Jennifer's bookshelf: read en-US Mon, 12 May 2025 11:05:16 -0700 60 Jennifer's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Lake House 40930975 June 1933, and sixteen-year-old Alice Edevane is preparing for her family's Midsummer Eve party at their country home, Loeanneth. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever.

A missing child...
Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, Detective Sadie Sparrow retreats to her beloved grandfather's cottage in Cornwall. Once there, she stumbles upon an abandoned house, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.

An unsolved mystery...
Meanwhile, in her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family's past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape...]]> 606 Kate Morton Jennifer 0 4.28 2015 The Lake House
author: Kate Morton
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/12
shelves: 2018-added-adult, currently-reading
review:

]]> The Note 211399773 A vacation in the Hamptons goes terribly wrong for three friends with a complicated history.

It was meant to be a harmless prank.

Growing up, May Hanover was a good girl, always. Well-behaved, top of her class, a compulsive rule-follower. Raised by a first-generation Chinese single mother with high expectations, May didn’t have room to slip up, let alone fail. Her friends didn’t call her the Little Sheriff for nothing.

But even good girls have secrets. And regrets. When it comes to her friendship with Lauren and Kelsey, she's had her fair share of both. Their bond—forged when May was just twelve years old—has withstood a tragic accident, individual scandals, heartbreak and loss. Now the three friends have reunited for the first time in years for a few days of sun and fun in the Hamptons. But a chance encounter with a pair of strangers leads to a drunken prank that goes horribly awry.Ìý

When she finds herself at the center of an urgent police investigation, May begins to wonder whether Lauren and Kelsey are keeping secrets from her, testing the limits of her loyalty to lifelong friends.

What had they gone and done?

The Note is a page-turner of the highest orderÌýfrom one of our greatest contemporary suspense writers.]]> 287 Alafair Burke 0593537084 Jennifer 0 3.35 2025 The Note
author: Alafair Burke
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/12
shelves: to-read, 2025-added-adult, thriller-suspense
review:

]]> Swim Team: A Graphic Novel 58842730
With Etta's training and a lot of hard work, Bree suddenly finds her swim-crazed community counting on her to turn the school's failing team around. But that's easier said than done, especially when their rival, the prestigious Holyoke Prep, has everything they need to leave the Mighty Manatees in their wake.

Can Bree defy the odds and guide her team to a state championship, or have the Manatees swum their last lap--for good?]]> 256 Johnnie Christmas 0063056771 Jennifer 4 4.33 2022 Swim Team: A Graphic Novel
author: Johnnie Christmas
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/12
date added: 2025/05/12
shelves: graphic-novel, middle-grade, bullying, friendship, school, 2025-gr-challenge, diversity, fathers, history, perseverance, race-relations, swimming
review:
This is a highly engaging middle grade graphic novel about facing your fears and overcoming the odds with some excellent history of African Americans and swimming that is informative and relevant to the story without being didactic or too in-your-face. I found the coach and his pushiness to the kids to join the team when many initially didn't want to do so to be incredibly annoying. But the way Bree's father and neighbor handled things were excellent. The side characters' stories were just as well done as Bree's and I definitely recommend this book to all readers ages 9+, but especially those who enjoy graphic novels or need inspiration on overcoming your fears.
]]> <![CDATA[Pizza Face: A Graphic Novel (Four Eyes #2)]]> 59863214 From Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza, the creators of Four Eyes, comes the second book in this humorous and heartfelt middle-school memoir trilogy.

Just can't face it!

On the first day of seventh grade, Rex encounters a bump in the road -- a big angry pimple right in the center of his forehead. And this is only the beginning of his problems. What follows is a frustrating battle with stubborn acne, body odor, and other embarrassments of puberty. Still struggling with a home life edging on the poverty line, Rex can't afford to buy the acne medication or deodorant he needs, and bullies are noticing Rex's awkward transformation. On top of it all, things have gotten weird with his friends, making Rex feel like he can't do or say anything right. So far, seventh grade stinks!]]> 222 Rex Ogle 133857504X Jennifer 4 Four Eyes, you'll enjoy this one too! If you haven't read the first one, go read it before you read this one as the characters are the same (with a few more added) and you'll miss things if you don't read the first one.

This volume adds puberty to the stresses already experienced by Rex and his friends in middle school. As in the last one, friendship is also a huge theme, although we get some romantic pairing off in the friendships in this one.

Ogle captures middle school life perfectly and the illustrations just top off the story. This is a great middle grade read. I recommend it for ages 9+.]]> 3.97 Pizza Face: A Graphic Novel (Four Eyes #2)
author: Rex Ogle
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/11
date added: 2025/05/12
shelves: bodies-senses, friendship, graphic-novel, memoir-autobiography, middle-grade, school, 2025-gr-challenge, bullying
review:
If you enjoyed the first installment in this series, Four Eyes, you'll enjoy this one too! If you haven't read the first one, go read it before you read this one as the characters are the same (with a few more added) and you'll miss things if you don't read the first one.

This volume adds puberty to the stresses already experienced by Rex and his friends in middle school. As in the last one, friendship is also a huge theme, although we get some romantic pairing off in the friendships in this one.

Ogle captures middle school life perfectly and the illustrations just top off the story. This is a great middle grade read. I recommend it for ages 9+.
]]> <![CDATA[The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern]]> 203579107 It's never too late for new beginnings.

On the cusp of turning eighty, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift. When she relocates to Rallentando Springs—an active senior community in southern Florida—she unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father’s old pharmacy—and the man who broke her heart sixty years earlier.

As a teenager growing up in 1920’s Brooklyn, Augusta’s role model was her father, Solomon Stern, the trusted owner of the local pharmacy and the neighborhood expert on every ailment. But when Augusta’s mother dies and Great Aunt Esther moves in, Augusta can’t help but be drawn to Esther’s curious methods. As a healer herself, Esther offers Solomon’s customers her own advice—unconventional remedies ranging from homemade chicken soup to a mysterious array of powders and potions.

As Augusta prepares for pharmacy college, she is torn between loyalty to her father and fascination with her great aunt, all while navigating a budding but complicated relationship with Irving. Desperate for clarity, she impulsively uses Esther’s most potent elixir with disastrous consequences. Disillusioned and alone, Augusta vows to reject Esther’s enchantments forever.

Sixty years later, confronted with Irving, Augusta is still haunted by the mistakes of her past. What happened all those years ago and how did her plan go so spectacularly wrong? Did Irving ever truly love her or was he simply playing a part? And can Augusta reclaim the magic of her youth before it’s too late?]]> 320 Lynda Cohen Loigman 1250278104 Jennifer 0 currently-reading 4.06 2024 The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern
author: Lynda Cohen Loigman
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> The Jumbies (The Jumbies, #1) 22859559
Corinne La Mer claims she isn’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They’re just tricksters made up by parents to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her to the edge of the trees. They couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?

When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger at the market the very next day, she knows something extraordinary is about to happen. When this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne’s house, danger is in the air. Severine plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn’t know she possessed to stop Severine and to save her island home.]]> 240 Tracey Baptiste 1616204141 Jennifer 4 The Jumbies is a fun middle grade novel rooted in Caribbean mythology. It highlights the importance of family and friendship and bravery, while giving just enough scary vibes to be a great introduction to the horror genre for this age.]]> 3.83 2015 The Jumbies (The Jumbies, #1)
author: Tracey Baptiste
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/10
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: family, horror, middle-grade, mythology, fantasy, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
The Jumbies is a fun middle grade novel rooted in Caribbean mythology. It highlights the importance of family and friendship and bravery, while giving just enough scary vibes to be a great introduction to the horror genre for this age.
]]> <![CDATA[Small Favor (The Dresden Files, #10)]]> 927979 THE New York Times Bestseller

Harry Dresden's life finally seems to be calming down -- until a shadow from the past returns. Mab, monarch of the Sidhe Winter Court, calls in an old favor from Harry -- one small favor that will trap him between a nightmarish foe and an equally deadly ally, and that will strain his skills -- and loyalties -- to their very limits.]]> 423 Jim Butcher 0451461894 Jennifer 4 4.43 2008 Small Favor (The Dresden Files, #10)
author: Jim Butcher
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/09
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: fantasy, 2025-from-the-old-tbr, 2025-gr-challenge, paranormal, magic, tbr-2022-done
review:
It's been awhile since I read a Harry Dresden book and I seem to forget how much I enjoy them. This time around I realized one of my favorite things is that the book's action takes place throughout, not just at the end. If you enjoy Dresden, you'll enjoy this one!
]]> When Stars Are Scattered 52024847 Heartbreak and hope exist together in this remarkable graphic novel about growing up in a refugee camp, as told by a Somali refugee to the Newbery Honor-winning creator of Roller Girl.

Omar and his little brother, Hassan, arrived in Dadaab, a refugee camp in Kenya, seven years ago. Their father was killed the day they left home, and they haven't seen their mother since they joined their neighbors who were fleeing to Dadaab. Now Omar is eleven and Hassan is nine, and Omar has quit school to look after his brother, who has an intellectual disability.

When Omar is given the opportunity to return to school and carve out a future for himself and Hassan, he feels torn. He loves school and could have the opportunity to earn a coveted scholarship to a North American university--and with it a visa for himself and Hassan. But is it worth the risk and heartache of leaving his vulnerable brother for hours each day?

Told in Victoria Jamieson's engaging and accessible graphic-novel style and based on Omar Mohamed's gripping true story, this book is an intimate, important look at day-to-day life in a refugee camp.]]> 264 Omar Mohamed 0525553916 Jennifer 5
Omar's experiences are both heartbreaking and heartwarming as he struggles to care for his little brother while grieving for their father and searching for their mother. The voice of a child trying to fill adult roles and understand adult issues while still being a child is perfectly captured by Jamieson. This novel should be a must-read for all westerners to build empathy and compassion for those in a situation that we cannot possibly ever fully understand.]]> 4.65 2020 When Stars Are Scattered
author: Omar Mohamed
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/09
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: diversity, family, friendship, graphic-novel, history, memoir-autobiography, middle-grade, 2025-gr-challenge, nonfiction, perseverance, race-relations, school, siblings
review:
Omar Mohamed and his nonverbal brother Hassan lose their father and are separated from their mother as they are forced to flee their farm in Somalia due to the civil war. Omar is only 4 when they arrive in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya and Hassan even younger. They live there for years, hoping for a better life but not having any idea what the future holds.

Omar's experiences are both heartbreaking and heartwarming as he struggles to care for his little brother while grieving for their father and searching for their mother. The voice of a child trying to fill adult roles and understand adult issues while still being a child is perfectly captured by Jamieson. This novel should be a must-read for all westerners to build empathy and compassion for those in a situation that we cannot possibly ever fully understand.
]]> The Language of the Birds 217453591 A brilliant, eccentric teenager must solve a series of puzzles left behind by her dead father in this debut that features codes, riddles, and a plot that ingeniously mixes fact and fiction.

When seventeen-year-old Arizona’s mother goes missing on a family trip, Arizona tells herself not to worry. Until she finds her family’s Airstream ransacked—and the ominous note on the counter. Incredibly, impossibly, her mother has been kidnapped.

Even more bizarre are the terms of the The kidnappers believe that Arizona’s dead father took some sort of great secret to his grave—and to get her mother back safely, Arizona must now uncover it for them.Ìý

If Arizona were a “normal� teenager, she’d have no idea what to do. Luckily, Arizona’s anything but normal. Like her father, she’s more comfortable with books than with people, and inordinately fond of puzzles, codes, and riddles—and she soon realizes that the trail begins with a cipher that points her West, to the peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Her dog Mojo at her side, Arizona sets off in the Airstream to uncover the truth and pursue her mother’s return on her own terms. Yet her journey grows far stranger than she could have imagined, as she finds herself cracking codes and solving riddles, poring through pages of ancient texts, poking through forgotten corners of U.S. history, and uncovering mysteries hidden in plain sight in the Western landscape—all on the hunt for an impossible, centuries-old prize.

Even as she races to stay a step ahead of her adversaries and wonders at her father’s hidden life, she begins to realize that navigating the outside world on her own isn’t as terrifying as she thought—and finding other people who understand her isn’t so impossible after all.
]]> 368 K.A. Merson 0593874528 Jennifer 3
A few hours later Arizona receives a call from a blocked number, the caller claims to have her mother and wants Arizona to solve some cryptic clues to get her back. Feeling like she has no choice, Arizona begins to solve clue after clue. When she realizes what kind of treasure the kidnappers are really after, she has to decide who to trust and what kind of power she's willing to discover for a group that would kidnap someone to get what they want.

The story line itself was intriguing and Arizona's character was believable. The treasure hunt had enough truth mixed in to be plausible as well. My problem with this book is that the puzzles were just too much. They were so complex that, instead of enjoying solving them with the characters, I found myself just jumping over them and the process to read Arizona's solutions. In truth, though, I'm not particularly mathematically inclined. If you love math, you might enjoy solving the ciphers with Arizona!

3 stars - it's a solid and believable mystery and characters with just a little too much complicated math for my taste.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]]> 3.68 2025 The Language of the Birds
author: K.A. Merson
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/07
date added: 2025/05/08
shelves: arc, 2025-from-the-old-tbr, 2025-gr-challenge, family, mental-health, language, secrets, tbr-2024-done
review:
Arizona is not your typical 17 year old. She loves puzzles and her parents and her dog Mojo. She hates fluorescent lights, too much noise, and being touched. For the last couple years she's been home-schooled and her family has spent the majority of their time traveling. The story begins a couple weeks after Arizona's father died in a motorcycle crash. She and her mother are devastated and take a trip to scatter his ashes in one of his favorite places. On the trip they get separated and Arizona's mom disappears.

A few hours later Arizona receives a call from a blocked number, the caller claims to have her mother and wants Arizona to solve some cryptic clues to get her back. Feeling like she has no choice, Arizona begins to solve clue after clue. When she realizes what kind of treasure the kidnappers are really after, she has to decide who to trust and what kind of power she's willing to discover for a group that would kidnap someone to get what they want.

The story line itself was intriguing and Arizona's character was believable. The treasure hunt had enough truth mixed in to be plausible as well. My problem with this book is that the puzzles were just too much. They were so complex that, instead of enjoying solving them with the characters, I found myself just jumping over them and the process to read Arizona's solutions. In truth, though, I'm not particularly mathematically inclined. If you love math, you might enjoy solving the ciphers with Arizona!

3 stars - it's a solid and believable mystery and characters with just a little too much complicated math for my taste.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
]]> Who Has Wiggle-Waggle Toes? 40308690 Who says you have to sit still at story time? This book encourages toddlers and preschoolers to shimmy, shake, and stomp along with a story that's both fun and filled with layers of learning!

Who has wiggle-waggle toes? I do. Who has flip-flop feet? I do!

The girls and boys in this book have kissable noses, out-there elbows, big bold bottoms, and hokey pokey heads--which they crinkle, flap, shimmy, and shake. This joyful celebration of our amazing body parts encourages fun, high-energy learning about science, language, self-regulation and focus, and more!

Perfect for brain breaks and active story times!]]> 40 Vicky Shiefman 0823438643 Jennifer 4 From Head to Toe, this one has a diverse cast of kids in the illustrations who all seem to be having a good time as they move and shake and wiggle according to the text. There's no real story line, so this is better for toddlers than for preschoolers, but still a lot of fun.]]> 3.49 Who Has Wiggle-Waggle Toes?
author: Vicky Shiefman
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.49
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/05/07
shelves: picture-books-read-2020, babies, baby-storytime, bodies-senses, movement, toddler-storytime
review:
Super interactive book along the lines of Carle's From Head to Toe, this one has a diverse cast of kids in the illustrations who all seem to be having a good time as they move and shake and wiggle according to the text. There's no real story line, so this is better for toddlers than for preschoolers, but still a lot of fun.
]]> <![CDATA[Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War]]> 18679391
Karen Abbott illuminates one of the most fascinating yet little known aspects of the Civil War: the stories of four courageous women—a socialite, a farmgirl, an abolitionist, and a widow—who were spies.

After shooting a Union soldier in her front hall with a pocket pistol, Belle Boyd became a courier and spy for the Confederate army, using her charms to seduce men on both sides. Emma Edmonds cut off her hair and assumed the identity of a man to enlist as a Union private, witnessing the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The beautiful widow, Rose O’Neale Greenhow, engaged in affairs with powerful Northern politicians to gather intelligence for the Confederacy, and used her young daughter to send information to Southern generals. Elizabeth Van Lew, a wealthy Richmond abolitionist, hid behind her proper Southern manners as she orchestrated a far-reaching espionage ring, right under the noses of suspicious rebel detectives.

Using a wealth of primary source material and interviews with the spies� descendants, Abbott seamlessly weaves the adventures of these four heroines throughout the tumultuous years of the war. With a cast of real-life characters including Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, General Stonewall Jackson, detective Allan Pinkerton, Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and Emperor Napoleon III, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy draws you into the war as these daring women lived it.

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy contains 39 black & white photos and 3 maps.]]> 513 Karen Abbott 0062092898 Jennifer 3
Still, I enjoyed it overall. 3 solid stars]]> 3.74 2014 Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
author: Karen Abbott
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/07
date added: 2025/05/07
shelves: nonfiction, biography, history, feminist, secrets, tbr-2018-done, 2025-from-the-old-tbr, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
This book was informative and interesting, but dragged in places. I think it could have been turned into two different books, each focusing on just two women, instead of one book focusing on all four. That would allow for more focus and less drag. I listened to the audio and I did have a hard time keeping the ladies straight when it switched from one story to another. That's a me problem that would have been fixed by reading a print version, but something to be aware of if you're considering the audio version. There's very little differentiation in the voice or text between characters and the chapter/section titles do NOT tell you which woman the section is about.

Still, I enjoyed it overall. 3 solid stars
]]> The Lost Bookshop 65137920 The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

‘The thing about books,� she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.�

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found�

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder� where nothing is as it seems.]]> 432 Evie Woods 0008609209 Jennifer 4
I'm giving this book four (4) stars based purely on my enjoyment level while I read it. Recommended for fans of magical realism ages 16+.]]> 4.03 2023 The Lost Bookshop
author: Evie Woods
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/06
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, fantasy, feelings, historical-fiction
review:
An homage to book lovers and indie bookshops everywhere, this was a fun story told in alternating timelines. The older timeline (starting in 1921) felt like historical fiction and the modern timeline felt like contemporary fiction. Then suddenly, it's all magical realism, although there were definitely clues along the way for anyone paying attention.

I'm giving this book four (4) stars based purely on my enjoyment level while I read it. Recommended for fans of magical realism ages 16+.
]]> <![CDATA[Four Eyes: A Graphic Novel (Four Eyes, #1)]]> 60758246 A humorous and heartwarming middle-grade graphic memoir about fitting in, facing bullies, and finding the right pair of glasses.

Sixth grade isn't as great as Rex thought it would be. He's the only kid who hasn't had a growth spurt, and the bullies won't let him forget it. His closest friend is unreliable, at best. And there's a cute girl in his class who he can't stop thinking about. With so much going on, everything is a blur -- including Rex's vision! So when he discovers that he needs glasses, and his family can only afford the ugliest pair in the store, any hope Rex had of fitting in goes completely out of focus.

In this true coming-of-age story, Rex has his sights set on surviving sixth grade, but now he's got to find a way to do it with glasses, no friends, and a family that just doesn't get it!]]> 224 Rex Ogle 1338574973 Jennifer 3 4.05 2023 Four Eyes: A Graphic Novel (Four Eyes, #1)
author: Rex Ogle
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/06
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: bullying, eyes, family, friendship, graphic-novel, memoir-autobiography, middle-grade, school, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
This autobiographical graphic novel will resonate with anyone who's ever been bullied, started middle school and had to find a new friend group, or wears glasses. Totally relatable, even though many of the characters came off as unlikable. I recommend this book to all readers ages 10+.
]]> The Belly Book 11449470
Bellies come in all shapes and sizes: baby bellies, grown-up bellies, animal bellies. Some bellies are soft. Some bellies are firm. Round or flat, all bellies deserve a happy pat.
]]> 32 Fran Manushkin 0312649584 Jennifer 4 3.58 2011 The Belly Book
author: Fran Manushkin
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: bodies-senses, food, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime, toddler-storytime
review:
Super simple and fun, this book teaches body positivity in a very accessible way for the youngest crowd. Suitable for a group read aloud!
]]> Clovis Keeps His Cool 53426920
But when rivals from his football days come to heckle him at the shop, Clovis faces a big challenge that even Granny’s words and deep breaths might not be enough for.

Readers will fall in love with Clovis’s gentle soul in this heartwarming and entertaining story about finding inner peace and second chances.]]> 32 Katelyn Aronson 1645672131 Jennifer 4 4.20 2021 Clovis Keeps His Cool
author: Katelyn Aronson
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: animals, bullying, elementary-school-storytime, feelings, jobs, manners, melodrama, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
Excellent illustrations and a fun premise, this book gently teaches calming techniques for controlling your anger. Suitable for a group setting of kids 5+.
]]> Tigers & Tea With Toppy 37825388 48 Barbara Kerley 1338134272 Jennifer 3 3.48 Tigers & Tea With Toppy
author: Barbara Kerley
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.48
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: biography, animals, art, elementary-school-storytime, jobs, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
A simple, picture book biography of the artist Charles R. Knight, this book gives just enough information to whet the appetite. Don't miss the author's note in the back!
]]> Fancy Nancy: Tea Parties 5552237 You're invited to a tea party! Join in the fun with hostess extraordinaire Fancy Nancy.

Fancy Nancy shares her favorite tea-party tips: from what to wear, which refreshments to serve, and how to make absolutely everything—even paper plates and plastic spoons—trés elegant! A perfect gentle and friendly etiquette teaching tool, Tea Parties is a great gift for your little hostess!

With a little imagination, they too can create an exquisite tea party that is perfect for friends and family. R.S.V.P. oui, oui, oui!

Recipe cards included! From the dazzling New York Times bestselling duo Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser.]]> 40 Jane O'Connor 0061801747 Jennifer 4 3.94 2009 Fancy Nancy: Tea Parties
author: Jane O'Connor
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: food, manners, picture-books-read-in-2025, picture-book-not-for-ra
review:
This book doesn't have a story line, it's definitely more of a how-to book. It's not really appropriate for story time, but great to help plan a tea party for kids or for helping kids plan a tea party!
]]> Tea with Oliver 32711708
Oliver is not like other cats. He likes cookies and tea. Just like me.

I think we will be best friends…if he will just read one of my letters!

Philbert the mouse.]]> 40 Mika Song 0062429485 Jennifer 3 3.60 2017 Tea with Oliver
author: Mika Song
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: cats, food, friendship, manners, melodrama, mouse, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime
review:
Oliver the Cat and Philbert the mouse both enjoy a good tea party, but they just don't know how to communicate. Will they ever find a friend? Suitable for story time.
]]> Tea Time 55842780
Frannie and Grandy both have an idea about what the perfect day should look like, but when that day arrives, there is a migh-TEA mix-up. Tea gets splashed, sandwiches smashed, and expectations, crushed. Luckily, Frannie and Grandy discover that a perfect day is just one they spend together.

New York Times bestselling author Beth Ferry partners with award-winning illustrator Dana Wulfekotte to bring us a funny and tender ode to the relationship between children and grandparents.]]> 40 Beth Ferry 1524741086 Jennifer 3 3.82 2021 Tea Time
author: Beth Ferry
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: elementary-school-storytime, family, food, hippo, perspective, picnics, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime
review:
A cute picture book that could help start a discussion about homophones and perspective and communication. It's a fun story with absolutely adorable illustrations that's suitable for story time, especially if you have a group that understands what golf is.
]]> Tea with Grandpa 17818386
Spending time with Grandpa is always fun.
Singling, laughing, eating, and playing.
And when it's time to say goodbye,
It won't be for long because
He's never too far away to have tea.
Ìý
In this sweetly simple, rhyming picture book byÌýacclaimed author/artist Barney Saltzberg, a little girl tells us about her daily tea ritual with her grandfather where they sing and laugh and clink theirÌýteacups with the help ofÌýtheir computers andÌýa video chat.
Ìý
A Neal Porter Book

]]> 40 Barney Saltzberg 1596438940 Jennifer 4 3.80 2014 Tea with Grandpa
author: Barney Saltzberg
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: food, family, picture-books-read-in-2025, toddler-storytime
review:
Fun rhyming text (sparse) telling the story of a little girl "having tea" with her grandpa over zoom.
]]> <![CDATA[Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet]]> 35953464
Author Claire L. Evans finally gives these unsung female heroes their due with her social history of the Broad Band, the women who made the internet what it is today. Learn from Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron, who wove numbers into the first program for a mechanical computer in 1842. Seek inspiration from Grace Hopper, the tenacious mathematician who democratized computing by leading the charge for machine-independent programming languages after World War II. Meet Elizabeth "Jake" Feinler, the one-woman Google who kept the earliest version of the Internet online, and Stacy Horn, who ran one of the first-ever social networks on a shoestring out of her New York City apartment in the 1980s. Evans shows us how these women built and colored the technologies we can't imagine life without.

Join the ranks of the pioneers who defied social convention and the longest odds to become database poets, information-wranglers, hypertext dreamers, and glass ceiling-shattering dot com-era entrepreneurs.]]> 288 Claire L. Evans 0735211752 Jennifer 4 3.94 2018 Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet
author: Claire L. Evans
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/05
date added: 2025/05/05
shelves: nonfiction, tbr-2018-done, jobs, history, feminist, machines, 2025-gr-challenge, 2025-from-the-old-tbr
review:
Fascinating and informative, I recommend this to anyone interested in history or computer science.
]]> What Does It Feel Like? 214312329
“What Does It Feel Like? is fiction, but it is my most autobiographical work to date. Eve’s story is my story.â€â€”Sophie Kinsella

Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain.

As Eve learns to walk, talk, and write again—and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children—she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights, and always buying that dress when she sees it.

Recounted in brief anecdotes, each one is an attempt to answer the type of impossible questions recognizable to anyone navigating the labyrinth of grief. This short, extraordinary novel is a celebration of life, shot through with warmth and humor—it will both break your heart and put it back together again.

“Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.â€â€”Sophie Kinsella]]> 144 Sophie Kinsella 0593977564 Jennifer 3 4.25 2024 What Does It Feel Like?
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/05/02
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, bodies-senses, illness
review:
This is a quick read that has more sentimental value for fans of Sophie Kinsella than it does as actual literature. She says in the afterword that writing is how she processes her life, and this book is very autobiographical. It was a quick, decent read, but not really anything like her other books.
]]> Rain Reign 20575434
Just as a storm hits town, Rain goes missing. Rose’s father shouldn’t have let Rain out. Now Rose has to find her dog, even if it means leaving her routines and safe places to search. Rose will find Rain, but so will Rain’s original owners.]]> 226 Ann M. Martin 0312643004 Jennifer 4
A year or so later there's a huge hurricane and Rain gets lost in the storm. Rose is devastated! Rose knows she has to find Rain, even if it means she has to break some rules or patterns.

There's some really lovely lessons about friendship and loyalty and the beauty of diversity in this contemporary middle grade novel. The novel was never preachy or didactic and kept things on a level that's perfect for middle grade readers to understand and enjoy. Highly recommended!]]> 4.22 2014 Rain Reign
author: Ann M. Martin
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/02
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: middle-grade, mental-health, language, 2025-gr-challenge, dogs, weather
review:
Rose Howard knows she's been diagnosed with "high-functioning autism" but doesn't really understand what that means or why it's hard for her to fit in at school. The only person, including her dad, who seems to not be bothered by her eccentricities, is her Uncle Weldon. She is obsessed with prime numbers and homonyms and keeps lists of them. When her dad finds a dog during a storm and gives it to her, she finally has a friend. She names the dog Rain because it's a triple homonym: rain/reign/rein.

A year or so later there's a huge hurricane and Rain gets lost in the storm. Rose is devastated! Rose knows she has to find Rain, even if it means she has to break some rules or patterns.

There's some really lovely lessons about friendship and loyalty and the beauty of diversity in this contemporary middle grade novel. The novel was never preachy or didactic and kept things on a level that's perfect for middle grade readers to understand and enjoy. Highly recommended!
]]> <![CDATA[This Is How You Lose the Time War]]> 43352954 Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.

Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.]]> 209 Amal El-Mohtar Jennifer 1
Because there's no world building, there's no context to understand the war itself or the warring factions. That makes the story line hard to follow. There's also no explanation of how/why the two main characters are immortal and can jump from time stream to time stream. There's no relationship development, just letters back and forth through which the two main characters (who are each agents for opposite warring sides) supposedly fall in love. The problem is, they never interact beyond those letters! They never actually see each other in person or have any real conversations.

I was confused throughout most of the book and I just didn't buy into the love story. Sorry, I hate giving one star ratings, but in this case I have to. ]]> 3.86 2019 This Is How You Lose the Time War
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2025/05/02
date added: 2025/05/02
shelves: sci-fi, lgbtq, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
I really wanted to love this book. I heard the author speak at the Texas Library Association Conference and just loved what she had to say so I went home and put this straight on hold on my Libby. I was thrilled to get the audio book just a couple weeks later and excited to start listening. From the beginning I was lost and bored. Unfortunately, the reader gets dropped in what feels like mid-story. There's absolutely zero background on the world/s where the story is taking place or the characters or the warring factions. The story just starts with no exposition at all. Normally, this isn't necessarily a bad thing because as the story unfolds things become clear through action instead of exposition. Sadly, that never happened in this book. Through the entire 4 hours and 16 minutes of the audio we get no reason for anything - including the love between the two main characters.

Because there's no world building, there's no context to understand the war itself or the warring factions. That makes the story line hard to follow. There's also no explanation of how/why the two main characters are immortal and can jump from time stream to time stream. There's no relationship development, just letters back and forth through which the two main characters (who are each agents for opposite warring sides) supposedly fall in love. The problem is, they never interact beyond those letters! They never actually see each other in person or have any real conversations.

I was confused throughout most of the book and I just didn't buy into the love story. Sorry, I hate giving one star ratings, but in this case I have to.
]]> Tea Rex 15768811 Some are for girls.
But this tea party is for a very special guest.
And it is important to follow some rules . . .
like providing comfortable chairs,
and good conversation,
and yummy food.
But sometimes that is not enough for special guests,
especially when their manners are more Cretaceous than gracious . . .

Introducing Tea Rex, a guest that just about any child would love to have to tea!]]> 40 Molly Idle 0670014303 Jennifer 3 3.95 2013 Tea Rex
author: Molly Idle
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2018/01/31
date added: 2025/05/01
shelves: dinosaurs, preschool-storytime, manners
review:
Cute illustrations, but the story line is lackluster.
]]> Other Words for Home 35398627 New York TimesÌýbestseller and Newbery Honor Book!


A gorgeously written, hopeful middle grade novel in verse about a young girl whoÌýmust leave Syria to move to the United States, perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Aisha Saeed.

Jude never thought she’d be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives.

At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven’t quite prepared her for starting school in the US—and her new label of “Middle Eastern,� an identity she’s never known before.

But this life also brings unexpected surprises—there are new friends, a whole new family, and a school musical that Jude might just try out for. Maybe America, too, is a place where Jude can be seen as she really is.

This lyrical, life-affirming story is about losing and finding home and, most importantly, finding yourself.]]> 352 Jasmine Warga Jennifer 5 4.41 2019 Other Words for Home
author: Jasmine Warga
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/30
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, diversity, friendship, language, middle-grade, perspective, poetry, race-relations
review:
This middle grade novel-in-verse is an easy read, but absolutely beautiful and thought-provoking.
]]> <![CDATA[The Devil Wears Scrubs (Dr. Jane McGill, #1)]]> 18834746 279 Freida McFadden 1492177164 Jennifer 2
This was a short, easy read but I finished it and was still waiting for something to happen. The best thing I can say about it was that it went by quickly.]]> 3.45 2013 The Devil Wears Scrubs (Dr. Jane McGill, #1)
author: Freida McFadden
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/29
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: 2025-from-the-old-tbr, 2025-gr-challenge, illness, melodrama, tbr-2024-done
review:
I hated that the mc was such a wimp when it came to holding her boundaries against "Sexy Surgeon." That's a terrible stereotype (or reality) to promote and left me with an icky feeling. I also hated that she never bothered to advocate for herself with other interns or residents. I'm not a fan of spineless females. None of the other characters were likable, either, with the one exception of Mr. & Mrs. Jefferson (a patient and her husband).

This was a short, easy read but I finished it and was still waiting for something to happen. The best thing I can say about it was that it went by quickly.
]]> <![CDATA[The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (Fred, the Vampire Accountant, #1)]]> 22081680
One fateful night � different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful � Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos that is the parahuman world, a world with chipper zombies, truck driver wereponies, maniacal necromancers, ancient dragons, and now one undead accountant trying his best to “survive.� Because even after it’s over, life can still be a downright bloody mess.]]> 300 Drew Hayes Jennifer 3 3.81 2014 The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant (Fred, the Vampire Accountant, #1)
author: Drew Hayes
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/30
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: paranormal, 2025-gr-challenge, fantasy, short-stories
review:
Silly and fun without every getting very deep, this series of short stories about Fred, an accountant who is turned into a vampire, made me roll my eyes and laugh. If you're looking for something super light with shapeshifters and other paranormal beings, give this one a try.
]]> <![CDATA[The Quiet Game (Penn Cage, #1)]]> 815439 New York Times bestselling author of Spandau Phoenix and Mortal Fear returns with a rich and atmospheric novel of high suspense

When recently widowed Penn Cage leaves Houston with his young daughter and returns to his hometown seeking peace, he finds something very different. Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old secrets and older money. Upon learning that his father is being blackmailed, Penn finds himself reopening the most highly charged murder case in the town's history, searching for the evidence that could bring down the judge who nearly destroyed his father years ago. As the town closes ranks against him, Penn is joined by Caitlin Masters, a young newspaper publisher, on a deadly quest to find answers to one of the darkest chapters of American history, a quest that pits them against the FBI, a band of brothers still fiercely guarding the tainted legacy of J. Edgar Hoover. But Penn's most dangerous journey must be made alone--into the abiding mystery of his own past, into the mind and heart of a woman he lost twenty years ago, and who still has the power to save or destroy him.]]> 433 Greg Iles 0525937935 Jennifer 0 4.15 1999 The Quiet Game (Penn Cage, #1)
author: Greg Iles
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: to-read, thriller-suspense, 2018-added-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country (My Amazing Adventures)]]> 56299205 Discover the exhilarating diversity of the African continent in storyteller Atinuke's kaleidoscopic nonfiction guide to the people, flora, and fauna of all fifty-five countries.

A Nigerian storyteller explores the continent of Africa country by country: its geography, peoples, animals, history, resources, and cultural diversity. The book is divided into five distinct sections--South, East, West, Central, and North--and each country is showcased on its own bright, energetic page brimming with friendly facts on science, industry, food, sports, music, wildlife, landscape features, even snippets of local languages. The richest king, the tallest sand dunes, and the planet's largest waterfall all make appearances along with drummers, cocoa growers, inventors, balancing stones, salt lakes, high-tech cities, and nomads who use GPS! Atinuke's lively and comprehensive introduction to all fifty-five African countries--a celebration scaled to dazzle and delight even very young readers--evokes the continent's unique blend of modern and traditional. Complete with colorful maps, an index, and richly patterned and textured illustrations by debut children's book artist Mouni Feddag, Africa, Amazing Africa is both a beautiful gift book and an essential classroom and social studies resource.]]> 80 Atinuke 1536205370 Jennifer 4 4.40 2019 Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country (My Amazing Adventures)
author: Atinuke
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/29
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: diversity, middle-grade, nonfiction, 2025-gr-challenge, geography-travel
review:
Informative and accessible, this is a great intro to the major African countries at the time of printing. The illustrations add to the appeal. This is an ideal jumping off place to decide what else you want to know about the different African countries.
]]> <![CDATA[Heartstopper: Volume One (Heartstopper, #1)]]> 50160417 Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out.

"Absolutely delightful. Sweet, romantic, kind. Beautifully paced. I loved this book." -- Rainbow Rowell, author of Carry On
Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance.

But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.
]]> 288 Alice Oseman 1338617443 Jennifer 4 4.47 2018 Heartstopper: Volume One (Heartstopper, #1)
author: Alice Oseman
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/15
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: lgbtq, graphic-novel, ya, gr-challenge-2024
review:
Seriously adorable! I'm not a graphic novel fan, nor a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and still this book was relatable and sweet and all of a sudden I plan on reading the next one. (I only picked this one up to fill a prompt in a reading challenge I'm doing).
]]> The Power of Yeti 62646548 When a little boy can't keep up with the other kids, his new friend Yeti reveals a trick that makes all the difference.

Some days it seems like everybody is bigger, stronger, and faster than you, and that has one little boy feeling blue. Fortunately, a surprising someone steps in to help--a big, hairy Yeti--along with some very impressive Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and the Abominable Snow Monster! But it is Yeti who claims to be the most powerful one in his family, all because of . . . the POWER OF YETI! This is the power that comes with knowing you can succeed, but it will take time and effort. And thanks to Yeti’s words of encouragement, the boy starts looking at things in a new light. He doesn't know how to tie his shoelaces . . . YETi! And he's not great at making soccer goals . . . YETi! He might not be the biggest, strongest, or fastest kid on the playground, but it turns out he's still pretty powerful and full of potential--all because of the power of YETi.]]> 32 Rebecca Van Slyke 0593407709 Jennifer 2 3.62 The Power of Yeti
author: Rebecca Van Slyke
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.62
book published:
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: animals, elementary-school-storytime, imagination, picture-books-read-in-2025, perseverance, perspective
review:
This book has wonderful illustrations, but the message felt really heavy-handed to me.
]]> Even Yetis Get Colds 206120243 Getting a cold is never fun, but a friend by your side can be just what the doctor ordered. An adorable, gentle, joy-filled picture book series launch for fans of Not Quite Narwhal and Dear Dragon.

Having a yeti as a best friend is, well, the best! There’s always laughter and adventure, and you’re guaranteed to have the best seat in the house.

Except . . . for one big problem. Every year, Yeti gets a cold. And when he does, he turns into a total grump.

So this year, his girl is going to be ready. She’s armed with tissues and blankets and cocoa. But finding a cure is a lot harder than it sounds.

And sometimes all you need is a friend.

Utterly endearing, Even Yetis Get Colds introduces a talented new voice, and is a perfect cozy pick through sniffles and giggles and for any curling-up day.]]> 32 Carlianne Tipsey 1645952495 Jennifer 3
This is a fun story about friendship and the illustrations are absolutely adorable.]]> 3.69 Even Yetis Get Colds
author: Carlianne Tipsey
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.69
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: animals, elementary-school-storytime, friendship, illness, imagination, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime
review:
Having a yeti for a best friend has all kinds of perks! Unfortunately, it also has one big drawback. Every year her yeti gets a cold so one young girl decides to try and cure him. When she realizes none of her ideas are going to work, she has to improvise.

This is a fun story about friendship and the illustrations are absolutely adorable.
]]> Dear Yeti 23310710
Two young hikers set out to look for Yeti one day, and with the help of a bird friend, they trek further and further into the woods, sending letters to coax the shy creature out of hiding. But as their trip goes on, the hikers find that they have not prepared very well, and though their morale is high, food supplies are low, the forest is getting darker, and a snowstorm looms. Luckily Yeti is a friend they can rely on, and though he's not ready to come out of hiding, he sneakily finds a way to get the hikers exactly what they need when they need it. A sweet and whimsical story of a perfect kid-sized winter adventure, Dear Yeti is the debut picture book of an author/illustrator to watch.]]> 40 James Kwan 0374300453 Jennifer 3
This is a fun story, but the illustrations bothered me - the yeti is brown and looks more like a grizzly bear than a yeti.]]> 3.76 2015 Dear Yeti
author: James Kwan
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: animals, friendship, imagination, nature, perseverance, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime
review:
Two young hikers are on a mission to find the yeti. They keep sending the yeti letters to encourage him to show himself, but he doesn't seem particularly interested in meeting them.

This is a fun story, but the illustrations bothered me - the yeti is brown and looks more like a grizzly bear than a yeti.
]]> <![CDATA[The Gorgon's Fury (Tales of Newel and Doren #1)]]> 216319402 #1 New York Times best-selling author Brandon Mull returns to Fablehaven with a brand-new story starring the comedic satyrs, Newel and Doren, and their battle against a gorgon.

Satyrs Newel and Doren are maturing into more responsible citizens after helping put an end to the dragon rebellion. But the thought of growing out of adolescence has the two goatmen in crisis mode. If that isn’t enough to worry about, a few unlucky inhabitants of Fablehaven have been found petrified, turned to stone, including fellow satyrs. Could this new threat be the workings of a dangerous gorgon?

Newel and Doren become intrigued after an informant divulges information about a legendary Listening Doll—a talisman with the power to reveal the antidote for any magical malady—hidden somewhere in the Florida swamplands. If the mystical doll can solve any problem, maybe she has the answer of how to turn back the clock, so they won’t have to grow up.

Perhaps a trip to Florida is just what Newel and Doren need to get their mojo in time to win the annual Satyr Games. Two new challengers, Barrett and Hoff, are talking smack about dethroning Newel and Doren as perennial champions. And the new opponents have a smartphone!

Finding the Listening Doll and saving Fablehaven is important, sure. But Newel and Doren are also desperate for a smartphone of their own. Let the adventure and the games begin!]]> 192 Brandon Mull 1639933794 Jennifer 4 4.12 The Gorgon's Fury (Tales of Newel and Doren #1)
author: Brandon Mull
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/28
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: fantasy, middle-grade, paranormal, 2025-gr-challenge, mythology
review:
This is a another spin-off series in the Fablehaven universe, this time focusing on the satyrs Newell and Doren. It's a quick read, about half as long as Mull's typical books and not nearly as intricately plotted, but still entertaining. If you enjoyed Newell and Doren in the original series, you'll enjoy this book and the character development they experience.
]]> All the Words We Know 220161561 With wicked humor, genuine poignancy, and clever insight, this is an unforgettable novel about murder, secrets, and memory that is perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Fredrik Backman, and “will be loved by readers wanting to have their heart strings plucked� (The Guardian).

Rose may be in her eighties and suffering from dementia, but she’s not done with life just yet. Alternately sharp as a tack and spectacularly forgetful, she spends her days roaming the corridors of her assisted living facility, musing on the staff and residents, and enduring visits form her emotionally distant children and granddaughters. But when her friend is found dead after an apparent fall from a window, Rose embarks on an eccentric and determined investigation to discover the truth and uncover all manner of secrets…even some from her own past.]]> 240 Bruce Nash 1668053608 Jennifer 0 to-read, arc 3.34 All the Words We Know
author: Bruce Nash
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.34
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read, arc
review:

]]> <![CDATA[My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More]]> 177721403 Follow Coretta Scott King Honor–winning author G. Neri to the end of the world in a captivating travel memoir that explores Antarctica through the curiosity and wonder of his inner child—the kid who dreamed of one day becoming an explorer.

Antarctica is a land of extremes—the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest place on the planet. It’s a world where the sun stays hidden half of the year and where visitors must undergo a week of special training before it’s safe to go outside (watch out for lava bombs!). It’s also a place of stark beauty, history, and endless scientific research. Join beloved author G. Neri on his long-dreamed-of voyage to the ice, where he taps into his inner child and encounters sea angels, mummified seals, space robots, inquisitive penguins, and so much more. Abundant full-color photographs (many by the author) and annotated comics and illustrations from Corban Wilkin depict an unforgettable stay in a land of baffling mysteries to uncover, epic questions to ponder, and bigger-than-life stories to tell. Robust back matter includes more facts and history, recommended source material, and answers to questions about everything from logistics (how do you sleep?) to cool science (why is Blood Falls red?). This eye-opening, information-packed memoir—shaped by the author’s visits with school groups upon his return—sparkles with his heartfelt journey of discovery.]]> 96 G. Neri 1536223328 Jennifer 4 4.49 2024 My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More
author: G. Neri
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/28
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: nonfiction, weather, snow, nature, jobs, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
Fascinating and informative from beginning to end, I recommend this book to anyone, especially kids, who want to learn just a little bit more about Antarctica. It doesn't go deep into anything and won't satisfy the curiosity of kids who are super into nature, but it will whet the appetite and give you a broad overview of how humans relate to the continent.
]]> <![CDATA[Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...A Love Story]]> 207298501 Jason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first.

Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria. Dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, hair in a ponytail. Aria. Way more than fine.

Twenty-four weeks ago: Neon’s dad insists on talking to him about tenderness and intimacy. Neon and Aria are definitely in love, and while they haven’t taken that next big step…yet, they’ve starting talking about…that.

Twenty-four days ago: Neon’s mom finds her—gulp—bra in his room. Hey! No judging! Those hook thingies are complicated! So he’d figured he’d better practice, what with the big day only a month away.

Twenty-four minutes ago: Neon leaves his shift at work at his dad’s bingo hall, making sure to bring some chicken tenders for Aria. They’re not candlelight and they definitely aren’t caviar, but they are her favorite.

And right this second? Neon is locked in Aria’s bathroom, completely freaking out because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are about to…about to� Well, they won’t do anything if he can’t get out of his own head (all the advice, insecurities, and what ifs) and out of this bathroom!]]> 256 Jason Reynolds 1665961279 Jennifer 4
This book is clever and touching and I enjoyed it. ]]> 4.13 2024 Twenty-Four Seconds from Now...A Love Story
author: Jason Reynolds
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, bodies-senses, feelings, ya
review:
As Reynolds says in the acknowledgements at the end: "Black boys need love stories, too."

This book is clever and touching and I enjoyed it.
]]> Breathe In, Cash Out 42201818 �The Devil Wears Prada meets Wall Street� (TheSkimm) in this sizzling debut about a banking analyst who plans to finally pursue her yoga career full-time after her bonus hits, but until then she’ll have to keep her sanity intact (and her chakras aligned).

Allegra Cobb’s resume: straight-A Princeton grad, second-year analyst at a top-tier bank, one-time American Yoga National Competition Champion. Allegra Cobb’s reality: Spending twenty-four hours a day changing the colors on bar charts, overusing the word “team,� and daydreaming about quitting the minute her year-end bonus hits her account. She no longer has no interest in the cutthroat banking world—she’s determined to launch her very own yoga practice.

But her plan isn’t quite as perfect as the beachfront yoga pictures she double-taps on Instagram. On top of the 100 emails an hour and coworkers already suspicious of her escape plan, Allegra’s hard-driving single father has always fiercely valued high achievement above all else. That his daughter works on Wall Street means everything to him.

But after a) unknowingly sleeping with the man now leading her banking cohort on one of their biggest deals to date and b) meeting the #blessed yoga guru who might just be her ticket to the life she’s always wanted, she realizes her happy-ever-after might be harder to manifest than she thought.

Fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, and totally irresistible, Breathe In, Cash Out “is a modern fairytale, a romance that’s not about finding the right guy, but finding yourself� (Eliza Kennedy, author of I Take You).]]> 289 Madeleine Henry 1982114533 Jennifer 0 gave-up-on, feelings 3.30 2019 Breathe In, Cash Out
author: Madeleine Henry
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.30
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: gave-up-on, feelings
review:
No star rating because I didn't read the whole book. I made it through the first two chapters (on audio) and there were more than 30 F* bombs and some seriously vulgar discussions of sex. That's just not my cup of tea so I'm DNFing this book and posting this review to warn anyone else who isn't a fan of those things. If they don't bother you, go ahead and give it a try.
]]> <![CDATA[The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife]]> 204158999 For readers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and A Man Called Ove, a warm, life-affirming debut about a zany case of mistaken identity that allows a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family.

‘Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.'

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head—as long as his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.

Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard's facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter's health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man deceive her again.

As Fred walks in Bernard’s shoes, he leaves a trail of kindness behind him, fueling Denise's suspicions about his true identity. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Denise rediscover their sense of purpose and learn how to return a broken life to mint condition.

Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a hilarious, feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family.]]> 336 Anna Johnston 0063397293 Jennifer 5
I loved every page and every character. I laughed, I cried, I bought into it, it all felt real to me. My dad is 81 and was diagnosed with dementia about 5 years ago so I related to this book in a different way than I otherwise would have, but I absolutely adored Albert and Val. I loved Frederick's good heart and could totally see how he got into such a crazy predicament. By the end, I even came to understand Bernard. The way the story wove between character perspectives was genius!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough if you're looking for something heartwarming that will make you believe in the power of found family and kindness. 5 enthusiastic stars!]]> 4.28 2024 The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife
author: Anna Johnston
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/28
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: family, feelings, friendship, homes, illness, mental-health, gr-challenge-2024
review:
I can't remember the last book that I enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed reading this book.

I loved every page and every character. I laughed, I cried, I bought into it, it all felt real to me. My dad is 81 and was diagnosed with dementia about 5 years ago so I related to this book in a different way than I otherwise would have, but I absolutely adored Albert and Val. I loved Frederick's good heart and could totally see how he got into such a crazy predicament. By the end, I even came to understand Bernard. The way the story wove between character perspectives was genius!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough if you're looking for something heartwarming that will make you believe in the power of found family and kindness. 5 enthusiastic stars!
]]> <![CDATA[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)]]> 60181
Follow the adventures of young Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, as their Kansas house is swept away by a cyclone and they find themselves in a strange land called Oz. Here she meets the Munchkins and joins the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion on an unforgettable journey to the Emerald City, where lives the all-powered Wizard of Oz.

This lavishly produced facsimile of the rare first edition contains all 24 of W. W. Denslow's original color plates, the colorful pictorial binding, and the 130 two-color illustrations that help make THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ so special and enduring.]]> 267 L. Frank Baum 0060293233 Jennifer 4 4.06 1900 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1)
author: L. Frank Baum
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1900
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: classics, fantasy, friendship, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
This book was a flashback to my childhood! I remember fondly reading the entire series (there's #14 books) during one summer growing up. I didn't remember anything about the story line other than the movie which I've seen dozens of times. Well, the two barely resemble each other! Still, this was a fun trip down memory lane. :) It would make a great bedtime read (one chapter a night) for kids 4-8.
]]> Nine Perfect Strangers 39280445 Could ten days at a health resort really change you forever?

These nine perfect strangers are about to find out...

Nine people gather at a remote health resort. Some are here to lose weight, some are here to get a reboot on life, some are here for reasons they can’t even admit to themselves. Amidst all of the luxury and pampering, the mindfulness and meditation, they know these ten days might involve some real work. But none of them could imagine just how challenging the next ten days are going to be.

Frances Welty, the formerly best-selling romantic novelist, arrives at Tranquillum House nursing a bad back, a broken heart, and an exquisitely painful paper cut. She’s immediately intrigued by her fellow guests. Most of them don’t look to be in need of a health resort at all. But the person that intrigues her most is the strange and charismatic owner/director of Tranquillum House. Could this person really have the answers Frances didn’t even know she was seeking? Should Frances put aside her doubts and immerse herself in everything Tranquillum House has to offer—or should she run while she still can?

It’s not long before every guest at Tranquillum House is asking exactly the same question.

Combining all of the hallmarks that have made Liane Moriarty's writing a go-to for anyone looking for wickedly smart, page-turning fiction that will make you laugh and gasp, Nine Perfect Strangers once again shows why she is a master of her craft.]]> 453 Liane Moriarty 1250069823 Jennifer 3 3.53 2018 Nine Perfect Strangers
author: Liane Moriarty
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: 2025-from-the-old-tbr, 2025-gr-challenge, mental-health, tbr-2018-done
review:
This one was a twisty, fun ride, which all of Moriarty's books have been for me, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. Although they were all interesting, there were too many characters. I had trouble deciding who the main character was supposed to be; honestly I think it switched from Francis at the beginning to Masha by the end, but cycled through everyone else in the meantime. This kept me as the reader from caring too much about any of the characters. 3.5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut Universe, #1)]]> 33080122
Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too.

Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.]]> 431 Mary Robinette Kowal Jennifer 0 to-read 3.91 2018 The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut Universe, #1)
author: Mary Robinette Kowal
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Smile (Smile, #1) 6393631 214 Raina Telgemeier 0545132053 Jennifer 4 4.22 2009 Smile (Smile, #1)
author: Raina Telgemeier
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/23
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: graphic-novel, memoir-autobiography, middle-grade, nonfiction, 2025-gr-challenge, bodies-senses, friendship
review:
Relatable and real, this graphic novel memoir is perfect for kids ages 9-12.
]]> <![CDATA[Stepping Stones (Peapod Farm, #1)]]> 42424403 Jen is used to not getting what she wants. So suddenly moving to the country and getting new stepsisters shouldn't be too much of a surprise.

Jen did not want to leave the city. She did not want to move to a farm with her mom and her mom's new boyfriend, Walter. She did not want to leave her friends and her dad.

Most of all, Jen did not want to get new "sisters," Andy and Reese.

If learning new chores on Peapod Farm wasn't hard enough, then having to deal with perfect-at-everything Andy might be the last straw for Jen. Besides cleaning the chicken coop, trying to keep up with the customers at the local farmers' market, and missing her old life, Jen has to deal with her own insecurities about this new family . . . and where she fits in.]]> 224 Lucy Knisley Jennifer 3 4.02 2020 Stepping Stones (Peapod Farm, #1)
author: Lucy Knisley
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, family, farms-farm-animals, fathers, friendship, graphic-novel, middle-grade
review:
A quick, heartwarming middle grade graphic novel about blending families and speaking up for yourself. I wanted to smack her mom's boyfriend, but it was an enjoyable read.
]]> <![CDATA[The Kind Worth Saving (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner, #2)]]> 60916172 In this spectacularly devious novel by New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson—featuring the smart and complex Lily Kintner from his acclaimed novel, The Kind Worth Killing—a private eye starts to follow a possibly adulterous husband, but little does he know that the twisted trail will lead back to the woman who hired him.

There was always something slightly dangerous about Joan. So, when she turns up at private investigator Henry Kimball’s office asking him to investigate her husband, he can’t help feeling ill at ease. Just the sight of her stirs up a chilling memory: he knew Joan in his previous life as a high school English teacher, when he was at the center of a tragedy.

Now Joan needs his help in proving that her husband is cheating. But what should be a simple case of infidelity becomes much more complicated when Kimball finds two bodies in an uninhabited suburban home with a “for sale� sign out front. Suddenly it feels like the past is repeating itself, and Henry must go back to one of the worst days of his life to uncover the truth.

Is it possible that Joan knows something about that day, something she’s hidden all these years? Could there still be a killer out there, someone who believes they have gotten away with murder? Henry is determined to find out, but as he steps closer to the truth, a murderer is getting closer to him, and in this hair-raising game of cat and mouse only one of them will survive.]]> 303 Peter Swanson 0063204983 Jennifer 4 3.65 2023 The Kind Worth Saving (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner, #2)
author: Peter Swanson
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, mystery-crime
review:
I find it bizarre that I enjoy these books, but I really do. The characters aren't particularly likable, but somehow, with this series, I enjoy them anyway.
]]> Red Bird Danced 198530988
Ariel and Tomah have lived in the city’s intertribal housing complex all their lives. But for both of them, this Dagwaagin (Autumn) season is different than any before.

From his bench outside the front door of his building, Tomah watches his community move around him. He is better at making people laugh than he is at schoolwork, but often it feels like his neighbor Ariel is the only one who really sees him, even in her sadness.

Ariel has always danced ballet because of her Auntie Bineshiinh and loves the way dance makes her feet hover above the ground like a bird. But ever since Auntie went missing, Ariel’s dancing doesn’t feel like flying.

As the seasons change and the cold of winter gives way to spring’s promise, Ariel and Tomah begin to change too as they learn to share the rhythms and stories they carry within themselves.

This first middle grade novel by Dawn Quigley is a tour de force. She is known for her American Indian Youth Literature Award–winning Jo Jo Makoons chapter book series and young adult novel Apple in the Middle.

Give Red Bird Danced to readers who love Jasmine Warga and Christine Day!]]> 176 Dawn Quigley 0063223627 Jennifer 4 4.11 2024 Red Bird Danced
author: Dawn Quigley
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: middle-grade, poetry, 2025-gr-challenge, diversity
review:
This short, but powerful, novel-in-verse switches between two points-of-view: Ariel, an 11-year-old Indigenous dancer whose aunt has gone missing, and Tomah, her neighborhood friend who is struggling with reading and has a strong desire to protect his people. Both of them share the human need to be seen and understood, but add to that Ariel's missing auntie and the feelings are more raw. I highly recommend this book to readers ages 9+ who enjoy poetry. #MMIW
]]> A Robot in the Garden 23346726 Warm-hearted fable of a stay-at-home husband who learns an important lesson in life when an unusual creature enters his life.

With all the charm and humour of THE ROSIE PROJECT and ABOUT A BOY mingled with the heart-swelling warmth of PADDINGTON BEAR MOVIE.

A story of the greatest friendship ever assembled.

Ben Chambers wakes up to find something rusty and lost underneath the willow tree in his garden. Refusing to throw it on the skip as his wife Amy advises, he takes it home.]]> 288 Deborah Install 0857523023 Jennifer 4 3.86 2015 A Robot in the Garden
author: Deborah Install
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/21
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves: sci-fi, tbr-2019-done, 2025-gr-challenge, 2025-from-the-old-tbr
review:
Thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end, this was a quick read with a lot of humor and heart. I definitely recommend it.
]]> <![CDATA[Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive, #5)]]> 203578847 The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the #1 New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive―the iconic epic fantasy masterpiece that has sold more than 10 million copies, from acclaimed bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

Dalinar Kholin challenged the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare―and the sudden ascension of the crafty and ruthless Taravangian to take Odium’s place has thrown everything into disarray.

Desperate fighting continues simultaneously worldwide―Adolin in Azimir, Sigzil and Venli at the Shattered Plains, and Jasnah at Thaylen City. The former assassin, Szeth, must cleanse his homeland of Shinovar from the dark influence of the Unmade. He is accompanied by Kaladin, who faces a new battle helping Szeth fight his own demons . . . and who must do the same for the insane Herald of the Almighty, Ishar.

At the same time, Shallan, Renarin, and Rlain work to unravel the mystery behind the Unmade Ba-Ado-Mishram and her involvement in the enslavement of the singer race and in the ancient Knights Radiants killing their spren. And Dalinar and Navani seek an edge against Odium’s champion that can be found only in the Spiritual Realm, where memory and possibility combine in chaos. The fate of the entire Cosmere hangs in the balance.]]> 1344 Brandon Sanderson 1250319188 Jennifer 4 fantasy, 2025-gr-challenge
Sanderson creates characters that are so real and the worlds they inhabit feel just as real. I don't want to live in the cosmere, but I totally believe in it. Sanderson is a master.]]> 4.35 2024 Wind and Truth (The Stormlight Archive, #5)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/21
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves: fantasy, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
This was a fitting end to the first arc of the series: it had a ton of back stories, world building, and lots of irrelevant interludes and still I enjoyed it. It will be interesting to see how much of what I considered to be extraneous details will actually be relevant once all ten books are finished.

Sanderson creates characters that are so real and the worlds they inhabit feel just as real. I don't want to live in the cosmere, but I totally believe in it. Sanderson is a master.
]]> What To Do With a Box 25862144 32 Jane Yolen 1568462891 Jennifer 4 4.02 2016 What To Do With a Box
author: Jane Yolen
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: construction, elementary-school-storytime, imagination, machines, picture-books-read-in-2022, preschool-storytime, toddler-storytime, box
review:
A lyrical poem about the endless possibilities provided with an imagination and a box. The illustrations are fabulous, too. This would make a good group read aloud if you have a group that likes to imagine and participate.
]]> The Birthday Box 441792
What’s better than getting a brand-new toy as a birthday gift? Playing with the box it came in! Climb in for a flight across the ocean, a jaunt on a sailing ship, some sledding down a slippery slope, and, of course, a brief stint as a robot. Good thing the toy dog that came inside the box is happy to come along for the ride! The inimitable Leslie Patricelli draws from the well of parental wit and wisdom for her very first picture book adventure, starring everyone’s favorite baby character.]]> 32 Leslie Patricelli 0763628255 Jennifer 5 3.90 2007 The Birthday Box
author: Leslie Patricelli
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: picture-books-read-2020, birthday, imagination, toddler-storytime, box
review:
A simple celebration of the joys of a box. Lots of imagination and excitement when a young boy receives a puppy for his birthday, but is more interested in playing with the box it came in. Are any of us parents surprised? No, of course not. The story is signature Leslie Patricelli: colorful illustrations and simple text. This is a fantastic group read aloud for toddlers!
]]> Meeow and the Big Box 6766194 32 Sebastien Braun 1906250855 Jennifer 4 3.76 2009 Meeow and the Big Box
author: Sebastien Braun
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2019/03/13
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: cats, colors, imagination, toddler-storytime, shapes, box
review:
Short sentences, colorful pictures, and a big font make this good for toddler story time. Add in the fact that it encourages creativity and imagination while simultaneously teaching a little bit about colors and shapes and it's great for toddler story time.
]]> <![CDATA[Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box]]> 34408742 Ginny Goblin is not allowed to open this box, but stillÌýshe persists in this action-packed, laugh-out-loud debut for fans of Jon Klassen and Mo Willems.

GINNY GOBLIN IS NOT ALLOWED TO OPEN THIS BOX is the story of . . . well, there’s a box, and Ginny Goblin is not allowed to open it. But oh, how she will try!Ìý Ninja suits, catapults, scaly serpents, motorcycles—Ginny will stop at nothing and she’ll make readers giggle and cheer from beginning to end.Ìý
Ginny Goblin has one simple rule to follow: She is not allowed to open this box. Not until dinnertime.ÌýÌýÌýBut Ginny Goblin doesn't like to follow the rules, so nothing will stop her from trying to open this box. Not a tall tower, not a misty mountain, not a frightful forest, and certainly not a murky moat filled with scaly, scary serpents . . .ÌýÌýÌýBut wait! What is in the box? You'll have to open thisÌýbook to find out! (Don't worry, you're allowed.)]]> 40 David Goodner 0544764153 Jennifer 3 3.69 Ginny Goblin Is Not Allowed to Open This Box
author: David Goodner
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.69
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2019/11/15
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: elementary-school-storytime, imagination, monsters, perseverance, preschool-storytime, box
review:
Fun story of a creative little goblin who just can't take no for an answer. She thinks up idea after idea to try and open the box. Fun!
]]> How to Read a Book 62365896 A charming, deeply moving novel about second chances, unlikely friendships, and the life-changing power of sharing stories.

Our Reasons meet us in the morning and whisper to us at night. Mine is an innocent, unsuspecting, eternally sixty-one-year-old woman named Lorraine Daigle�

Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher. Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest. Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn’t yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed.

When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland—Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman—their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.

How to Read a Book Ìýis an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives. With the heart, wit, grace, and depth of understanding that has characterized her work, Monica Wood illuminates the decisions that define a life and the kindnesses that make life worth living.Ìý .Ìý]]> 288 Monica Wood 0063243679 Jennifer 4 4.21 2024 How to Read a Book
author: Monica Wood
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, books, friendship
review:
Reading this book was a pleasure, truly just a gift. I was super frustrated with some choices Violet made about halfway through the book, but I loved the ending. 4.5 stars
]]> <![CDATA[The Sea of Monsters: The Graphic Novel (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Graphic Novels, #2)]]> 12029129
Seventh grade has been surprisingly quiet for Percy Jackson. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get...well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of his friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.

In the follow-up to the wildly popular The Lightning Thief, The Graphic Novel, Percy and his friends must journey into the Sea of Monsters to save their camp. But first, Percy will discover a stunning new secret about his family--one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.

Featuring a faithful adaptation by Robert Venditti, stunning artwork by Attila Futaki, and sumptuous colors by newcomer Tamas Gaspar, Rick Riordan's blockbuster book comes to life in The Sea of Monsters, The Graphic Novel .]]> 128 Robert Venditti 142314550X Jennifer 1 4.30 2013 The Sea of Monsters: The Graphic Novel (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Graphic Novels, #2)
author: Robert Venditti
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2013
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, graphic-novel, monsters, middle-grade, mythology
review:
I loved the original Percy Jackson series and have read it a couple times. I thought I'd give the graphic novel adaptations a try. I read the first one a couple weeks ago and could only give it 2 stars because the art wasn't consistent with the characters from one panel to the next and the plot was so choppy and abridged that I wouldn't have been able to follow it if I hadn't read the original novel. I decided to give the series one more chance and wow, this one is worse! Well, the art consistency problem is pretty much solved, but this one is even more lacking in the plot department. Even with having read the original book before several times, there were multiple places in the graphic novel where I had no clue what was happening. It jumps right into the story with no explanation of what's happened since the last book ended, then jumps around from action scene to action scene with no linking explanation or story line. I had hoped the series would get better, instead it got worse and I won't be continuing it. I'll go back to the original source material - the novels by Riordan are awesome! These adaptations are not.
]]> Spark 40796150
Storm beasts and their guardians create perfect weather every day, and Mina longs for a storm beast of her own. But when the gentle girl bonds with a lightning beast—a creature of fire and chaos—everyone’s certain it’s a mistake. Everyone but Mina and the beast himself, Pixit. Quickly enrolled in lightning school, Mina struggles to master a guardian’s skills, and she discovers that her country's weather comes at a devastating cost—a cost powerful people wish to hide. Mina’s never been the type to speak out, but someone has to tell the truth, and, with Pixit’s help, she resolves to find a way to be heard.]]> 320 Sarah Beth Durst 1328973425 Jennifer 4
So, off she goes to the school for storm beasts and their guardians where she discovers that all is not as it seems. Will she have the courage to stand up for what's right, despite the personal cost? And, if she finds the courage, will anyone listen to her?

This book is a beautiful example of the power of introverts - you can be quiet AND strong at the same time.]]> 4.22 2019 Spark
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: fantasy, middle-grade, weather, 2025-gr-challenge, bravery
review:
Mina is a quiet, thoughtful 12-year-old girl who is passionate about seeing the world and making a difference in it. Since she's quiet, most people, including her family, don't realize how passionate and thoughtful she really is; they think she's shy and timid. When her weather "beast" hatches and turns out to be a storm beast, everyone but her is shocked and thinks it must be some kind of mistake. Nope, no mistake! "A true heart is never a mistake."

So, off she goes to the school for storm beasts and their guardians where she discovers that all is not as it seems. Will she have the courage to stand up for what's right, despite the personal cost? And, if she finds the courage, will anyone listen to her?

This book is a beautiful example of the power of introverts - you can be quiet AND strong at the same time.
]]> <![CDATA[Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, #5)]]> 6587387 Booklist). But she is about to learn that while some secrets are dangerous whose who seek them are just plain deadly...

Mercy is smart enough to realize that when it comes to the magical fae, the less you know, the better. But you can't always get what you want. When she attempts to return a powerful fae she previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secrets - and the fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side - leaving Mercy to cover for him lest his own father declare Samuel's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she may not have many more...]]> 352 Patricia Briggs 044101819X Jennifer 4
Re-read 4/12/2025: the audio dramatized adaptation is abridged, but understandable and fun, too!]]> 4.37 2010 Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, #5)
author: Patricia Briggs
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves: gr-2018-challenge, paranormal, gr-2019-challenge, gr-2020-challenge, gr-2022-challenge, gr-2023-challenge, gr-challenge-2024, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
Pure escapism that is just as fun to reread! I find myself coming back to this series when I get too stressed with real life.

Re-read 4/12/2025: the audio dramatized adaptation is abridged, but understandable and fun, too!
]]> <![CDATA[Lei and the Fire Goddess (Lei and the Legends #1)]]> 59361636 304 Malia Maunakea 0593522036 Jennifer 3
However, the kernels for greatness are definitely here! The Hawaiian mythology is fascinating and it was easy to picture the setting. I look forward to reading the next installment and seeing where the story goes.]]> 4.09 2023 Lei and the Fire Goddess (Lei and the Legends #1)
author: Malia Maunakea
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: friendship, middle-grade, mythology, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
This was enjoyable, despite needing some more editing. One more pass through with a good editor would have helped tighten things up and bring it from a 3 star read to a 4 star read. There was too much extraneous stuff that bogged down the main plot.

However, the kernels for greatness are definitely here! The Hawaiian mythology is fascinating and it was easy to picture the setting. I look forward to reading the next installment and seeing where the story goes.
]]> Smiling Eyes 213974061 From Newbery Medalist and bestselling author Linda Sue Park comes a joyous and inclusive celebration of eyes—showcasing the variety of Asian eye shapes and hues—in lively rhyming text ideal for sharing with any child.

For an enthusiastic little boy, an ordinary day is filled with the joys and surprises of seeing and being seen. All around him, people are using their eyes: big eyes, small eyes, eyes that are open wide, or shut tight, or even winking! With irresistible rhymes and warm, inviting art, this ode to eyes by Linda Sue Park and Lenny Wen will delight the youngest of readers.]]> 32 Linda Sue Park 035866392X Jennifer 3 3.84 Smiling Eyes
author: Linda Sue Park
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.84
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: bodies-senses, eyes, picture-book-not-for-ra, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
The illustrations are gorgeous, the sparse rhyming text just isn't enough for the target audience (toddlers and preschoolers) to have a clue what the story line is. I would use this one-on-one and really look and dive deep into the expressions in the eyes of the people, but not in big a group setting like story time.
]]> <![CDATA[Bathtime with Theo and Beau: with Free Poster Included]]> 25332080
The only thing better than watching Theo the dog (part-Boxer, part-Shepherd, part-Labrador, part-Sharpei) curl up for a nap with his best friend Beau (a two-and-a-half year old toddler) is watching them having a blast together in the bath. The strong friendship, trust and love that was so visible in Naptime with Theo and Beau, is once again on full display in Jessica Shyba's absolutely adorable and unbelievably charming photos.

Prepare to have your heart stolen all over again by these world famous viral sensations!]]> 40 Jessica Shyba 1250059070 Jennifer 3 3.81 2016 Bathtime with Theo and Beau: with Free Poster Included
author: Jessica Shyba
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: bath-time, dogs, picture-books-read-in-2025, toddler-storytime
review:
Illustrated exclusively with photos of Theo (2 1/2 year old toddler) and Beau (his dog), this fun little book shows the friends getting dirty at the beach and then taking a bath to get clean. Too simple for older preschoolers, but great for toddlers!
]]> Once Upon a Bathtime 10257035 32 Vi Hughes 1896580548 Jennifer 1 2.11 2011 Once Upon a Bathtime
author: Vi Hughes
name: Jennifer
average rating: 2.11
book published: 2011
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: bath-time, bedtime, picture-book-not-for-ra, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
Weird collage illustrations and random text that is mostly just mentions of characters in fairy tales holds no appeal for me or my kids.
]]> <![CDATA[The Dead and the Gone (Last Survivors, #2)]]> 2169506 Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event--an asteroidÌýhitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as theyÌýunfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.

With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.]]> 336 Susan Beth Pfeffer 0152063110 Jennifer 3 Life As We Knew It, and it was entertaining enough, but not great. I wanted more action to move the plot along a little faster.]]> 3.85 2008 The Dead and the Gone (Last Survivors, #2)
author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, dystopian, family, siblings, ya
review:
This is a companion novel to Life As We Knew It, and it was entertaining enough, but not great. I wanted more action to move the plot along a little faster.
]]> Forever, Interrupted 61036987 “Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.�

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will make you laugh, make you cry, and remind you that there’s more than one way to live happily ever after.]]> 353 Taylor Jenkins Reid Jennifer 4 Daisy Jones & the Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Malibu Rising. I decided to go back and read the rest of her books. I started with this one because it was her first and she actually talked about it at the conference. Reid mentioned that one of the reasons she writes is to face her fears and explore her own feelings. One of her great fears is losing her husband, whom she deeply loves. So, to process those feelings of fear, she wrote this book.

This is definitely a first novel, and not my favorite that I've read by Reid (that honor goes to Evelyn Hugo! But, it was still well-written and an enjoyable, thought-provoking read. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys books that make you explore your own feelings.]]> 3.71 2013 Forever, Interrupted
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, feelings, perseverance
review:
I heard the author speak at the Texas Library Association Conference and she was personable and honest and entertaining. I was reminded how much I enjoyed her other books that I've read: Daisy Jones & the Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Malibu Rising. I decided to go back and read the rest of her books. I started with this one because it was her first and she actually talked about it at the conference. Reid mentioned that one of the reasons she writes is to face her fears and explore her own feelings. One of her great fears is losing her husband, whom she deeply loves. So, to process those feelings of fear, she wrote this book.

This is definitely a first novel, and not my favorite that I've read by Reid (that honor goes to Evelyn Hugo! But, it was still well-written and an enjoyable, thought-provoking read. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys books that make you explore your own feelings.
]]> <![CDATA[After the Crescent Strike: The Balkan Legends, Book 0.5]]> 229594734
After conquering the Serbian army in battle, bands of Ottoman warriors terrorize the land, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake. As one of the few survivors of a deadly attack on her village, Magdalena is determined to protect her newly orphaned niece. When a group of battle-weary Serb warriors offers to lead Magdalena and her charge to safety, a flame of hope flickers to life for the desperate woman, burning brighter when she spots a familiar face among the Miladin, the man she once loved—and lost.

Following a devastating defeat on the battlefield, Miladin resolves to return home to Rivak and pledge his loyalty to the new župan, Konstantin, the young son of the slain leader who led Miladin to war. As Miladin travels back from the Maritsa River Valley to offer aid and allegiance to the inexperienced youth, he expects the way will be fraught with danger, but he never dreams that the journey will reunite him with his first love.

Even as Magdalena and Miladin rekindle a romance once doomed by youth and circumstance, hidden threats draw ever closer. Before they can truly be safe, they must face a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to seize power.]]> A.L. Sowards Jennifer 4 4.00 2024 After the Crescent Strike: The Balkan Legends, Book 0.5
author: A.L. Sowards
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, 2025-from-the-old-tbr, historical-fiction, tbr-2024-done
review:
A quick read that drew me in immediately, this book is a prequel novella for a series called The Balkan Legends. I haven't read anything else in the series yet, but this book piqued my interest. If you're a fan of historical fiction, definitely check this one out!
]]> <![CDATA[The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Graphic Novels, #1)]]> 7736086
Mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking out of the pages of twelve-year-old Percy Jackson's textbooks and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, he and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus.

Series creator Rick Riordan joins forces with some of the biggest names in the comic book industry to tell the story of a boy who must unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.]]> 135 Robert Venditti 1423116968 Jennifer 2 4.43 2010 The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Graphic Novels, #1)
author: Robert Venditti
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: friendship, graphic-novel, mental-health, middle-grade, mythology, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
This is an adaptation of the original novel and it just doesn't live up to its source material. First, there's too much of the plot left out, if I hadn't read the original novel, I wouldn't have been able to actually follow the story line. Also, the art isn't consistent. Characters don't look the same from panel to panel and especially at the begining, it's hard to keep them straight. I'm disappointed, I really expected better from Riordan - did he not have any say in who did the adapting or how it was done? 2 stars
]]> Shelter (Mickey Bolitar, #1) 13595638
A new school comes with new friends and new enemies, and lucky for Mickey, it also comes with a great new girlfriend, Ashley. For a while, it seems like Mickey's train-wreck of a life is finally improving - until Ashley vanishes without a trace. Unwilling to let another person walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley's trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that this seemingly sweet, shy girl isn't who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey's father. Soon, Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it makes high school drama seem like a luxury - and leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

First introduced to readers in Harlan Coben's latest adult novel, Live Wire, Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, and eager to go to any length to save the people he cares about. With this new series, Coben introduces an entirely new generation of fans to the masterful plotting and wry humor that have made him an award-winning, internationally bestselling, and beloved author.]]> 288 Harlan Coben 0142422037 Jennifer 4
I particularly enjoyed the characters and the friendships developed in this book. I look forward to reading the sequel.]]> 3.92 2011 Shelter (Mickey Bolitar, #1)
author: Harlan Coben
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: 2025-from-the-old-tbr, 2025-gr-challenge, tbr-2019-done, thriller-suspense, ya
review:
This was my first Harlan Coben book, but it won't be my last. I was hooked from the first page. Some parts were definitely unrealistic, and you have to just suspend your disbelief, but that's just fiction.

I particularly enjoyed the characters and the friendships developed in this book. I look forward to reading the sequel.
]]> The Magician of Tiger Castle 220999061 The beloved author of Holes presents his first adult novel, a modern fantasy classic of forbidden love, a crumbling kingdom, and the unexpected magic all around us.

Long ago and far away (and somewhere south of France) lies the kingdom of Esquaveta. There, Princess Tullia is in nearly as much peril as her struggling kingdom. Esquaveta desperately needs to forge an alliance, and to that end, Tullia's father has arranged a marriage between her and an odious prince. However, one month before the "wedding of the century," Tullia falls in love with a lowly apprentice scribe.

The king turns to Anatole, his much-maligned magician. Seventeen years earlier, when Anatole first came to the castle, he was regarded as something of a prodigy. But after a long series of failures—the latest being an attempt to transform sand into gold—he has become the object of contempt and ridicule. The only one who still believes in him is the princess.

When the king orders Anatole to brew a potion that will ensure Tullia agrees to the wedding, Anatole is faced with an impossible choice. With one chance to save the marriage, the kingdom, and, of most importance to him, his reputation, will he betray the princess—or risk ruin?]]> 320 Louis Sachar 0593952308 Jennifer 0 to-read, 2025-added-adult 4.03 2025 The Magician of Tiger Castle
author: Louis Sachar
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, 2025-added-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Tattooist of Auschwitz (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #1)]]> 37486222
In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.

Imprisoned for over two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.

One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her.

A vivid, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful re-creation of Lale Sokolov's experiences as the man who tattooed the arms of thousands of prisoners with what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is also a testament to the endurance of love and humanity under the darkest possible conditions.]]> 262 Heather Morris 0062797158 Jennifer 3
The events are amazing (both in a horrific way and just amazing that Lale could make it through all that), but the writing lacks the emotional depth these events should inspire. I don't feel like I ever really connected to any of the characters - I didn't get to know them well enough. I found myself hesitating to pick up the book and then just wishing it was over already. Lale's experiences are definitely noteworthy and I'm glad they've been preserved, I just didn't find the book itself that captivating or believable. 2.5 stars]]> 4.26 2018 The Tattooist of Auschwitz (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #1)
author: Heather Morris
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: tbr-2018-done, historical-fiction, history, 2025-gr-challenge, 2025-from-the-old-tbr
review:
My understanding is that this is a fictional book, based on real events. The author conducted multiple interviews over a three year period with Lale, the main character in the book. While I mean no disrespect for Lale or his family, or the millions of Holocaust victims/survivors/their families, I just can't rate this book very highly.

The events are amazing (both in a horrific way and just amazing that Lale could make it through all that), but the writing lacks the emotional depth these events should inspire. I don't feel like I ever really connected to any of the characters - I didn't get to know them well enough. I found myself hesitating to pick up the book and then just wishing it was over already. Lale's experiences are definitely noteworthy and I'm glad they've been preserved, I just didn't find the book itself that captivating or believable. 2.5 stars
]]> Walking Across Egypt 74616 215 Clyde Edgerton 0345419073 Jennifer 3 2025-gr-challenge, melodrama 3.90 1987 Walking Across Egypt
author: Clyde Edgerton
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1987
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, melodrama
review:
Weird and random and definitely dated, but this book does have a couple laugh-out-loud moments.
]]> <![CDATA[The Standard of Truth: 1815�1846 (Saints, #1)]]> 40886652
But opposition and violence follow those who defy old traditions to embrace restored truths. The women and men who join the church must choose whether or not they will stay true to their covenants, establish Zion, and proclaim the gospel to a troubled world.

The Standard of Truth is the first book in Saints, a new, four-volume narrative history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fast-paced, meticulously researched, Saints recounts true stories of Latter-day Saints across the globe and answers the Lord’s call to write history “for the good of the church, and for the rising generations� (Doctrine and Covenants 69:8).]]> 699 1629737100 Jennifer 4 4.55 2018 The Standard of Truth: 1815–1846 (Saints, #1)
author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: history, lds, nonfiction, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
Interesting and far more readable and accessible than I expected, this is a broad, but not deep, history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from it's earliest origins through the martyrdom of the prophet and founder, Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1844 and the beginnings of the trek west in 1845. It's a great overview to get a general idea of events and a good jumping off point from which to do more research on anything in particular that interests you.
]]> <![CDATA[Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold (Abeni's Song #2)]]> 195790570
After rescuing the Children of Night, Abeni and her friends are in search of the elder spirits—who they hope can protect Asha. But before the group can reach their destination, they’re captured and held prisoner by the Kingdom of the Gold Spinners, whose magics manipulate gold to build and achieve wonders. To secure their freedom, the companions make an agreement to retrieve the kingdom’s sacred and mystical Golden Throne, the very soul of their people—said to be hidden in a lost city beneath the sands and guarded by a terrible dragon. For Abeni, the quest for the throne becomes a race against time—the only means to assure she and her friends do not suffer the fate of being turned into living statues of gold forever.

But there are other dangers.

The Witch Priest has learned of Asha’s existence and has sent his forces to find her. Leading this search is a mortal teenage girl, who the Witch Priest has adopted almost as a daughter. With a pack of minions including the frightening Bat Riders and new villains like the coldhearted Huntsman and his three monstrous hounds, she sets out after Abeni and her friends—driven by a determination to prove her own strength and worth, to both her unforgiving “father� and herself.

Abeni will find herself facing these new challenges as she seeks to bring back the Golden Throne, evade the Witch Priest’s hunters, and fulfill her own quest to find the disappeared people of her village.]]> 368 P. Djèlí Clark 1250825857 Jennifer 4 Abeni's Song. The danger and violence are both ratched up a few notches, and the action moves along more quickly.

I did enjoy the continued friendships and how they developed quite a bit. I enjoyed the character of Asha and I especially enjoyed a couple of the new characters. There were some twists that were a lot of fun and overall this was a great fantasy adventure. I would recommend it to fans of the first book with the caveat that it does skew older in both content and themes. Readers 10+ who are fans of fantasy will enjoy this book!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!]]> 4.12 2024 Abeni and the Kingdom of Gold (Abeni's Song #2)
author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: arc, 2025-gr-challenge, fantasy, friendship, middle-grade, ya
review:
I absolutely loved the first installment in this series so I was excited to receive an advanced reader copy of this book. It was excellent, but felt far more YA than Abeni's Song. The danger and violence are both ratched up a few notches, and the action moves along more quickly.

I did enjoy the continued friendships and how they developed quite a bit. I enjoyed the character of Asha and I especially enjoyed a couple of the new characters. There were some twists that were a lot of fun and overall this was a great fantasy adventure. I would recommend it to fans of the first book with the caveat that it does skew older in both content and themes. Readers 10+ who are fans of fantasy will enjoy this book!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!
]]> <![CDATA[American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century]]> 43231095
When journalist Maureen Callahan first heard about Israel Keyes in 2012, she was captivated by how a killer of this magnitude could go undetected by law enforcement for over a decade. And so began a project that consumed her for the next several years--uncovering the true story behind how the FBI ultimately caught Israel Keyes, and trying to understand what it means for a killer like Keyes to exist. A killer who left a path of monstrous, randomly committed crimes in his wake--many of which remain unsolved to this day.

American Predator is the ambitious culmination of years of interviews with key figures in law enforcement and in Keyes's life, and research uncovered from classified FBI files. Callahan takes us on a journey into the chilling, nightmarish mind of a relentless killer, and to the limitations of traditional law enforcement.]]> 285 Maureen Callahan 052542864X Jennifer 4
This book is extremely well-researched and the writing is engaging and flows well. If you're looking for true crime, this is definitely the book for you! ]]> 4.07 2019 American Predator: The Hunt for the Most Meticulous Serial Killer of the 21st Century
author: Maureen Callahan
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: mystery-crime, nonfiction, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
I'm seriously freaked out after reading this book. The idea that someone could be so evil, meticulous, and intelligent is disturbing on so many levels. Also disturbing is how incredibly incompetent or powerless the law enforcement officials were! Why did nobody force the DA to stay in his lane and let the investigation proceed as it should??

This book is extremely well-researched and the writing is engaging and flows well. If you're looking for true crime, this is definitely the book for you!
]]> Ready and Waiting for You 17364928
Children will be delighted by the colorful illustrations and the exuberant text of this book, and its unique format that allows readers to open flaps revealing the school settings waiting for them behind. Ready and Waiting for You is the perfect introduction to the first day of school, and will leave young readers eager to be on their way!

Watch the ]]> 32 Judi Moreillon 0802853552 Jennifer 3 3.28 2013 Ready and Waiting for You
author: Judi Moreillon
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: feelings, perspective, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime, school
review:
Torn paper illustrations with pull-out spreads tell the story of all the different kinds of people (staff/students/etc.) who are waiting for you to join them at school. It's rhyming and fun, my only complaint it that, although there's a lot of diversity in the students and staff, except that the principal, PE teacher, and custodian are all male and the rest of the staff is female. I'm bothered by that the illustration took such care to include POC in the illustrations, but stuck to such steretypical gender roles. Sigh.
]]> Shy Willow 54503780
Her home is in an abandoned mailbox, and she'd rather stay put. Outside kids scream and soccer balls collide, trees look like monsters, and rain is noisy in a scary kind of way. It's much nicer to stay inside, drawing. But then a young boy drops a letter in Willow's mailbox: it's a note to the moon asking for a special favor. Willow knows that if she doesn't brave the world outside, the letter will never be delivered, and the boy will be heartbroken. Should she try? Can she?

Cat Min delivers a breathtakingly illustrated story about shyness, the power of empathy, and what it means to make a friend.]]> 48 Cat Min 1646140354 Jennifer 4 4.05 2019 Shy Willow
author: Cat Min
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: birthday, bravery, dreams, elementary-school-storytime, moon, mothers, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime, rabbits
review:
Willow, a shy rabbit, lives inside an abandoned mailbox. When a little boy drops in a letter one day with a birthday wish for his mother, Willow determines that she must make sure it gets delivered. Adventure ensues. Several of the spreads are wordless, but they are gorgeous! This would make a nice one-on-one or group read with kids who are patient enough to admire the illustrations.
]]> <![CDATA[My Mouth Is A Volcano: A Picture Book About Interrupting]]> 4723524
Louis always interrupts! All of his thoughts are very important to him, and when he has something to say, his words rumble and grumble in his tummy, they wiggle and jiggle on his tongue and then they push on his teeth, right before he ERUPTS (or interrupts). His mouth is a volcano! But when others begin to interrupt Louis, he learns how to respectfully wait for his turn to talk.

My Mouth Is A Volcano takes an empathetic approach to the habit of interrupting and teaches children a witty technique to help them manage their rambunctious thoughts and words. Told from Louis� perspective, this story provides parents, teachers, and counselors with an entertaining way to teach children the value of respecting others by listening and waiting for their turn to speak.]]> 32 Julia Cook Jennifer 4
re-read 10-4-24: This book could be used in story time, but only in specific situations. It's really more appropriate as a SEL learning tool with a kid who has a problem with interrupting regularly. 3 stars]]> 4.28 2006 My Mouth Is A Volcano: A Picture Book About Interrupting
author: Julia Cook
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: bodies-senses, elementary-school-storytime, feelings, manners, picture-books-read-in-2023, preschool-storytime, picture-books-read-in-2024
review:
Louis has a problem with interrupting people, but it's not his fault! It's his volcano's fault! When he finally gets a chance to be the student of the day and other kids interrupt him, he learns a little about self-control. It's not nearly as didactic as I'm making it sound. This could be used in a group setting with kids on the older end of PreK or K-2.

re-read 10-4-24: This book could be used in story time, but only in specific situations. It's really more appropriate as a SEL learning tool with a kid who has a problem with interrupting regularly. 3 stars
]]> Ganesha's Sweet Tooth 14553583 Mahabharata. Ganesha is just like any other kid, except that he has the head of an elephant and rides around on a magical mouse. And he loves sweets, especially the traditional dessert laddoo. But when Ganesha insists on biting into a super jumbo jawbreaker laddoo, his tusk breaks off! Ganesha is terribly upset, but with the help of the wise poet Vyasa, and his friend Mr. Mouse, he learns that what seems broken can actually be quite useful after all. With vibrant, graphic illustrations, expressive characters, and offbeat humor, this is a wonderfully inventive rendition of a classic tale.]]> 34 Sanjay Patel 1452103623 Jennifer 3
]]> 4.01 2012 Ganesha's Sweet Tooth
author: Sanjay Patel
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: bodies-senses, diversity, elementary-school-storytime, elephants, mouse, mythology, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
A nice introduction to the Hindu god Ganesha and the Mahabharata. The story itself is a little on the complicated end, but not too much for preschoolers, until you match it with the illustrations. They are done in a very specific illustration style to match the traditional myth, it's very busy. I wouldn't use this book with preschoolers because I don't think they'll get it and will be bored. However, I would definitely use it with kids 7+ and discuss different cultural traditions and creation myths. It's a fun story.


]]> <![CDATA[Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book]]> 24282941 Features Read-Aloud/Read-to-Me functionality where available.
Violet and Victor Small are twins on a mission: to write the best book in the whole, entire world--together! Victor is reluctant, but Violet is determined, and soon the ideas can't come quickly enough.
They begin to write a story about a hungry Bookworm who is eating all the books in the library. Thanks to Victor's brilliant ideas, Violet is able to save the day (and the library).


]]> 41 Alice Kuipers 0316257745 Jennifer 4 3.67 2014 Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book
author: Alice Kuipers
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: books, elementary-school-storytime, insects-bugs, picture-books-read-in-2025, siblings
review:
Twins Violet and Victor collaborate to write a story, with a bit of bickering along the way. This is a nice group read aloud to discuss the writing process and collaboration, and the illustrations are superb. However, so much of it is in word bubble format and the concept is a little more intangible, so I wouldn't use it in preschool story time. I might use it in my afterschool program with kids 6+.
]]> The Tooth Mouse 14431278 32 Susan Hood 1554535654 Jennifer 4
What happens when the Tooth Mouse is ready to retire? She holds a competition to see who will be her replacement, of course! Sophie, the littlest mouse of all is determined to win, but will she have what it takes to compete against older, stronger mice?]]> 3.83 2012 The Tooth Mouse
author: Susan Hood
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: bodies-senses, elementary-school-storytime, mouse, perseverance, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
A fun take on the Tooth Fairy idea, known in other parts of the world as the "Tooth Mouse."

What happens when the Tooth Mouse is ready to retire? She holds a competition to see who will be her replacement, of course! Sophie, the littlest mouse of all is determined to win, but will she have what it takes to compete against older, stronger mice?
]]> <![CDATA[The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told: Tales of Murder and Mayhem Ripped from the Front Page]]> 56359686 284 Tom McCarthy 1493056700 Jennifer 0 3.03 The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told: Tales of Murder and Mayhem Ripped from the Front Page
author: Tom McCarthy
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.03
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: mystery-crime, nonfiction, gave-up-on
review:
I'm not giving a star rating because I didn't finish the book. I finished the first three stories and half of the fourth one, and I'm bored out of my mind. The writing is just so dry. So, I'm going to DNF this one. There's too many good books out there to waste my time being bored.
]]> <![CDATA[First: The Life and Faith of Emma Smith]]> 57379304
Drawing upon letters written by Emma to Joseph and to many others, along with minutes from Relief Society meetings and other artifacts, this book sketches a more complete portrait of this elect lady. It allows each of us to become personally acquainted with Emma as we learn more about her essential work as a leader, a wife, and a mother in the early days of the Church.]]> 224 Jennifer Reeder 1629728780 Jennifer 3 3.92 First: The Life and Faith of Emma Smith
author: Jennifer Reeder
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: lds, nonfiction, biography, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
I enjoyed this book and learned quite a bit, but there were parts that felt very repetitive. I think that's because it's organized by topic instead of chronologically. I have immense respect for Emma and how gracefully she handled all she had to endure. This book will give you a good overview, and the footnotes and sources will give you a place to research further if you're interested. 3 solid stars
]]> <![CDATA[Asian Kites (Asian Arts and Crafts For Creative Kids)]]> 326914 64 Wayne Hosking 0804835454 Jennifer 3 3.10 2004 Asian Kites (Asian Arts and Crafts For Creative Kids)
author: Wayne Hosking
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.10
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: nonfiction, diversity, art, 2025-gr-challenge, kites
review:
If you're interested in Asian kites, their history, uses, and construction, this is the book for you. It has clear directions and diagrams with some interesting history thrown in to peak the interest of the reader.
]]> Tress of the Emerald Sea 68320207 C’est le début d’un périple au bout du monde, où l’on retrouve tous les ingrédients qui font le sel des grandes aventures : des contrebandiers de la pire espèce, une sorcière malintentionnée, un redoutable dragon, des pirates sales et méchants (ou pas), et même un rat qui parle...
Tress de la mer Émeraude est le premier des quatre « romans secrets » écrits par Brandon Sanderson, l’auteur best-seller aux plus de trente-six millions d’exemplaires vendus à travers le monde, durant les confinements de la pandémie de Covid-19. Ces romans ont fait l’objet d’une campagne de financement participatif record sur la plateforme Kickstarter aux États-Unis.

Un roman à dévorer. Numerama.

Un roman du Cosmère.]]> 486 Brandon Sanderson Jennifer 4 Princess Bride vibe, playing off the idea of Buttercup going after Wesley instead of just curling up in grief and I absolutely love that! (I'm a sucker for a bada$$ female protagonist.)

If you enjoy fairy tales with a strong female mc, definitely give this one a try! 4.5 stars]]> 4.44 2023 Tress of the Emerald Sea
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, 2025-from-the-old-tbr, tbr-2024-done, fantasy
review:
This book was whimsical and fun, while still being heavy on the world building. I loved Tress' spunk and determination and creativity. Sanderson says in the author's note at the end that he was going for a Princess Bride vibe, playing off the idea of Buttercup going after Wesley instead of just curling up in grief and I absolutely love that! (I'm a sucker for a bada$$ female protagonist.)

If you enjoy fairy tales with a strong female mc, definitely give this one a try! 4.5 stars
]]> Yes No Maybe So 52717052 A book about the power of love and resistance from New York Times bestselling authorsÌýBecky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed.

YES

Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone) Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO

Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO

Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural crush of the century is another thing entirely.]]> 464 Becky Albertalli 0062937030 Jennifer 3
I did feel like the portrayal of Jamie's insecurities and Maya's dependence on just one friend were both realistic and well done. The angst was real! I was very disappointed in the ending [spoilers removed] because we didn't get enough resolution.

Overall, this was just a 3 star read for me, I enjoyed it while I was reading, but wasn't super impressed with it, and I won't remember it by next week. :)]]> 3.59 2020 Yes No Maybe So
author: Becky Albertalli
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, feelings, race-relations, ya
review:
I appreciated the focus on teens relating to political events that effect them, even when they're still to young to vote and this book was entertaining enough to finish. But, the religious portrayal of both characters (one Jewish, one Muslim) felt forced to me. Neither of them seemed to be particularly devout so the relibion felt tossed in to up the stakes for the political story line.

I did feel like the portrayal of Jamie's insecurities and Maya's dependence on just one friend were both realistic and well done. The angst was real! I was very disappointed in the ending [spoilers removed] because we didn't get enough resolution.

Overall, this was just a 3 star read for me, I enjoyed it while I was reading, but wasn't super impressed with it, and I won't remember it by next week. :)
]]> Smile If You're Human 1086528 32 Neal Layton 0803723814 Jennifer 3
This is a fun group read aloud.]]> 3.72 1999 Smile If You're Human
author: Neal Layton
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.72
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: animals, aliens, bodies-senses, elementary-school-storytime, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime
review:
This is a clever little story with fun illustrations. A group of aliens lands on earth looking for humans. Sadly for them, they've landed in a zoo so they keep finding creatures that they know aren't humans because humans walk on two feet not four. Humans have arms, not wings, etc. etc. Eventually they find what they're looking for, or do they??

This is a fun group read aloud.
]]> How to Behave at a Tea Party 20262406
Julia will show Charles that slurping and burping are not allowed, that teacups are not building blocks, and that underwear does not count as a fancy hat.

Charles will teach Julia that tea parties sometimes require deep breaths, and welcoming unexpected guests, and that maybe--just maybe--there is more than one way to properly behave.

In this humorous and imaginative spin on the classic manners book, Madelyn Rosenberg and Heather Ross explore the joy and freedom that come when you keep an open mind.]]> 32 Madelyn Rosenberg 0062279262 Jennifer 2 3.68 2014 How to Behave at a Tea Party
author: Madelyn Rosenberg
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: food, manners, picture-book-not-for-ra, picture-books-read-in-2025, siblings
review:
The illustrations are fun, but the story is just meh.
]]> Daddy Lion’s Tea Party 28113511
(This ebook is optimised for Kindle tablets and the Kindle App. It is not suitable for e-Ink kindle devices, such as the PaperWhite. We recommend you download a sample to your device before purchase if in doubt.)

Daddy Lion is having a polite and genteel tea party for his cubs. They want to invite all their friends but Daddy says no; he doesn’t want the pot-bellied pigs hogging the cream buns or Skunk pooh, pong, stinking the place out!

But things do not go quite as planned�

A laugh-out-loud story full of noise and chaos!]]> 32 Mark Sperring 0008137064 Jennifer 4 4.00 2015 Daddy Lion’s Tea Party
author: Mark Sperring
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: animals, elementary-school-storytime, food, jungle-animals, manners, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime
review:
Daddy Lion just wants to have a quiet tea party with his cubs, but they would prefer to invite ALL the animals. Daddy doesn't want the chimps monkeying around or the pot-bellied pigs hogging the cream cakes, and certainly not the sloth who shows up when everything is finally over and cleaned up! They decide to have a small party, but the elephant overhears they're plans and tells the ostrich, who can't hear well because his head is buried in the sand. This mistake leads to some hilarity and a great twist at the end. A fun group read aloud!
]]> Jacky Ha-Ha (Jacky Ha-Ha, #1) 25861096
With her irresistible urge to tell a joke in every situation—even when she really, really shouldn't—twelve-year-old Jacky Ha-Ha loves to make people laugh. And cracking wise helps distract her from thinking about not-so-funny things in her life, like her mom serving in a dangerous, faraway war, and a dad who's hardly ever home.

But no matter how much fun Jacky has, she can't seem to escape her worries. So one starlit night, she makes a promise to keep her family together...even if she has to give up the one thing that makes her happy. But can she stop being Jacky Ha-Ha, if that's who she really is?

Don't miss Jacky Ha-Ha's other hilarious Ìý Jacky My Life is a JokeÌý and ÌýJacky Ha-Ha Gets the Last Laugh !Ìý Ìý]]> 384 James Patterson 0316262498 Jennifer 4 4.24 2016 Jacky Ha-Ha (Jacky Ha-Ha, #1)
author: James Patterson
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, friendship, humor, middle-grade, family, school
review:
A quick read that hilarious and clever, with a lot of insightful things to say. This book was entertaining heartwarming, definitely recommended!
]]> <![CDATA[A Talent for Murder (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner, #3)]]> 199116301
Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.]]> 255 Peter Swanson 0063205033 Jennifer 0 to-read, 2025-added-adult 3.58 2024 A Talent for Murder (Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner, #3)
author: Peter Swanson
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: to-read, 2025-added-adult
review:

]]> Reckless Girls 57693168 From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

When Lux McAllister and her boyfriend, Nico, are hired to sail two women to a remote island in the South Pacific, it seems like the opportunity of a lifetime. Stuck in a dead-end job in Hawaii, and longing to travel the world after a family tragedy, Lux is eager to climb on board The Susannah and set out on an adventure. She’s also quick to bond with their passengers, college best friends Brittany and Amma. The two women say they want to travel off the beaten path. But like Lux, they may have other reasons to be seeking an escape.

Shimmering on the horizon after days at sea, Meroe Island is every bit the paradise the foursome expects, despite a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. But what they don’t expect is to discover another boat already anchored off Meroe’s sandy beaches. The owners of the Azure Sky, Jake and Eliza, are a true golden couple: gorgeous, laidback, and if their sleek catamaran and well-stocked bar are any indication, rich. Now a party of six, the new friends settle in to experience life on an exotic island, and the serenity of being completely off the grid. Lux hasn’t felt like she truly belonged anywhere in years, yet here on Meroe, with these fellow free spirits, she finally has a sense of peace.

But with the arrival of a skeevy stranger sailing alone in pursuit of a darker kind of good time, the balance of the group is disrupted. Soon, cracks begin to emerge: it seems that Brittany and Amma haven’t been completely honest with Lux about their pasts––and perhaps not even with each other. And though Jake and Eliza seem like the perfect pair, the rocky history of their relationship begins to resurface, and their reasons for sailing to Meroe might not be as innocent as they first appeared.

When it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in on them. And when one person goes missing, and another turns up dead, Lux begins to wonder if any of them are going to make it off the island alive.]]> 320 Rachel Hawkins 1250274257 Jennifer 3 3.53 2022 Reckless Girls
author: Rachel Hawkins
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, thriller-suspense, beach-ocean
review:
Full of twists and turns, most of which I saw coming, this was a fun little thriller full of absolutely despicable characters with way too much money who wasted their lives getting drunk, sleeping around, and swearing so much you couldn't figure out what they were actually trying to communicate. Total brain candy, but it kept me turning pages.
]]> Anatomy of a Miracle 33517093 A profound new novel about a paralyzed young man's unexplainable recovery--a stunning exploration of faith, science, mystery, and the meaning of life

Rendered paraplegic after a traumatic event four years ago, Cameron Harris has been living his new existence alongside his sister, Tanya, in their battered Biloxi, Mississippi neighborhood where only half the houses made it through Katrina. One stiflingly hot August afternoon, as Cameron sits waiting for Tanya during their daily run to the Biz-E-Bee convenience store, he suddenly and inexplicably rises up and out of his wheelchair.

In the aftermath of this "miracle," Cameron finds himself a celebrity at the center of a contentious debate about what's taken place. And when scientists, journalists, and a Vatican investigator start digging, Cameron's deepest secrets--the key to his injury, to his identity, and, in some eyes, to the nature of his recovery--become increasingly endangered. Was Cameron's recovery a genuine miracle, or a medical breakthrough? And, finding himself transformed into a symbol, how can he hope to retain his humanity?

Brilliantly written as closely observed journalistic reportage and filtered through a wide lens that encompasses the vibrant characters affected by Cameron's story, Anatomy of a Miracle will be read, championed, and celebrated as a powerful story of our time, and the work of a true literary master.]]> 352 Jonathan Miles 0553447580 Jennifer 2 3.69 2018 Anatomy of a Miracle
author: Jonathan Miles
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: mystery-crime, tbr-2018-done, siblings, questions, perspective, perseverance, illness, bodies-senses, 2025-gr-challenge, 2025-from-the-old-tbr, mental-health
review:
Written in the form of a nonfiction documentary, this book tells a compelling story, but has far too many extraneous details. I found myself curious to see how everything turned out, but the majority of the time I spent reading it felt like a slog. The one plus to all the extra stories was that the characters were absolutely fleshed out and felt real. Even the tiniest bit part character got a full backstory! If you enjoy long, detail-oriented books with a slow moving plot, this is definitely the book for you!
]]> <![CDATA[Manga Classics: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn]]> 60323695 392 Crystal S. Chan 1947808826 Jennifer 3 3.75 Manga Classics: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
author: Crystal S. Chan
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, classics, graphic-novel, ya
review:
This is a solid adaptation of the original work, but it also reconfirmed to me why I don't enjoy manga. I'm not a fan of the abstract art and there wasn't enough dialogue for me to really know what was happening if I hadn't read the original story. 3 stars instead of 2 because it's not the book's fault that I don't enjoy manga.
]]> The Hob's Bargain 9314339 Librarian's Note: This is an alternate-cover edition for ISBN 9780441008131

Beauty and The Beast

Hated and feared, magic was banished from the land. But now, freed from the spells of the wicked bloodmages, magic—both good and evil—returns. And Aren of Fallbrook feels her own power of sight strengthen and grow�

Overcome by visions of mayhem and murder, Aren vows to save her village from the ruthless raiders who have descended upon it—and killed her family. With the return of wildlings to the hills and forests, she strikes a bargain with the Hob, a magical, human-like creature imbued with the power of the mountains. But the Hob is the last of his kind. And he will exact a heavy price to defend the village—a price Aren herself must pay…]]> 281 Patricia Briggs Jennifer 3 Mercy Thompson series and her Alpha and Omega series. So, I decided to give it a try. It was a slow start, but picked up about 80 pages in and I ended up enjoying it. In my opinion, Briggs is better at Urban Fantasy than High Fantasy. The world-building is just a bit lacking. As with her other High Fantasy series, the rules of magic are never clearly explained and there's time jumps that come without warning and throw the reader off a bit. But I can forgive that because Briggs' ability to write a bada$$ female mc who doesn't need to be rescued while still being feminine and caring is absolutely unparalleled! Along with that, her ability to craft realistic m/f relationships where they love and respect each other while growing together and complimenting each other is amazing.

This book was a nice distraction if you enjoy fantasy.

But if you're looking for some really great character development and "Low Fantasy" or "Urban Fantasy", then there's nothing better than Briggs' Mercyverse!]]> 3.68 2001 The Hob's Bargain
author: Patricia Briggs
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2001
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: 2025-gr-challenge, fantasy, magic
review:
I picked this book up because I needed to fill a prompt for a challenge I'm doing: an author's fourth book. According to fantasticfiction.com, this is Patricia Briggs' fourth book, and I absolutely love Briggs' Mercy Thompson series and her Alpha and Omega series. So, I decided to give it a try. It was a slow start, but picked up about 80 pages in and I ended up enjoying it. In my opinion, Briggs is better at Urban Fantasy than High Fantasy. The world-building is just a bit lacking. As with her other High Fantasy series, the rules of magic are never clearly explained and there's time jumps that come without warning and throw the reader off a bit. But I can forgive that because Briggs' ability to write a bada$$ female mc who doesn't need to be rescued while still being feminine and caring is absolutely unparalleled! Along with that, her ability to craft realistic m/f relationships where they love and respect each other while growing together and complimenting each other is amazing.

This book was a nice distraction if you enjoy fantasy.

But if you're looking for some really great character development and "Low Fantasy" or "Urban Fantasy", then there's nothing better than Briggs' Mercyverse!
]]> Sun and Moon Have a Tea Party 33312934
Sun and Moon sit down for a tea party, but they soon find out that they see the world very differently. Moon says moms and dads get their kids ready for bed, while Sun says no, they get their children ready for school. So who's right? Well, as the two come to find out, they both are. With the help of Cloud, a gentle mediator, each stays up past their bedtime and sees the world from the other's incredible point of view.

Perfect for sleepy listeners, here is a charming young picture book that will also help children see the world from different perspectives.]]> 40 Yumi Heo 0385390335 Jennifer 3 3.82 2020 Sun and Moon Have a Tea Party
author: Yumi Heo
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: diversity, elementary-school-storytime, friendship, melodrama, moon, nature, perspective, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime
review:
Sun and Moon are having a tea party and get into an argument because they each think the other is lying. Luckily, Cloud comes along and helps them see each other's perspectives. A nice read aloud about diversity and perspective and friendship.
]]> How to Trick the Tooth Fairy 36373573
But is she the Princess of Pranks? No! That title is held by none other than the Tooth Fairy. But when Kaylee loses a tooth and the Tooth Fairy goes about her usual tooth-taking business, Kaylee pranks her with a fake frog. As Kaylee and the Tooth Fairy try to out-prank one another, things get way out of hand, until the two finally see eye and eye and decide to share the crown!]]> 40 Erin Danielle Russell 1481467328 Jennifer 3 3.57 How to Trick the Tooth Fairy
author: Erin Danielle Russell
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.57
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: bodies-senses, elementary-school-storytime, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
If you have a kid who loves to pull pranks, they might enjoy this book. The illustrations are marvelous.
]]> <![CDATA[Stella and the Mystery of the Missing Tooth]]> 59867243 In this effervescent companion to the picture book Stella Keeps the Sun Up, Stella goes on the hunt to figure out who’s behind her friend’s missing tooth.

Stella, her bestie Roger, and her second-best friend Owen are excited to go see Sue the T-rex at the museum, but when Owen has to leave early because he lost a tooth, Stella becomes determined to find it for him. How did he manage to lose a tooth? Was it stolen? Could the tooth fairy be responsible? Could Owen be…a dinosaur boy?

Nothing will keep Stella from her investigation, even if she and Roger fear their own teeth could be stolen too. But the more Stella investigates, the more she realizes that perhaps this case is not as complicated as she thought.]]> 48 Clothilde Ewing 1534487883 Jennifer 3 3.58 Stella and the Mystery of the Missing Tooth
author: Clothilde Ewing
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.58
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: bodies-senses, elementary-school-storytime, mystery-crime, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
Stella goes to the museum to visit Sue, the T-Rex and runs into her friend Owen. Owen can't stay and hang out because he lost his tooth! Stella misunderstands and goes on a quest to find his missing tooth. A cute story that would make a fun read aloud for kids who are old enough to start losing their teeth.
]]> The Last Loose Tooth 49130055 Everyone loses their baby teeth - but how do the teeth feel about leaving?

This funny reimagining of the Tooth Fairy myth from the teeth's perspective is the perfect purchase for any child with a loose tooth or those visiting the dentist for the first time!

Lou is the last loose baby tooth in the mouth. All of the other teeth take the plunge, one by one, into the great unknown. These charismatic teeth have creative ways of falling out. The front teeth go first, always wanting to be the center of attention. It's not long before a rotten tooth is pulled by the dentist. One falls out in the bath and another in the museum. Lou is determined never to leave the mouth and stay exactly where he is until... the BORING adult teeth move in. When Lou finally decides he's had enough, he goes with the Tooth Fairy to the Land of Teeth, where all his friends are waiting for him.]]> 40 Tyler Clark Burke 0593121449 Jennifer 2 3.29 2020 The Last Loose Tooth
author: Tyler Clark Burke
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: bodies-senses, picture-book-not-for-ra, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
Fun concept, the execution was just meh for me. The pictures were too busy and there's too many quote bubbles to make a good group read aloud.
]]> Tooth on the Loose 2958914 32 Susan Middleton Elya 039924459X Jennifer 3 3.59 2008 Tooth on the Loose
author: Susan Middleton Elya
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: bodies-senses, elementary-school-storytime, birthday, picture-books-read-in-2025
review:
Rhyming text with a LOT of Spanish words thrown in, this is the story of a little girl who is desperate to get her father a birthday gift. It's sweet but really needs either a bilingual audience, or an audience of kids a little older who can infer from context what the Spanish words mean.
]]> <![CDATA[Herstory : Women Who Changed The World]]> 882554
Queen Hatshepsut --
Sappho --
Aspasia --
Cleopatra --
The Trung sisters --
Boudica --
Hypatia --
Empress Theodora --
Wu Chao --
Murasaki Shikibu --
Sultana Razia --
Christine de Pizan --
Joan of Arc --
Queen Isabella I --
La Malinche --
Catherine de Médicis --
Queen Elizabeth I --
Mary Queen of Scots --
Artemisia Gentileschi --
Judith Leyster --
Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz --
Catherine the Great --
Mary Wollstonecraft --
Deborah Sampson --
Jane Austen --
Emma Willard --
Sacajawea --
Sarah Grimké and Angelina Grimké --
La Pola --
Sojourner Truth --
Catharine Beecher --
Dorothea Dix --
Margaret Fuller Harriet Beecher Stowe --
Harriet Tubman --
Elizabeth Cady Stanton --
Charlotte Brontë and Emily Brontë --
Maria Mitchell --
Clara Schumann --
Queen Victoria --
Susan B. Anthony --
Florence Nightingale --
Elizabeth Blackwell --
Clara Barton --
Antoinette Brown Blackwell --
Mary Harris "Mother" Jones --
Lakshmi Bai --
Emily Dickinson --
Louisa May Alcott --
Tz'u-hsi --
Queen Liliuokalani --
Sarah Bernhardt --
Mary Cassatt --
Sarah Winnemucca --
Carry Nation --
Louisa Lawson --
Olive Schreiner --
Fannie Farmer --
Charlotte Perkins Gilman --
Jane Addams --
Ida B. Wells --
Beatrix Potter --
Marie Curie --
Sophia Hayden --
Alexandra David-Neel --
Emma Goldman --
Rosa Luxemburg --
Maria Montessori --
Alexandra Kollontai --
Qiu Jin --
Mary McLeod Bethune --
Huda Shaarawi --
Margaret Sanger --
Helen Keller --
Anna Pavlova --
Virginia Woolf --
Rose Schneiderman --
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel --
Eleanor Roosevelt --
Georgia O'Keeffe --
Gabriela Mistral --
Ichikawa Fusae --
Bessie Smith --
Martha Graham --
Marian Anderson --
Amelia Earhart --
Golda Meir --
Zora Neale Hurston --
Margaret Mead --
Margaret Bourke-White --
Greta Garbo --
Frida Kahlo --
Rachel Carson --
Simone de Beauvoir --Mother Teresa --
Mildred "Babe" Didrikson --
Mary Leakey --
Indira Gandhi --
Jessie Lopez De La Cruz --
Eva Perón --
Betty Friedan --
Diane Arbus --
Shirley Chisholm --
Margaret Thatcher --
Nguyen Thi Binh --
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis --
Violeta Chamorro --
Toni Morrison --
Corazon Aquino --
Barbara Jordan --
Valentina Tereshkova --
Marian Wright Edelman --
Wilma Rudolph --
Billie Jean King --
Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams --
Antonia Novello --
Aung San Suu Kyi --
Wilma Mankiller --
Eka Esu-Williams --
Rigoberta Menchú]]> 320 Ruth Ashby 0670854344 Jennifer 4 4.04 1995 Herstory : Women Who Changed The World
author: Ruth Ashby
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1995
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: nonfiction, biography, history, tbr-2017-done, feminist, 2025-from-the-old-tbr, 2025-gr-challenge, race-relations, perseverance
review:
This book was published 30 years ago, so obviously it was a bit dated. Still, it has some fascinating introductions to women in history that most of us have no clue existed. Not only that, many readers may not even know that the conflicts and causes these women fought for existed. This is a great starting point to see what grabs your attention for further study and exploration.
]]> Boy Meets Boy 1131585
When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.

This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.]]> 185 David Levithan 0375824006 Jennifer 1 3.82 2003 Boy Meets Boy
author: David Levithan
name: Jennifer
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2003
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: feelings, friendship, lgbtq, school, ya, 2025-gr-challenge
review:
I can't really recommend this book, despite the idea that a high school where kids can be themselves without judgement would be wonderful and the premise was therefore intriguing to me. The problem is, the execution falls flat. Every single character is a stereotye and they all do exactly the stereotypical thing. There was no suspense, no real drama for the reader. There was lots of teenage angst and drama for the characters, but everything was so utterly predictable that, as a reader, I was bored out of my mind. The saving grace, the book was short.
]]> <![CDATA[Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat]]> 23281875 96 Deborah Underwood 0525427740 Jennifer 2 4.17 2015 Here Comes the Tooth Fairy Cat
author: Deborah Underwood
name: Jennifer
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: bodies-senses, cats, jobs, picture-books-read-in-2025, preschool-storytime
review:
A little long for the target audience, with too many page turns required to be a really effective group read aloud. Fun concept, though!
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