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booksare42's Reviews (608)
Thank you, Book Sirens, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Alice is the niece of Humphrey Bach, a world-famous private detective. Humphrey’s managed to crack cases that the police couldn’t solve, and he’s like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. When Alice comes to work for him during her summer holidays, she doesn’t know what to expect. When a potential client comes storming into the office to ask for help solving the murder of the millionaire, Victor Tymm, Alice gets to go on her first crime-solving adventure.
This book was a lot of fun to read because it was full of so much wordplay. Early on, Humphrey explains to Alice what a homophone is, and the book is full of homophones and wordplay. There’s a character who works at the library whose name is Dewey; the gardener Herbert wants to plant an herb garden; even Humphrey Bach is a play on words because Uncle Humphrey has Kyphosis, or a hunched back. I loved all of the wordplay, and I thought the way that it tied into the mystery was very clever.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book, and it reminded me of a Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes adventure. I liked the different characters that Humphrey and Alice meet on the estate, and I enjoyed the interview and clue finding process. I thought the mystery was full of exciting twists and turns, and even though I figured out who did it, I thought the buildup to the end was exciting.
I also liked that there was a larger, over-arching mystery going on in the background. There’s a string of connected cases that Humphrey hasn’t been able to solve, and they’re mentioned throughout the book. I liked that this left it open for there to be more books, which I will probably read.
It took me a little while to warm up to Alice, but once I did, I didn’t mind her. There were a few moments where I thought she was acting a bit immature, but then I remember that she’s thirteen and that normal thirteen-year-olds are sometimes immature. I liked Humphrey, and I liked how passionate he was about solving mysteries. I also liked that he didn’t let his Kyphosis get in the way of doing what he loved.
Overall, this was a fun book to read. I liked the mystery, and I thought the wordplay gave it a unique twist. It wasn’t my favourite mystery, but I’m curious enough to check out more Humphrey Bach mysteries.
Alice is the niece of Humphrey Bach, a world-famous private detective. Humphrey’s managed to crack cases that the police couldn’t solve, and he’s like a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. When Alice comes to work for him during her summer holidays, she doesn’t know what to expect. When a potential client comes storming into the office to ask for help solving the murder of the millionaire, Victor Tymm, Alice gets to go on her first crime-solving adventure.
This book was a lot of fun to read because it was full of so much wordplay. Early on, Humphrey explains to Alice what a homophone is, and the book is full of homophones and wordplay. There’s a character who works at the library whose name is Dewey; the gardener Herbert wants to plant an herb garden; even Humphrey Bach is a play on words because Uncle Humphrey has Kyphosis, or a hunched back. I loved all of the wordplay, and I thought the way that it tied into the mystery was very clever.
I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this book, and it reminded me of a Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes adventure. I liked the different characters that Humphrey and Alice meet on the estate, and I enjoyed the interview and clue finding process. I thought the mystery was full of exciting twists and turns, and even though I figured out who did it, I thought the buildup to the end was exciting.
I also liked that there was a larger, over-arching mystery going on in the background. There’s a string of connected cases that Humphrey hasn’t been able to solve, and they’re mentioned throughout the book. I liked that this left it open for there to be more books, which I will probably read.
It took me a little while to warm up to Alice, but once I did, I didn’t mind her. There were a few moments where I thought she was acting a bit immature, but then I remember that she’s thirteen and that normal thirteen-year-olds are sometimes immature. I liked Humphrey, and I liked how passionate he was about solving mysteries. I also liked that he didn’t let his Kyphosis get in the way of doing what he loved.
Overall, this was a fun book to read. I liked the mystery, and I thought the wordplay gave it a unique twist. It wasn’t my favourite mystery, but I’m curious enough to check out more Humphrey Bach mysteries.
Thank you Dave at The Write Reads for asking me to be part of this blog tour! I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Catalyst takes place at an archeological dig site of an ancient indigenous civilization. The main character, Marcie, is working there this summer with Eric (her brother), Renee (Eric’s girlfriend), and her mother, the lead archeologist for the dig. As soon as Marcie makes eye contact with Lorraine and Zeke, two graduate students working at the dig site, she gets a feeling that there’s something different about them. Soon, Marcie, Eric, Renee, and Leo (another teen working at the dig site) learn that Lorraine and Zeke have powers that allow them to tap into the Universal Energy Field, and they’re tasked with helping to save the earth and being catalysts for change.
Catalyst is probably the most bizarre book I’ve ever read. I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it, that being said, I did have some issues with it. I will say that it was a wild ride from start to finish, and once I got into it, I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to know where the strange journey was going to go next.
This book has a couple of storylines going on at the same time; some of these storylines are “normal,” and others are “paranormal.” The first “normal” storyline that I want to talk about is the fracking storyline. Fracking is when water and other chemicals are pumped into the subterranean rock to help extract the oil or gases, it’s terrible for the environment, and I’m vehemently against it. In Catalyst, a major energy company is looking to increase its fracking activity in Indiana, and this leads to a lot of discussion about fracking, with most main characters being against it, but one main character being for it. I liked that this book brought attention to fracking because people need to be aware of what it is and how it negatively affects the environment. However, some of the conversations on the topic reminded me of a PSA announcement or a poorly scripted school play about why fracking is bad.
The fracking storyline leads into the overarching storyline that humans are destroying the environment and that if changes aren’t made soon, the damage will be irreparable. This is another thing that I completely agree with, and I like seeing stories about the fact that humans are destroying the planet. What threw me off about this overarching storyline was all of the paranormal things that were going on. The visions, telepathic communication, teleportation, and mind powers started to get weird really quickly, and a lot of the paranormal moments left me completely baffled. There was one paranormal moment that involved a spaceship that left me so baffled that I immediately had to text my best friend to tell her what I just read because it was a lot to take in.
As far as the characters go, I feel indifferent towards them. I thought most of them were quite bland and that they didn’t have much personality. Most of the personality they did have was rooted in their position on environmental issues and the paranormal things that were happening around them. I liked the relationship between Marcie and Eric, and I thought it was a normal sibling relationship. I didn’t really understand the romantic relationship between Marcie and Leo, especially because they were so far apart on major issues. Lorraine and Zeke gave me A Wrinkle in Time vibes, which makes sense because the author’s bio states that it was her favourite book growing up.
One thing that bothered me about this book was the indigenous cultural appropriation. There are a lot of references to indigenous people, especially because the archeology dig was studying an ancient indigenous civilization. I don’t know very much about indigenous culture, but at times some of the references made me feel cringy and uncomfortable. I also don’t think that the depiction of the archeological dig site was accurate, but my knowledge of archeology comes from watching Bones, so what do I know?
Overall, this book really wasn’t my cup of tea. I liked that it talked about environmental issues, especially fracking, but the paranormal aspects threw me off. A lot of weird and bizarre things happen in this book, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around them. However, I did find this book to be entertaining, and once I got into it, I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
Catalyst takes place at an archeological dig site of an ancient indigenous civilization. The main character, Marcie, is working there this summer with Eric (her brother), Renee (Eric’s girlfriend), and her mother, the lead archeologist for the dig. As soon as Marcie makes eye contact with Lorraine and Zeke, two graduate students working at the dig site, she gets a feeling that there’s something different about them. Soon, Marcie, Eric, Renee, and Leo (another teen working at the dig site) learn that Lorraine and Zeke have powers that allow them to tap into the Universal Energy Field, and they’re tasked with helping to save the earth and being catalysts for change.
Catalyst is probably the most bizarre book I’ve ever read. I didn’t love it, but I also didn’t hate it, that being said, I did have some issues with it. I will say that it was a wild ride from start to finish, and once I got into it, I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to know where the strange journey was going to go next.
This book has a couple of storylines going on at the same time; some of these storylines are “normal,” and others are “paranormal.” The first “normal” storyline that I want to talk about is the fracking storyline. Fracking is when water and other chemicals are pumped into the subterranean rock to help extract the oil or gases, it’s terrible for the environment, and I’m vehemently against it. In Catalyst, a major energy company is looking to increase its fracking activity in Indiana, and this leads to a lot of discussion about fracking, with most main characters being against it, but one main character being for it. I liked that this book brought attention to fracking because people need to be aware of what it is and how it negatively affects the environment. However, some of the conversations on the topic reminded me of a PSA announcement or a poorly scripted school play about why fracking is bad.
The fracking storyline leads into the overarching storyline that humans are destroying the environment and that if changes aren’t made soon, the damage will be irreparable. This is another thing that I completely agree with, and I like seeing stories about the fact that humans are destroying the planet. What threw me off about this overarching storyline was all of the paranormal things that were going on. The visions, telepathic communication, teleportation, and mind powers started to get weird really quickly, and a lot of the paranormal moments left me completely baffled. There was one paranormal moment that involved a spaceship that left me so baffled that I immediately had to text my best friend to tell her what I just read because it was a lot to take in.
As far as the characters go, I feel indifferent towards them. I thought most of them were quite bland and that they didn’t have much personality. Most of the personality they did have was rooted in their position on environmental issues and the paranormal things that were happening around them. I liked the relationship between Marcie and Eric, and I thought it was a normal sibling relationship. I didn’t really understand the romantic relationship between Marcie and Leo, especially because they were so far apart on major issues. Lorraine and Zeke gave me A Wrinkle in Time vibes, which makes sense because the author’s bio states that it was her favourite book growing up.
One thing that bothered me about this book was the indigenous cultural appropriation. There are a lot of references to indigenous people, especially because the archeology dig was studying an ancient indigenous civilization. I don’t know very much about indigenous culture, but at times some of the references made me feel cringy and uncomfortable. I also don’t think that the depiction of the archeological dig site was accurate, but my knowledge of archeology comes from watching Bones, so what do I know?
Overall, this book really wasn’t my cup of tea. I liked that it talked about environmental issues, especially fracking, but the paranormal aspects threw me off. A lot of weird and bizarre things happen in this book, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around them. However, I did find this book to be entertaining, and once I got into it, I wanted to know what was going to happen next.
Thank you Berkley and Edelweiss for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When Mama Joy suddenly dies, her four adopted sons aren’t sure what they should do with her knitting shop. There’s a strong argument for closing the business, selling the building, and splitting the profits, especially because none of them know how to run a knitting store. Then Jesse, the “lazy brother,” begs for a chance to prove that he can run the business, and he convinces Kerry, the girl who has worked there since she was a teenager, to help him keep the shop open.
I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. There were a lot of things that I didn’t like, or that annoyed me. This review contains some necessary ranting because I need to get my frustration out somewhere.
My first issue with this book was the pacing. The first half of the book dragged on, and the second half of the book felt rushed. Most of the first half was spent introducing the characters and setting the scene, and after a while, it got repetitive and boring. I was also annoyed because, despite all of the introduction, the side characters felt one-dimensional. During the first half of the book, Kerry and Jesse do a lot of internal monologuing, and it’s clear that they’re attracted to each other, and that Kerry has had a crush on Jesse since she was a teenager. During the second half of the book, the “slow burn” romance between the two feels rushed, and I almost stopped reading when Kerry decided to throw herself at Jesse.
I didn’t like the relationship between Kerry and Jesse. I didn’t think they had very much chemistry, and I don’t think they’re a good match. Jesse is lazy, he’s a player, and he doesn’t do relationships. Kerry is sweet, ambitious, hard-working, and she has goals that she wants to achieve. The banter between them was awkward, there was too much jealousy going on, and there was a lot of dishonesty between them. I was annoyed that Kerry was constantly reminding people that she could make her own decisions and reminding Jesse that she wasn’t a typical good girl. I was also annoyed that Jesse’s brothers kept on reminding him that Kerry wasn’t like the other girls he’d been with. I also found it super awkward that the brothers (and Jesse) referred to Kerry as “Kerry Girl” or “our girl Kerry,” it made it seem like she was an honorary sister to them, which was weird.
I also didn’t understand the relationship between the brothers. The boys were adopted by Mama Joy, and they grew up together in a loving home. The brothers are known to have their differences and to argue, but to me, it felt like they really didn’t like each other. I know that their mother just passed away and that everyone deals with grief in their own way, but their relationship felt off. There was so much arguing over trivial things, and some of the words that Damien and Jesse exchanged were just mean. There were some moments when I could feel a connection between the brothers, especially between Jesse, Lucas, and Noah, but most of the time, I couldn’t feel it.
I now want to take some time to talk about some of the positive aspects of the book. I liked the marketing plans for the knitting shop, and the Pinterest inspired ideas. I also liked the Old Knitting Group and their devotion to the shop. Finally, I liked how the characters were able to help one of the boys at the education centre that Kerry works at who was being bullied for knitting. I liked the message that real men knit and, more broadly, that hobbies aren’t gendered.
Overall, I was disappointed by this book. I was excited to read it because the premise sounded promising, but it fell flat for me. I didn’t think the relationships between the characters worked, and I was left feeling disappointed.
When Mama Joy suddenly dies, her four adopted sons aren’t sure what they should do with her knitting shop. There’s a strong argument for closing the business, selling the building, and splitting the profits, especially because none of them know how to run a knitting store. Then Jesse, the “lazy brother,” begs for a chance to prove that he can run the business, and he convinces Kerry, the girl who has worked there since she was a teenager, to help him keep the shop open.
I really wanted to like this book, but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. There were a lot of things that I didn’t like, or that annoyed me. This review contains some necessary ranting because I need to get my frustration out somewhere.
My first issue with this book was the pacing. The first half of the book dragged on, and the second half of the book felt rushed. Most of the first half was spent introducing the characters and setting the scene, and after a while, it got repetitive and boring. I was also annoyed because, despite all of the introduction, the side characters felt one-dimensional. During the first half of the book, Kerry and Jesse do a lot of internal monologuing, and it’s clear that they’re attracted to each other, and that Kerry has had a crush on Jesse since she was a teenager. During the second half of the book, the “slow burn” romance between the two feels rushed, and I almost stopped reading when Kerry decided to throw herself at Jesse.
I didn’t like the relationship between Kerry and Jesse. I didn’t think they had very much chemistry, and I don’t think they’re a good match. Jesse is lazy, he’s a player, and he doesn’t do relationships. Kerry is sweet, ambitious, hard-working, and she has goals that she wants to achieve. The banter between them was awkward, there was too much jealousy going on, and there was a lot of dishonesty between them. I was annoyed that Kerry was constantly reminding people that she could make her own decisions and reminding Jesse that she wasn’t a typical good girl. I was also annoyed that Jesse’s brothers kept on reminding him that Kerry wasn’t like the other girls he’d been with. I also found it super awkward that the brothers (and Jesse) referred to Kerry as “Kerry Girl” or “our girl Kerry,” it made it seem like she was an honorary sister to them, which was weird.
I also didn’t understand the relationship between the brothers. The boys were adopted by Mama Joy, and they grew up together in a loving home. The brothers are known to have their differences and to argue, but to me, it felt like they really didn’t like each other. I know that their mother just passed away and that everyone deals with grief in their own way, but their relationship felt off. There was so much arguing over trivial things, and some of the words that Damien and Jesse exchanged were just mean. There were some moments when I could feel a connection between the brothers, especially between Jesse, Lucas, and Noah, but most of the time, I couldn’t feel it.
I now want to take some time to talk about some of the positive aspects of the book. I liked the marketing plans for the knitting shop, and the Pinterest inspired ideas. I also liked the Old Knitting Group and their devotion to the shop. Finally, I liked how the characters were able to help one of the boys at the education centre that Kerry works at who was being bullied for knitting. I liked the message that real men knit and, more broadly, that hobbies aren’t gendered.
Overall, I was disappointed by this book. I was excited to read it because the premise sounded promising, but it fell flat for me. I didn’t think the relationships between the characters worked, and I was left feeling disappointed.
Thank you, Book Sirens, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Aurora and the Thief is a fun, middle-grade retelling of Sleeping Beauty. This book features an unconventional princess who will not conform to what people think a princess should be, an evil stepmother who is actually a witch, an arrogant prince, and a thieving commoner who really wants some silk robes.
My favourite thing about this book was Princess Aurora and how unconventional she was. I like princesses who are skilled at sword fighting and aren’t afraid to punch someone in the nose when they deserve it. I liked how she narrated this book, and I thought some of her comments and internal dialogue was quite amusing.
The action scenes in this book were fun to read. I liked the sword fighting and the shenanigans used to escape from almost certain death. I also liked the magical elements of this story, and I thought it added a nice layer to the adventure in this book.
Even though Phillip annoyed me in this book, I enjoyed the bickering between him and Princess Aurora. The romance element in this book was there because it’s part of the story of Sleeping Beauty, but it’s not the main focus of the story. I thought that Phillip, Miles, and Aurora made a great duo for adventuring through the forest, even if Phillip and Miles were kind of useless with a sword.
Overall, this was a fun, quick read. I think it falls very solidly into the middle-grade category, and the characters are clearly young. If you like unconventional princesses and sword-fighting, this might be the book for you!
Aurora and the Thief is a fun, middle-grade retelling of Sleeping Beauty. This book features an unconventional princess who will not conform to what people think a princess should be, an evil stepmother who is actually a witch, an arrogant prince, and a thieving commoner who really wants some silk robes.
My favourite thing about this book was Princess Aurora and how unconventional she was. I like princesses who are skilled at sword fighting and aren’t afraid to punch someone in the nose when they deserve it. I liked how she narrated this book, and I thought some of her comments and internal dialogue was quite amusing.
The action scenes in this book were fun to read. I liked the sword fighting and the shenanigans used to escape from almost certain death. I also liked the magical elements of this story, and I thought it added a nice layer to the adventure in this book.
Even though Phillip annoyed me in this book, I enjoyed the bickering between him and Princess Aurora. The romance element in this book was there because it’s part of the story of Sleeping Beauty, but it’s not the main focus of the story. I thought that Phillip, Miles, and Aurora made a great duo for adventuring through the forest, even if Phillip and Miles were kind of useless with a sword.
Overall, this was a fun, quick read. I think it falls very solidly into the middle-grade category, and the characters are clearly young. If you like unconventional princesses and sword-fighting, this might be the book for you!
