Archive for October, 2021

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

Published October 29, 2021 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Sports Fiction

Number of Pages: 445

Gene Luen Yang has always been fascinated by comics and as an adult loves to draw his own in addition to being a high school teacher. He never got why so many people liked sports, however. He wasn’t very good at any sports and often got hurt in some way while trying to participate in them. Eventually he gave up on sports altogether. That all changes when he starts hearing about the basketball team at his Catholic High School, called the Dragons, and their wish to become the California State Basketball Champions. Once he starts digging into this story he learns that it has been many decades in the making, which is partly why the school is so revved up for this season. He decides to write a graphic novel explaining not only the school’s history but also documenting what they are hoping will be a monumental season. He even writes about his struggle to properly depict some of the more difficult incidents from the Dragons’ past that have led to this moment. Can the Dragons finally make it all the way to the end?

This graphic novel is unique, compelling, and enthralling whether a reader likes sports or not. It’s easy to see how Gene Luen Yang got caught up in the excitement of a school desperately wanting that state championship, but like many sports stories he discovers there is a lot of history with this team. A lot of people can relate to this story for one reason or another, but in the end it’s easy to want a team like this to succeed. Highly recommended, but especially for sports readers and reluctant readers.

The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Barnes

Published October 22, 2021 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Number of pages: 326

Kira was left to fend for herself in the woods as a child until Cady Bennett and one of her search and rescue dogs found her. Cady is well known for being an exceptional search and rescue person and she has trained her two kids, Kira and Jude, and the neighbor, Free. When Cady’s father suddenly turns up and asks for her help in finding a missing girl they all pack up to drive several hours to help locate her. It’s strange for the three teens, however, because up until now they had never seen Cady’s dad. They know there was a falling out, but that is all they know. As they all begin searching for the little girl it becomes obvious that some family secrets will start to spill out, as well as some old memories of living in the woods for Kira. Can they rescue the little girl who they believe might have been taken? Can they reconcile as a family? Can Kira deal with the demons of her past?

Many people do not know much about search and rescue dogs and handler training, which makes this story unique and interesting right from the start. Then, there is the mystery of what happened to the little girl, but as the book goes on there are several other exciting plot twists. The characters all have their own baggage and it takes awhile for all of them to help each other face it. The ending has some dramatic, unexpected surprises that will thrill both mystery fans and fans of survival fiction. Recommended for reluctant readers.

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Barnes

Published October 15, 2021 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Number of Pages: 258

In this sequel to the Inheritance Games, Avery is still navigating her new life as an heiress. When rumors begin spreading that Tobias Hawthorne’s son, Toby, is still alive Avery and her cousins begin trying to find out where he is and why he ran away from the family in the first place. Meanwhile, there are definitely people trying to steal Avery’s money and they don’t care who they have to hurt to get it. For example, creepy things have been left in her room despite her having 24/hr security. She’s also noticed that the longtime Hawthorne employees definitely do not feel like she belongs at the manor and go out of their way to treat her as such. Plus, Avery’s long lost father has returned and is threatening to try and get custody of her, and by extension, her billions. Who can Avery really trust? Is Toby really alive and if so why doesn’t he want his inheritance? What are Grayson and Jameson’s intentions toward her?

This book was really a continuation of the first and was just as much fun with several twists and turns along the way. Avery and the Hawthorne’s definitely keep things interesting as they try to find new clues left behind by Tobias, the patriarch. No one living seems to know all of the Hawthorne secrets and even people who think they know everything get surprised at one point or another in this book. Despite the many changes that Avery has experienced in a short amount of time, she is always so curious to find out what happens that she doesn’t seem to worry too much about her own personal safety. She is definitely unsure of how to handle the potential affections of the Hawthorne Brothers. Fans will want to see more from this fun, fast paced mystery story and its lively characters.

The Eyes of the Forest by April Henry

Published October 8, 2021 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Number of Pages: 258

Bridget and her mom were both huge fans of RM Haldon’s fantasy series. They were frequently read it together before her mom died. After her mom’s death, Bridget corrected something Haldon said at a book signing and he asked her to be his assistant to help him keep track of the many details embedded in the books. She created a big database to keep track of characters, weapons, etc. They mostly corresponded through email, but then one day the emails change and become more cryptic. She begins to suspect Haldon is in danger, but no one believes she works for him or even knows him. He is a known recluse and the police think she is just a crazed fan. Can she crack the code of his emails in order to find the truth? Can she find anyone to believe her before it’s too late?

Fans of April Henry and Stephen King will enjoy this title because it brings all the suspense and drama that Henry usually brings with a little bit of Misery for a more modern audience. The story moves quickly between Haldon and Bridget as the story unfolds. The ending is satisfying as there isn’t a quick, neat ending, but instead is messy and believable. Recommended for reluctant readers who want a quick, fast paced mystery.

In the Study with the Wrench by Diana Peterfreund

Published October 1, 2021 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Mystery

Number of pages: 327

Still reeling from the murder of their Headmaster in the first book of this series, Orchid, Vaughan, Scarlet, Mustard, Peacock, and Plum have all returned despite the fact that they are now referred to on campus as the “murder crew.” All of them have their own reasons for wanting to return, but are not expecting it when another staff member is murdered. They also start getting mysterious notes that seem to just be targeting the six of them. There is also a new student who has been keeping an annoyingly close eye on the group and some of them don’t believe she’s a regular student. The school administration is trying desperately to keep things afloat after all this tragedy and do not want the students snooping around or making anything worse, but they feel they have a real need to find out what’s going on because they seem to be targets for whomever is behind these terrible events. Can they find out who is behind this new murder without getting hurt themselves? Is this murder unrelated to the murder in the first book? Can they trust each other or will their secrets get in the way?

This sequel to In the Hall with the Knife is a natural continuation of the first story and fans will want to keep going with these characters. In the first book, the reader learned how many secrets each character has and those were fleshed out a bit more in this one. The characters are all interesting and developed and it will be fun to see how they develop even more in the next one. Readers looking for a fun, lighter mystery will enjoy this title.

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