rapids all the time a quarter mile around the bend. Here's what those rapids are telling you: Do not mess with this river." 

Our protagonist, 13 y.o. Donna, is dealing with a lot. Her beloved Aunt Annabelle drowned in the river about 8 months before the story opens. Donna's living with her difficult teenage sister and her stressed mom. Her best friend has ditched her for new basketball team friends. The outcast kid at school keeps hanging around. Due to financial hardship, Donna may be forced to spend the summer with mean Aunt Betty. 

Now . . .  throw in magic. Throw in lots of it. Thunder mages, dragons, pixies. Transmogrification, powerful gold, a book of spells. Incredible! Fun! It turns the plot upside down!

This is a story about family ties, repairing old friendships and making new ones. It's about dealing with grief and fears. It's about saving the day in contemporary world that has magic in it. 

Looking for summer reading for your 10-12 year old (the ages are a loose guide)? Pick up a copy of RIVER MAGIC for the win! Highly recommended. Did I mention the starred review from Kirkus?

(Dear FCC: bought at Mysterious Galaxy, my local Indie bookstore. While I know the author, I reviewed RIVER MAGIC because I loved it.)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Phyllis Wheeler: I AM DAVID by Anne Holm (MG/YA, historical)

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Patti Abbott:  KLARA AND THE SUN by Kazuo Ishiguro (literary)

Sarah Laurence: THE CARPENTER'S PENCIL by Manuel Rivas (historical, translated)

Scott Parker: DEATH AT THE SALON by Louise R. Innes (cozy mystery)

NONFICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks: POLICE LINE: DO NOT CROSS by Kelly Donovan (memoir)  

Margy Lutz: THE AGE OF GREAT DREAMS: AMERICA IN THE 1960S by David Farber (historical)

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (April 2021)

Welcome to the April 2021 edition of The Book Review Club. I'm thinking we could all use a brief break from things serious and news-y. So, here's some April frivolity! April is Grilled Cheese Month, National Humor Month and Soft Pretzel Month. In French, someone who is tricked on April Fool's Day is a "poisson d'avril" or an April fish! Ha! And now to the task at hand...we've compiled a bunch of terrific reviews of terrific books just for you guys! Enjoy!

THE YEAR I FLEW AWAY 

by Marie Arnold (middle grade, magical realism)

In THE YEAR I FLEW AWAY,  10-year-old Gabrielle Jean leaves her family in Haiti to start a new life in America with her aunt, uncle and three cousins. Right off the bat, there's a lot of built-in conflict: Gabrielle leaves warm Haiti for winter in Brooklyn. Brrr. The students at school make fun of her accent. She has trouble making friends. One of the cousins is an unfriendly teen. She's lonely and homesick.

You might think this is enough tension for our middle-grade protagonist? Enter Lady Lydia, a witch. Lady Lydia offers Gabrielle three wishes. Of course, the witch, as witches are wont to do, has her own agenda. So, each wish comes with a (secretly hefty) price. 

This book easily opens the door to discussions about immigration, assimilation, acceptance, celebrating differences, and bullying. All important discussions to be having in the current climate. One of my favorite lines from the book: "Yeah, but you should know that until you tell the truth about who you are and where you're from, no one sees the real you."

THE YEAR I FLEW AWAY is author Lola StVil's first middle-grade novel. Incidentally, the author emigrated from Haiti to New York in the middle of the winter as a child to live with her aunt, uncle and cousins. I'm not sure if there was a witch.

Highly recommended.

(Dear FCC: library, which is appropriate given that it's National Library Week)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Phyllis Wheeler: A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON by Kate Albus (MG, historical)

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks: VERONICA SPEEDWELL series by Deanna Raybourn (mystery) 

Lucy Sartain: BLACK WIDOWS by Cate Quinn (domestic thriller)

Linda McLaughlin: THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES by Kristin Hamel (historical)

Patti Abbott:  REMAINS OF THE DAY by Kazuo Ishiguro (literary)

Ray Potthoff: SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult 

Sarah Laurence: SMALL ISLAND by Andrea Levy (historical)

Scott Parker: MURDER AT THE BEACON BAKESHOP by Darci Hannah (mystery)

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (November 2020)

Welcome to the November 2020 edition of the Book Review Club. It's our post-election, post-coronavirus-vaccine-news meeting, and we have books to recommend! A little trivia: Shakespeare didn't like November; he never mentions the month in any sonnets or plays. Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating in whatever shape or form. We're thinking of spatchcocking our turkey. Yes, it's a real thing! Enjoy the reviews! (trivia from thefactsite.com)

FISH OUT OF WATER (MG, contemporary)
By Joanne Levy

WHO IS TANKSY? (MG, contemporary)

By Bev Katz Rosenbaum

Interesting quandary for me this month: I've read several terrific books and couldn't decide which one to review. Nice problem! Many people tell me they have trouble reading during these troubling times. Not me. I could read till the cows come home or till the gray whales swim by in both directions (trying to inject a Calif vibe here :) ). To be honest, it's writing that's giving me fits.

Anyway . . . the quandary got me thinking about kids and reading and reluctant and developing readers. This led me to Orca Publishing and then to Orca Currents. Of which I have never read a single one. Orca Currents are high interest, low reading level (2.0 - 4.5 grade level) for a middle-grade audience (10-14 year olds) and short (14,000-16,000 words). Put all this together and, frankly, it sounds like no mean feat to write.

Both FISH OUT OF WATER and WHO IS TANKSY? knock it out of the park. (I've given up on the Cali vibe) Both books are interesting, age appropriate, move quickly, deal with big topics, and have relatable, growing characters who resolve their issues. In under 150 pages! It's incredible. It's masterful. It's a good read.

In FISH OUT OF WATER, 12-year-old Fish Rosner deals with gender stereotyping. He's interested in knitting and Zumba as opposed to watching sports and playing water polo or hockey. Various adults and friends are unhappy with Fish's choices. He is alienated by his best friend. Fish learns to be true to himself and his mitzvah project. He's definitely a hero readers will root for and learn from.

Bev Katz Rosenbaum tackles finding your voice and speaking up against adults in power in WHO IS TANKSY? No one listens to 14-year-old Tanya Kofsky, not at home or at school. She notices social injustices everywhere, especially those involving the authoritarian administration at school and spray paints very clever messages at night on the school wall. Other students, faculty and even the lunch ladies join Tanya's rebellion. Tanya also finds the courage to stand up to her narrow-minded grandfather. Tanya makes a difference. What a powerful message! 

Kudos to Joanne Levy and Bev Katz Rosenbaum! 

(reviewed in order read :) )

(Dear FCC: bought and bought)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Phyllis Wheeler: SAVE ME A SEAT by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan (MG, contemporary) 

Jody Feldman: COO by Kaela Noel (MG, contemporary with a hint of magic)

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Lucy Sartain: YOU HAD ME AT HALO by Amanda Ashby (YA, fantasy romance)

Margy Lutz: INDIAN HORSE by Richard Wagamese (historical, Canadian)

Patti Abbott:  LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND by Rumaan Alam (literary)

Linda McLaughlin: THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman (humorous, contemp)

Ray Potthoff: FALLOUT by Sara Paretsky  (thriller)

Sarah Laurence: WRITERS AND LOVERS by Lily King (literary)   

NONFICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks: KAMALA IN CANADA by Kaj Hasselriis (middle grade, graphic, biography)

Jenn Jilks: TREE BEINGS by Raymond Huber & Sandra Severgnini (middle grade, environmental)

Scott Parker: THE WAY WE ALL BECAME THE BRADY BUNCH by Kimberly Potts (popculture)

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (June 2020)

Welcome to the June 2020 edition of The Book Review Club. Let's take a deep breath...inhale... and think . . .  exhale . . . books. And maybe think "chocolate," too. That can never hurt. :) We have some terrific reviews of terrific books. Time to stock up for summer and dive into reading!

Also, Stonehenge is live-streaming its summer solstice celebration on Sunday, June 21! Here's the link for more info.

WHAT WE FOUND IN THE 
CORN MAZE AND HOW 
IT SAVED A DRAGON 
by Henry Clark (middle grade, fantasy) 

WHAT WE FOUND IN THE CORN MAZE AND HOW IT SAVED A DRAGON is a Junior Library Guild selection, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, got a starred review from Booklist and a handful other accolades. Oh, it's also a Washington Post's KidsPost Summer Bookclub pick. So, when I suggest you steer your 8-12 year old kids/students in the direction of this book, I'm in good company. :)

In a Nutshell: Twelve-year-old Cal (Calvin) Sapling and his friends use magic spells found in a mysterious notebook to save Cal's family's farm. AND they save an alternate world whose magic is leaking out and whose climate is getting colder. AND they save dragons from extinction. Yes, those kids are busy! The magic only works during certain minutes of the day. And it takes some thinking to make spells like "walk on stilts" help your cause. Yes, those kids are busy and ingenious!

What I Loved: Fun stuff like peanut-butter-chicken soup (blech!) and a governing council called the Weegee Board. A town called Dire where there are three levels of magic: Everybody, Somebody and Very Few. So much humor. The smart stuff like a dragon called Phlogiston. (18th century chemists believed phlogiston was a fire element.) Looking for names of vegetables hidden in the computer code in chapter 21. And popcorn...you'll have to read the book to understand that reference. This is a crazy, inventive action-packed story about friendship and self-esteem and using wits and magic to save a family farm, an alternate universe, and dragons. It doesn't get much better!

Reading WHAT WE FOUND IN THE CORN MAZE made me happy!

A Request to the Publisher: Please make an audio version!

(Dear FCC: bought for Kindle)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jody Feldman: THE WATER BEARS by Kim Baker (contemporary)

Phyllis Wheeler: ORBITING JUPITER by Gary D. Schmidt (contemporary)


ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country:ONE TUESDAY MORNING by Karen Kingsbury (Christian contemp)

Linda McLaughlin: THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK 
                                 by Kim Michele Richardson (historical)

Lucy Sartain: SURRENDER AT CANYON ROAD by Debora Dale (romantic thriller)

Margy Lutz: FIRE, FOG AND WATER by Mike Martin (mystery)

Ray Potthoff: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen (classic)

Sarah Laurence: IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES by Julia Alvarez (historical)


NONFICTION REVIEWS

Patti Abbott:  HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD by Robert Kolker (biography, mental illness)



Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (February 2020)

And the Book Review Club is back! Welcome to our first meeting of 2020! To offset some of the recent heavy-duty news (Senate trials, Brexit, Iowa caucus issues), here's a bit of fun Feb. trivia: The 3rd weekend this month is Margarita Weekend. This is Potato Lovers Month and Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month. And now onto more erudite matters...our book reviews. Links below my post to reviews of recommended books by fabulous reviewers!

COG 
by Greg Van Eekhout (middle grade, adventure, robot)

COG is one of the best middle-grade novels I've read in a while. And I read A LOT of middle grade. Too much, perhaps, for a supposed grownup...

Okay. You're busy. With finite time for reading blogs. Let's get down brass tacks. What was it about this book that so grabbed me?

Cog, short for Cognitive Development, is a robot who looks like a 12 year old boy. Cog was built to learn. Which is why the reader is treated to fun bits of trivia from time to time. Such as info on platypuses. (#1 I loved the humor.)

When his programmer, Gina, informs Cog we learn from mistakes, he sets out to make some mistakes. He sneaks out one morning, sees a truck barreling toward a Chihuahua and decides to save the dog (#2 Who doesn't love a compassionate protagonist?). Unfortunately, the truck damages Cog who ends up at UniMIND,  a nasty corporation who cares about the bottom line, but not about people or robots. (#3 I love it when adults are the bad guys in middle grade fiction. Just a little personal thing.) Gina is taken away...somewhere. She's in trouble with UniMIND for programming a special talent into Cog. (no spoiler from me :)) Also, uniMIND wants to take out Cog's brain to see what's in there. Yikes.

Cog gets together a band of robots. They break out of the UniMIND building and will help him find Gina (#4 I love a clear goal. #5 friendship! #6 road trip!). The other robots are: a car, a dog, a trashbot and ADA (Cog's sister, who was also programmed by Gina). And, and, and...the stakes get higher and higher (#7 because I love the added tension, and I personally find this tough to pull off). By higher, I mean Cog ends up fighting for everyone and everything as UniMIND threatens to take over.

For me, though, the biggest and best thing about COG (#9) was its message about free will. Everybody has choices in life. People or robots might not always choose what you want them to, but they still get to have a choice. What a powerful message for young readers: You have agency.

Last, but not least, I love a book I can highly recommend (#10)!

(Dear FCC: I actually know Greg, but he wouldn't have any idea whether or not I bought (I did) or read COG. I doubt he even knows about this blog. Although I will tell him about today's review.) 

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!


PICTURE BOOK/MIDDLE GRADE FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Phyllis Wheeler: ROAR LIKE A DANDELION by Ruth Krauss and Sergio Ruzzier (picture book)

Jody Feldman: THE GHOST IN APARTMENT 2R by Denis Markell (MG, paranormal mystery)


ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: SAVANT by John D. Richmond (mystery)

Linda McLaughlin: FORBIDDEN by Beverly Jenkins (historical romance)

Lucy Sartain: SENSE AND SENSIBILITY by JaneAusten (classic)

Patti Abbott:  THE CHESTNUT MAN by Soren Sveistrup (thriller)

Ray Potthoff: KILLING ROMMEL by Stephen Pressfield (historical)

Sarah Laurence: DOMINICANA by Angie Cruz (historical)

Scott Parker: ORPHAN X by Gregg Hurwitz (thriller)

NONFICTION REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: THE LADY WITH BALLS by Alice Combs (memoir)

Margy Lutz: DANCING IN GUMBOOTS by Lou Allison and Jane Wilde (memoir)




Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (September 2019)

And just like that, summer is over! Welcome to the September 2019 edition of The Book Review Club. We have reviews of a variety of books.  You know our goal: topple your to-be-read pile! Interestingly, there are more reviews of nonfiction books than usual. Enjoy!

THE STRANGERS
(GREYSTONE SECRETS #1) 
by Margaret Peterson Haddix 
(middle grade, sci fi, mystery)

The Strangers is, hands down, one of the best middle-grade mysteries I've read in a while.

The Greystone siblings (Chess--12 yrs, Emma--10 yrs and Finn--8 yrs) all get along and live happily with their mother in Ohio. Until the day they come home from school to find their mother distraught over a news story. Three siblings in Arizona with the same names, ages and birthdates as the Greystone kids have been kidnapped. WEIRD. The next day their mom goes on a business trip,  but leaves behind her cell phone, laptop and a coded letter for her children. WEIRDER. Chess, Emma, Finn and their new friend, Natalie, take a wrong turn in the Greystone basement and find themselves in an alternate universe. WEIRDEST!

Chapters are told in alternating voices, which I love. Each sibling has a distinct voice and a distinct take on how to interpret clues and find their mother. It warms the heart to see how these kids work together, appreciating each other's strengths. The Strangers offers twists and turns and switchbacks and red herrings and clues galore. Which I also love. And...the book ends on a cliffhanger. Which I normally don't love, but do appreciate this time. The story is so dense and intense I don't think it could've been tied up properly in one book. Of course, now I'm waiting impatiently for The Deceivers (Greystone Secrets #2), which comes out in about a year!

On a personal note, I had a hard time tying up the middle-grade mystery I'm working on. I may just take a page out of Margaret Peterson Haddix's book (ha, ha!) and leave a couple of loose ends. I'll decide for sure after plowing through this next revision.

(Dear FCC: I borrowed The Strangers from my local library. Then, our very cute goldendoodle puppy, Sadie, developed a taste for the book and chewed up a corner. I ended up buying a new copy for the library and keeping the munched-on version for myself. )  

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

 Jody Feldman: THE ASSASSINATION OF BRANGWAIN SPURGE
                          by MT Anderson & Eugene Yelchin (MG, fantasy)

Phyllis Wheeler: THE BOOK OF THE KING by Jerry B Jenkins & Chris Fabry (MG, fantasy)

Sarah Laurence: ELIZA AND HER MONSTERS by Francesca Zappia (YA, fiction/hybrid graphic)


ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: UNDER COLD STONE by Vicki Delaney (mystery)


NONFICTION REVIEWS

Linda McLaughlin: THE LITTLE BOOK OF TOURISTS IN ICELAND by Alda Sigmundsdottir
                                THE LITTLE BOOK OF ICELANDIC by Alda Sigmundsdottir (travel)

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving:MY FRIEND ANNA by Rachel DeLoache Williams (memoir)

Margy Lutz: OUT OF THE SILENCE by Eduardo Straugh & Mireya Soriano (memoir)

Patti Abbott:  WHAT THE EYES DON'T SEE by Mona Hanna-Attisha

Ray Potthoff: A PASSIONFRUIT COOKBOOK by Patrick Jesse Pons-Worley
                       (cookbook with some history)

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (April 2019)

Welcome to the April 2019 edition of The Book Review Club! In April 1828,  Noah Webster, at the age of 70, copyrighted his first dictionary. April is the birth month of Charlotte Bronte. It's also the birth and death month of William Shakespeare. Actually, a lot of authors were born in April: Poet Williams Wordsworth, Harper Lee, Henry James and more. So, it's a perfectly good month to bring you reviews of books we'd like to recommend. Please scroll down after my post.  Enjoy!

SUMMER OF A THOUSAND PIES 
by Margaret Dilloway (middle grade, contemp fiction)

Summer of a Thousand Pies is one of those terrific middle-grade books that gets kids thinking about tough stuff.  It's also a great story, so entertaining and heartwarming that readers won't be able to put it down.  Win-win.

When 12-year-old Cady Bennett's dad ends up in prison, she goes to Julian, CA (I was there last week for lunch!) to live with an aunt she'd never met. Cady makes new friends, discovers the town, works in her aunt's pie shop (Julian is famous for apple pie!), learns to bake pies. and helps save the pie shop from financial ruin. It's a story about family and friends and community and, yum, pie!

 It's also a story about homelessness, parents with addictions, undocumented immigrants and Dreamers. See what I mean about tough stuff? But the tough stuff is deftly and naturally woven into the story in the most perfect of middle-grade ways.

In fact, one of my favorite scenes is when Cady's new friend shares that he and his family don't ride the public bus for fear of getting caught up in an ICE sweep and deported to Mexico. Jay and his family are undocumented immigrants. What follows is an interesting, thoughtful conversation about immigration between two 12-year-old kids. Beautifully written. With only the kinds of insights 12-year-olds can have. We're in Cady's head as she puzzles through the complex issue as it pertains to her. (Eg. My grandfather wasn't born here. Did he come to the U.S. legally?) She considers the difficulties in her own life (and there have been several), but concludes they don't match up to the worry of being kicked out of the country.

Also, there are scrummy* recipes at the back of the book!!!
(*British for delicious)

Summer of a Thousand Pies goes on sale April 16. There will be a book signing (with pie!) at Mysterious Galaxy on April 20 where I will be interviewing Margaret Dilloway with hard-hitting and embarrassing questions. Or we might just have a friendly chat. Details here.

(Dear FCC: I was given an ARC of this book. That said, I only review books I want to recommend.)

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jody Feldman: SAVE ME A SEAT by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarjan (MG, contemporary)

Phyllis Wheeler: HOW I BECAME A SPY by Deborah Hopkinson (MG, historical mystery)

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Linda McLaughlin: MADAME PRESIDENTESS by Nicole Evelina (biographical, historical)

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: HANGOVERS AND HOT FLASHES by Kim Gruenenfelder
                                                            (women's)

Patti Abbott:  MAISIE DOBBS by Jacqueline Winspear (mystery)

Scott Parker: CRASHING HEAT by Richard Castle (mystery)

NONFICTION REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: THE REASON YOU WALK by Wab Kinew (memoir)

Margy Lutz: THE TREES IN MY FOREST by Bernd Heinrich (memoir, natural history)

Ray Potthoff: BECOMING by Michelle Obama (memoir)

Sarah Laurence: THE HARE WITH AMBER EYES by Edmund De Waal
                           (family biography/art history)

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (October 2018)

Welcome to the October edition of The Book Review Club. As Anne of Green Gables said, "I'm so happy I live in a world where there are Octobers."  Do take a moment in your busy life to stop and smell the . . . marigolds! It's October's flower. I hope you enjoy this month's book reviews. (Pictured on the left is a marigold from my garden. )

EVERLASTING NORA 
by Marie Miranda Cruz (middle grade, contemporary)

Manila is the capital of the Philippines and is bursting at the seams with a population of about 10 million. The North Manila Cemetery is very busy and overcrowded and hosts 70 to 80 funerals daily. Around 10,000 poor live in shanties on tombstones and in mausoleums in the cemetery.

In EVERLASTING NORA, Nora and her mom take up residence in the North Cemetery following a fire that took Nora's dad's life and burned down the family house. Nora is forced to quit school (she would've been in sixth grade) and help earn money by selling flowers to mourners and washing laundry with her mom.

And then one night, Nora's mom doesn't come home.

Imagine that for a moment. A twelve-year-old girl is alone in her father's mausoleum. In the middle of a large cemetery. At night. And she doesn't know where her mother is.

Tagalog words are sprinkled throughout the book. (There's a glossary in the back if you get lost. I didn't.) There are many references to local dishes. Sensory and plot details highlight the Filipino setting.

EVERLASTING NORA is a story about extreme poverty and gambling and a child who must deal with her world that has completely fallen apart. This is also an uplifting story where friends become family, and people change for the better.

Well done, Marie Miranda Cruz!

Here's a photo from last night when I got to play "host" at Mysterious Galaxy for Marie's book signing. Fun!!!  Photo credit: Kathy Krevat    (Dear FCC: ARC)



And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jody Feldman: MAXI'S SECRETS (Or What You Can Learn From a Dog) by Lynn Plourde (MG)

Linda McLaughlin: THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON by Kelly Barnhill (MG, fantasy)
                                 SPLENDORS AND GLOOMS by Laura Amy Schlitz (MG, Victorian Gothic)

Phyllis Wheeler: MY YEAR IN THE MIDDLE by Lila Quintero Weaver (MG, historical)

Sarah Laurence: SADIE by Courtney Summers (YA, contemporary)

ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult (women's)

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: THE WIFE BETWEEN US by Greer Hendricks and
                                                            Sarah Pekkanen (thriller)

Patti Abbott:  IN A DRY SEASON by Peter Robinson (mystery)

Stacy of the Cat's Meow: LESS by Sean Greer (literary)


MEMOIR REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: UNHINGED by Omarosa Manigault Newman

Margy Lutz: MY FIRST SUMMER IN THE SIERRA by John Muir 

Ray Potthoff: HUNDRED MILES TO NOWHERE by Elisa Korenne

Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!

The Book Review Club (June 2018)

Welcome to the June 2018 edition of The Book Review Club. We'll be taking a two-month summer hiatus to read and play and generally enjoy life. We'll return in September. Today we bring you more reviews of books we've enjoyed in the hopes of adding to your To-Be-Read pile. Please scroll down after my review where you'll find everyone's links. We wish you a terrific summer!

THREE TIMES LUCKY
by Sheila Turnage 
(middle grade, mystery)

I'm a little late to the "Mo and Dale" (the BFF 6th grade detectives in THREE TIMES LUCKY) party. While I was reading my way through my TBR pile, this gem of a mystery was busy becoming a Newbery Honor and a NY Times Bestseller!

From the back cover: Meet Mo LoBeau: natural-born detective. Mo's summer is looking good. But that's before the murder, the kidnapping, the car crash, and the hurricane. If ever there was a time for Mo to put her detective skills to work, this is it. Good thing Mo's always been lucky.
There's lots to ❤️ about this quirky, upbeat, Southern-flavored mystery.  


The characters are odd and interesting and layered. Moses "Mo" LoBeau is outspoken and loyal. Her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson, III, is the best of best friends, a bit of a worrywart and more of a risk taker than Mo. Miss Lana, the only mother Mo has ever known, dons a variety of wigs and outfits and constantly changes the theme of the cafe she runs with the Colonel. The Colonel lost his memory years ago and has a secret past. Then, add in a host of off-the-wall Tupelo Landing residents.

Besides solving the mystery both Mo and Dale deal with personal issues. Eleven years ago, Mo floated into Tupelo Landing during a hurricane. She wants to find her mother and sends messages in bottles up the creek. Dale's dad is an abusive alcoholic.

And, and, and....there's an actual murder. Two, in fact!

If  I still haven't convinced you to pick up THREE TIMES LUCKY for your classroom, your library, your 10+ year-old kids who need to lose themselves in a book this summer...how about this quotation from Newsday:

"An irresistible narrator - a literary descendant of Scout Finch of To Kill a Mockingbird."

(Dear FCC: Bought. And I plan to buy the other books in the series, including THE LAW OF FINDER KEEPERS, which comes out in September. )

And now....onto the rest of our reviews. Please click through. You won't want to miss a single one!

MIDDLE GRADE REVIEWS

Phyllis Wheeler: THE JOLLY REGINA by Kara LaReau 
                            THE UNCANNY EXPRESS by Kara LaReau


ADULT FICTION BOOK REVIEWS

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: EXCESSIVE FORCE by Alok Mukherjee (adult, memoir)

Jenn Jilks of Cottage Country: MADE FOR WALKING by Andy Peake (history of the boot)

Linda McLaughlin: DESPERATE DUCHESSES by Eloisa James (romance)

Patti Abbott:  THAT KIND OF MOTHER by Rumaan Alam

Ray Potthoff: COLD MOUNTAIN by Charles Frazier (historical)

Stacy of the Cat's Meow: THE FEMALE PERSUASION by Meg Wolitzer (literary)

ADULT NONFICTION REVIEW

Lucy Sartain of Ranting and Raving: MY PRIDE AND JOY by Adamson (memoir)

Margy Lutz: THE GOLDEN SPRUCE by John Vaillant (biography)

Sarah Laurence: HUNGER: A MEMOIR OF (MY) BODY by Roxane Gay (memoir)




Note to Reviewers: Any errors (broken link, missed review, etc), just shoot me an email or leave a comment. Thank you so much for your reviews!