Review: Bingsu for Two

 

River had himself a heck of a 24-hour period. 

1. He dumped his girlfriend

2. He walked out of the SATs

3. He dumped coffee beans over a customer

4. He quit his job

5. And he begs for a job at a rival coffee shop

* He learns that the girl (Sarang) he dumped coffee beans over works at that rival coffee shop

** A video he makes the first day of work goes viral and forces himself into a fake relationship with Sarang

*** His ex-girlfriend blackmails him

My Thoughts:

I really loved this book (minus the blackmail part). I loved the viral videos. I loved the fake dating. I loved River and his brother. I loved the mom-and-pop coffee shop and how River found himself there. I love how everyone who worked there was a family. His ex-girlfriend was the worst. The coffee shop would be a place I would visit (even though I don't drink coffee.)

Cover Thoughts: Cute

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: Highly Recommended for your school and public library collection

Middle Grade Review: Crushing It

 

Mel's the captain of her soccer team - and they are so close to going back to the championship game. Last year, they lost the game. It crushed Mel. She's not sure why the team made her Captain this year, but as the games get more intense, the team starts falling apart. It's up to Mel to get them back on track. But there's a lot going on with her team.

Tory's having a hard time at home. Her mother's remarried and barely has any time for her. Just when Tory thinks she's found an ally in her step-brother, he joins the Army. And she's crushing over a girl she met online. 

Tory's not one to share her feelings and it's clear something is very wrong with her. Her best friend Chloe is frustrated that Tory won't talk to her. 

Mel's having trouble with her best friend Rima. Rima's running for student-body President and she doesn't have time for Mel. She's so focused on the election that she doesn't see that Mel is struggling. Mel also doesn't like some comments Rima's been making about her lately. Is there a reason they are still friends?

Will all the drama off the field, can they come together on the field?

My Thoughts: This debut crushed it! There's so much in this sports book: all the DRAMA (friendship, family, romance, and school), a little romance, poetry, and public speaking. I didn't want this to end. Middle school friendships are hard, and this book captured all of it. I loved the sports parts and the question of what makes a good captain. I love how everything turned out. Looking forward to whatever Erin Becker writes next! 

Cover Thoughts: Fantastic

Source: My Library

Library Recommendation: A must have sports book for your school and public library collection.

Cozy Review: Chain of Pearls

 

* First book in a new series * 

The last thing she wants is to dig up the past…

When the body of a celebrated journalist is fished from the Edgartown Harbor, the official report rules his death accidental. But why was he alone on a senator’s yacht during a nor’easter? That’s only the first question London-based lawyer Kyra Gibson has when she arrives on the idyllic island of Martha’s Vineyard to settle her estranged father’s affairs.

She’s not looking for closure. She’s not seen him in decades since he left her with her aunt following her mother’s death. But as Kyra delves deeper into her father’s life, she learns he had many regrets and wasn’t as retired as she believed. The more Kyra discovers, the more questions she has. With the help of world-weary detective, Tarek Collins, they uncover a web of intrigue and corruption involving a powerful senator, a dubious energy company, and brutal murder.

As they chase down clues, Kyra and Tarek flirt with danger and race against time to solve the murders and uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath Martha’s Vineyard’s picturesque façade of old money wealth and privilege. - Summary from the publisher

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this start of a new series. I've visited Martha's Vineyard before, I've heard of a few places. I really liked Kyra's neighbors - Grace and Charlie. I enjoyed Krya and how she started finding a home on the island. I enjoyed the dynamics of the islanders and the outsiders. I felt bad that Kyra and her father never got the chance to reconnect. I'm looking forward to the next book from this debut author. 

Cover Thoughts: This is a cozy story, but it has the cover of a thriller

Source: Book sent for a blog tour

Library Recommendation: A great book for your public library

Author Interview: Matt McMann

Today I'm chatting with debut author Matt McMann

This creepy book comes out tomorrow. 

What would happen if you and your friends got stuck overnight in The Haunted Mansion and monsters came to life?

Grab yourself a copy. 

What can you tell us about the Monsterious series?

Monsterious is my spooky middle grade monster mystery debut series. The books are short, and as each story is standalone thriller with a unique cast of characters, they can be read in any order. Escape from Grimstone Manor (Monsterious #1, coming May 9) is about three friends who are trapped overnight in a haunted house amusement park ride and discover the monsters are real. The Snatcher of Raven Hollow (Monsterious #2, also May 9) is about two friends who learn that a mysterious monster is behind the disappearance of infants in their small town—but no one believes them. Terror in Shadow Canyon (#3) publishes Aug 22, followed by The Beast of Skull Rock (#4) in January 2024.

How many books would you like to be in this series? 

A lot! I chose an anthology style series for Monsterious, where the books are tied together by a theme, spooky monster mysteries, yet each is a standalone adventure with a unique cast of characters. I did this partly because if the series finds a strong readership, I can write many Monsterious books, which would be a dream!

 What was the first horror book you remember reading? 

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Even at a young age, I was enthralled. I can remember sitting on the couch in our family room, murmuring the words aloud as I read. After Dracula by Bram Stoker, I checked out every book in my elementary school library on vampires, werewolves, ghosts, Bigfoot, Yeti, and the Loch Ness Monster. I was hooked!

  What's your favorite monster? 

Bigfoot is a sentimental favorite from my childhood, and I have a soft spot for the Loch Ness monster as well. A few years ago, I had the chance to sail on Loch Ness, which was a thrill! I’m also fascinated by werewolves. There’s something about a monster who is a normal human most of the time that I find so intriguing.

   What draws you to write horror novels? 

My love of spooky adventures came from being a scared kid. I was afraid of all kinds of things—the dark, bullies, the basement, the woods. Reading those stories gave me a way to experience fear in a safe, controlled, and fun way. Seeing characters in books face their fears gave me courage to face my own. When I decided to pursue novel writing as an adult, those were the kinds of books I was drawn to write. I want to provide the same encouragement and inspiration for kids today that I had growing up. Besides, spooky stories are just so cool! 

Do you have favorite horror writers? 

In the middle grade space, I think Lindsay Currie is a stand out. She’s able to be genuinely scary without being gory or over the top. In young adult, I’m hooked on the new horror series The Luminaries by Susan Dennard. For classics, Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, and Bram Stoker all have staying power for a reason.

 Do you believe in ghosts? What do you think will happen if you catch the ghost lights? 

While I don’t know of any concrete evidence for the existence of ghosts, I believe many things exist that are currently outside of our scientific understanding. Does that include ghosts, spirits, non-material phenomena? It could.

 I did once chase a mysterious ghost light that appeared in the pre-dawn hours on a mountain behind our house over the course of a week. After several failed attempts and numerous scrapes and bruises from barreling along a rocky slope in the dark, I finally solved the mystery—a distant neighbor had set up a giant, nuclear-powered green spotlight in his backyard. The long throw through branches swaying in the wind created an amazingly compelling dancing ghost light!

What's a writing day look like for you? 

I’m an earlier riser, usually around 5:30 am. After some stretching, exercise, and meditation / prayer, I usually spend the morning drafting or editing one of my books, depending on my deadlines and publishing schedule. If I’m drafting, I write a minimum of a thousand words a day. My wife and I break for lunch around 1:00 pm and watch of few hours of reality TV to give our creative minds a break, then I do admin and marketing work for the rest of the afternoon.

What's the last book you read and loved? 

Good Different by Meg Eden Kuyatt, a powerful and eminently readable middle grade novel in verse about a neurodivergent girl who learns to embrace herself and find her place in the world. It really increased my understanding of and empathy for people who are neurodivergent.

 Quick Questions:

 Panster or Plotter?

I’ve written books both ways, but lean more toward plotter. With the rapid publishing schedule of the Monsterious series (the first four books all come out within nine months), outlining has helped me hit all my deadlines!

 Do you listen to music when you write? 

I find music distracting. As a former professional musician, I catch myself analyzing what’s happening in the music. I like streaming YouTube nature videos on our TV in the background while I write.

 Do you snack and write? Do you have a favorite snack?

I drink English Breakfast hot tea all day long even during scorching Phoenix summers. I love all kinds of salty-sweet snacks but not while writing!

Thanks for chatting with me today, Matt!  

Go grab the book tomorrow when it comes out. But if you're like me, don't read it in the dark!

On Your Radar: What I Like About You (37)

Title: What I Like About You

Author: Marisa Kanter

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: April 7, 2020

Why It Should Be On Your Radar:

* Friendship

* Value of online friends

* Online vs Real Life Personalities

* Grandmother a giant in publishing

* Grandmother's legacy

* Hard work instead of family name

* Cupcakes

* Twitter

* Book Blogger

* Book blogger insider information

* Book Jokes

* Family

* YA means books for teens

This debut was really really good! I can't wait to read what this author writes next!

It might have been the first time I've been jealous of a fictional book bloggers.

I want to host cover reveals and be on bookish panels or moderate panels.

** ARC sent for review

Review: From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Zoe Washington just turned twelve. On her birthday, she finds a letter from her father. He's in prison for murder. He wants to be part of her life. But she doesn't know him. He claims that he's innocent.

Zoe's determined to find out. She secretly writes him back. She asks him for information about his case; she wants to prove his innocence. But all the secrets and lying adds up.

She needs to tell someone about him. Will the truth come spilling out and ruin the rest of her summer plans - her baking internship, and her audition for a kid baking show.

My Thoughts: I really liked this book. I loved the baking parts and how Zoe made up her own cupcake flavor. I loved her moments in the bakery - how it was boring awesome and sometimes boring. I liked her friendship drama with Trevor and how that worked out. I loved her relationship with her grandmother. I loved her letters with Marcus and how they started to have a relationship. I enjoyed their conversation about music. I like how Zoe wanted to uncover the truth about her father even if it meant keeping secrets. I love how everything turned out. An impressive debut novel that leaves me waiting to see what Janae Marks writes next!

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My library
Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your school and public libraries. 
Conversation Starter: There aren't too many books about incarcerated parents and this book would make a great book discussion book.

Review: Library of Lost Things

Darcy Wells has a book shaped heart because she spends her life reading and escaping the real world. She's desperately trying to escape the embarrassment of her home life and her biggest secret.

Her mother is a hoarder.

Darcy's been really great at keeping the secret, but the outside world is pushing back. The secret is crushing Darcy. After spending her life pushing most people away, Darcy meets a boy that she wants to open up to. But giving away her secret is scary.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. Although I confess the hoarding parts were hard to read a bit.  I loved Darcy's bookishness and the book references. I loved her friendship with Marisol - and how she challenged Darcy. I enjoyed Darcy's chats with Asher. I really liked her like in the bookstore and her moments with the building's owners. I loved Marisol's big family and how they embraced Darcy too. The secrets and family drama hit me in the heart. A great debut novel and an author to watch.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: BEA arc
Library Recommendation: A great book for school and public libraries

Feminist Read: Michigan Vs The Boys

When the girl's school hockey team is cut due to lack of funding, Michigan isn't sure what to do. She's busted her butt for years.  She doesn't want to stop playing but she's not sure about any other options. Even though the high school cut the team, Michigan's still hopes to play in college. But when a crazy idea occurs to her - to try out for the boy's team - she goes for it.

And she makes it.

But she never thought about what would happen after she made it.
She never thought about the coach's sexist behavior. She never thought about the harassment and pranks her fellow teammates would play on her. And she never imagined she's be the star of the team.

But what happens when everything becomes so much worse than she imagined? At what point should Michigan speak up?

My Thoughts: I loved this book but it also made me seethe with anger. I Hated the boys on the hockey team. I hated the coach. I wanted justice and revenge so very badly. My heart broke for Michigan and all that she went through. The ending was nicely done. I loved the idea of the girl's hockey team with friends supporting each other. I enjoyed Michigan's relationship with Jack. I really loved Trent (her brother) and their relationship. I loved Meghan and how she looked up to Michigan. I couldn't put this book down, I Had to find out what happened and if those boys would get what they deserved. I want another book about Michigan STAT! 

And this is a debut. I'm excited to see Carrie S. Allen writes next.

Cover Thoughts: Awesome
Source: My library
Library Recommendation: A must have book for school and public libraries.

Review: Pie in the Sky

Jingwen isn't happy that his family moved to a new country; he feels like he's landed on Mars. He doesn't speak the language and misses home terribly. His mom works all the time and he's stuck watching his little brother most nights.

Finally, they come up with a plan to make themselves feel better - baking the cakes their father was going to use in their bakery. But Jingwen's only eleven and he's not supposed to use the oven. They bake the cakes in secret, but has the secrets pile up, so do all the lies.

My Thoughts: I went into this book thinking it was a graphic novel. And it is partly, but it's mostly prose mixed with graphic elements. I really liked this book, but it was really sad at points which I also wasn't expecting. I enjoyed the brotherly relationship - both the sweet moments and the annoying ones. I loved how the boys made (And ate) the cakes. I liked how Jingwen struggled to make friends. But mostly I just wanted to wrap Jingwen up in a giant hug and tell him things will get better. Of course I wanted to bake all thing things (and eat them) while reading this book.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: A great book for school and public libraries - for the friendship, moving to a new country, and navigating life after the death of a parent. 

Picture Book Review: Peanut Butter and Jelly

Reginald isn't like the other zombies who only want to eat brains. He wants peanut butter and jelly. But the zombies think him weird. Can he convince them that he's right? 

While technically not a Halloween story, it's works for this time of year. It's all about zombies, food, and being yourself.  This funny book has a surprise ending and it might make you crave a certain food...or two.

Review: Match Me if You Can

Mia's friend Robyn has matchmaking skills, but she refuses to set Mia up with Vince. She knows they are not right for each other. But Mia refuses to believe that. She sneaks an email from Robyn's address to her crush.

Vince asks Mia out, causing a whole lot of problems in a domino effect:
Robyn finds out and becomes mad at Mia.
Robyn had another boy in mind for Mia.
That other boy is causing Mia to rethink everything...

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book even though the bonds of friendship weren't as strong as I wanted them to be. Romance and high school is so hard. I really liked the newspaper and photography aspects of the story. I really liked the dates. As the reader, you can tell who's perfect for each other, even when the characters haven't figured it out yet. A strong debut that leaves me looking forward to Tiana Smith's next book.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: Grab this one for your school and public libraries.

On Your Radar (17)

Title:  You'd Be Mine

Author:  Erin Hahn

Publisher: Wednesday Books 

Publication Date: April 2, 2019

Why it Should be on Your Radar:

* Country Music
* Song Lyrics
* Romance
* Friendship
* Family
* Fame
* Music Label
* Family Legends
* Living Your Dream
* Dual Perspectives
* Drugs and Alcohol
* Grief


Perfect for the Taylor Swift fan who dreams of singing in front of thousands of people.

Review: Love Songs and Other Lies

Virginia Miller's heart has been broken, but two years later, she's on the mend. She's excited to tour with her best friend's band in a reality TV show with a dream internship centered on PR. But her dream becomes a nightmare when she discovered the boy who broke her heart is also on the bus. Her summer implodes when the internship isn't real. Instead Vee becomes a groupie for the band, helping them with their social media pages and their website. It's still fun, but it's not the summer she had imagined. Plus in order to stay on the bus, she allows herself to be named as her BFF's girlfriend. Now she's struggling with her feelings for her ex. He's acting like he wants her back, but can she trust him?

My Thoughts: I loved this book. I loved the dual perspectives and the dual time periods. I loved seeing Cam and Vee get together and then unravel what went so desperately wrong. I liked trying to puzzle together Cam's past and how that changed him. I loved the song writing moments. I loved the band moments. I love how the book ended - it was fantastic. A seriously great debut; I can't wait to read what Jessica Pennington comes up with next!

Cover Thoughts: Great
Source: I won an ARC on Twitter
Date Released: April 24th

Library Recommendation: It's perfect for this year's summer reading theme. Grab this one for your public library and watch it fly off the shelf.