Early Book Review: The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner is a middle grade to young adult graphic novel that is currently scheduled for release on September 3 2019. Thirteen-year-old Moth Hush loves all things witchy. But she’s about to discover that witches aren’t just the stuff of movies, books, and spooky stories. When some eighth-grade bullies try to ruin her Halloween, something really strange happens. It turns out that Founder’s Bluff, Massachusetts, has a centuries-old history of witch drama. And, surprise: Moth’s family is at the center of it all! When Moth’s new powers show up, things get totally out-of-control. She meets a talking cat, falls into an enchanted diary, and unlocks a hidden witch world. Secrets surface from generations past as Moth unravels the complicated legacy at the heart of her town, her family, and herself.

The Okay Witch is a a graphic novel that takes a classic trope- underappreciated and bullied kid turns out to have powers- but magic does not instantly make everything better. I liked the way Moth and her friend CHarlie are written. Neither are perfect but both are trying to be the best people they can, and trying to find themselves in relation to their parents and in spite of them. I liked the larger story- setting their family drama and inner struggles against the history or the town. I liked seeing how history directly affects the present- and the characters in the story. I think the attitudes of the other kids- and a good number of the adults- were spot on with what I have seen in the world. My only complaint with the story is that I wanted to keep going. I want to see Moth and Charlie continue to grow, I want to see more about their families and the possible changes that are made, I just want more. That is not to say that there was anything lacking in the ending- the conclusion wrapped things up nicely- but did leave some room for sequels. I cannot end this without saying how much I loved the art style, I really enjoyed every page visually. Facial expressions and movement were conveyed perfectly and the images just made me happy.

The Okay Witch was an amazing debut graphic novel from Steinkellner and I think it will appeal to middle grade and older audiences. I look forward to seeing more from them in the future!

Book Review: The Best Friend Problem (Mile High Happiness) by Mariah Ankenman

The Best Friend Problem by Mariah Ankenman is the first book in the Mile High Happiness series. Prudence Carlson has been lucky in life. A fulfilling wedding-planning business run with her girlfriends in Colorado, plus the best guy friend ever in her firefighter bestie Finn. All that’s missing from it is a baby. Luckily, it’s the twenty-first century—Pru can take matters into her own hands. She doesn’t need to find true love to create the future love of her life. Except all this talk of babies and insemination and...Pru and Finn cross a line they never expected to. Sure, one night of passion won’t change their close friendship. Until Pru goes in for a fertility check-up to find… she’s already pregnant. As best friends, Pru and Finn have survived college, new jobs, and bad breakups, but can they survive crib shopping, birth classes, and late-night cravings? Especially when Finn has never considered himself even remotely Daddy material?

The Best Friend Problem takes the friends to lover trope and doubles down by adding a unique wanted but accidental pregnancy twist. It was an ambitious story to tackle, and I'll say that Ankenman did it beautifully.  I really enjoyed getting to know Pru and Finn- and seeing their journey through both perspectives. I could relate to Pru, at least with her reluctance to accept help, and understood her motivations and fears throughout the book. I liked Finn's openness and caring for others, and I knew they would figure it out once they admitted their own emotions. I also loved the secondary characters, not just Mo and Lilly, but Finn's coworkers and family to. I think the characters work was really the star of this story, the banter was fun and the characters supportive and real. I felt like this group of people are really liking in a Colorado town just waiting for me to visit and meet them. 

The Best Friend Problem is an engaging read that had me rooting for and wanting to shake the main characters at the same time. I look forward to reading more from Ankeman in the future.

Early Book Review: The Incredible Yet True Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt: The Greatest Inventor-Naturalist-Scientist-Explorer Who Ever Lived by Volker Mehnert, Claudia Lieb

The Incredible yet True Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt: The Greatest Inventor-Naturalist-Scientist-Explorer Who Ever Lived is an biography for children written by Volker Mehnert and illustrated by Claudia Lieb. Explorer. Scientist. Polymath. Hero. In his day, Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) was among the most renowned scholars of the Enlightenment. He led pioneering expeditions in Central and South America (including the Amazon rainforest) as well as in Siberia, and he arguably founded the natural sciences as we know them. Charles Darwin called Humboldt “the greatest scientific traveler who ever lived,” and credited him with inspiring the journey that resulted in On the Origin of Species. And yet, in history books, Humboldt has been eclipsed by his intellectual heirs and admirers—such as Darwin himself, John Muir, and Henry David Thoreau—until now.

The Incredible yet True Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt is a well written and researched book about an explorer and inventor that took part in many amazing expeditions and had a great impact on science. I like that it the story began with Humbolt being intelligent but distract able and frustrating his tutor. I think that could inspire readers with similar challenges academically to find their niche and work hard. Although I did find myself siding with his family a little as he quit his job and started exploring the world. It must be nice to do what ever you want with no obligations or money concerns, but I digress.I was glad to learn about his work, and thought the writing was easy to follow and accessible to middle grade readers. I liked the illustrated pages, and think the artwork added a great deal to the finished product. As a whole,  it was a little dry at times and while I can admire the work he did, and the fact that it was not easy all the time, I cannot help but think about how many others with the same interests and intelligence  could have done alongside, before, or after to further science if they only had the same opportunities.

The Incredible yet True Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt is an interesting and informative look at one inquisitive man's life. I like that it showed some of the challenges that he faced in his efforts to research and explore, but that the privilege of bring a rich man allowed him the opportunities that others with similar interests would not have had. 

Early Book Review: Handle With Care (Veteran Movers) Marie Harte

Handle With Care is the third book in the Veteran Movers series Marie Harte and is currently scheduled for release on August 27 2019. While each of her books can be enjoyed as a stand alone, some of the character connections and personalities shine more for returning readers- so I highly recommend reading as a series.

Evan Griffith has done a lot in his life: a stint in the Marine Corps, life as an overworked CPA, investing in his family-owned moving company. But none of that holds a candle to helping people move. On an unforgettable job, he’s involved in a female-on-female brawl, taken by a teenage conman, and falls in love at first sight with a woman holding a knife. Yeah, his life has gone down the rabbit hole for sure. Kenzie Sykes is doing her best to raise her brother, keep him out of jail, and deal with a broken heart that still hasn’t healed. So of course the sexiest man she’s ever seen has to catch her on an off day. She doesn’t have time for romance. He’s not asking. Until he is, and she finds herself saying yes. Both of them have loved and lost before, but if there’s one thing Evan knows, it’s that Semper Fidelis is more than a motto, and that real men love hard, and honest men love true.

Handle With Care is a contemporary romance that, as I expect from Harte, touches on real problems and heartbreak that our main characters need to work through. Evan has been through a lot, and he is still working towards finding balance in his life. Kenzie is still dealing with trust issue, money issues, and trying to keep her brother in check. I like that neither were looking for love- but despite their fears and fighting against it they both fell hard. I do think that at times I had to agree with Kenzie in that Evan was just too perfect- even his fears and missteps were endearing. I did empathize with Kenzie's fears and doubts- and might have reacted the same to her situation, maybe. The panic when things are just going too well, waiting for things to suddenly go wrong again, is something very relatable. I really enjoyed hearing about and seeing characters from the previous books, and seeing the continuing story of Smith finding his place. I really cannot wait to see where this all goes from here.

Handle With Care is another winner from Harte. While not my favorite of her books, I still loved it and look forward to reading more!

Early Book Review: Don't Let the Beasties Escape This Book! by Julie Berry

Don't Let the Beasties Escape This Book! was written by Julie Berry and illustrated by April Lee. It is currently scheduled for release on September 10 2019. Godfrey, a peasant boy who works for the lord and lady of the castle, finds a bestiary, or illustrated book of beasts, on the way to do his chores one morning. He begins inventing his own story, placing “Sir Godfrey” at the center of numerous heroic deeds. Sir Godfrey battles a lion, tames a unicorn, defeats a griffin, conquers a bonnacon, and triumphs over a dragon. Godfrey does not realize that each time he says the name of an animal, it magically emerges from the book, causing mayhem and inadvertently accomplishing his chores. The laughs pile up and the tension mounts: When will Godfrey realize that all this outrageous stuff is going on?

Don't Let the Beasties Escape This Book! is illustrated in the style of manuscripts from the middle ages. The images and colors are beautiful and I enjoyed looking at them. The text of the story is written in rhyme, and also carries the feel of a middle age tale. It felt a little clunky to me, but oddly enough I think that was deliberate to fit with the style they were working for. I have to admit that my favorite part of the book was not the actual story, but the beastairy and information about the Middle Ages included in the backmatter. I have always been fascinated by that sort of thing and I was glad to see that kind of primer to the medieval world included here.

Don't Let the Beasties Escape This Book! is a stylized and interesting read, but I do not think it is for everyone. Those interested in creatures and medieval life will enjoy it, but I think some will not enjoy it quite as much.

Early Book Review: The Aussie Next Door (Patterson's Bluff) by Stefanie London

The Aussie Next Door by Stefanie London is the first book in the Patterson's Bluff series. It is currently scheduled for release on August 27 2019. 

American Angie Donovan has never wanted much. When you grow up getting bounced from foster home to foster home, you learn not to become attached to anything, anyone, or any place. But it only took her two days to fall in love with Australia. With her visa clock ticking, surely she can fall in love with an Australian—and get hitched—in two months. Especially if he’s as hot and funny as her next-door neighbor. Jace Walters has never wanted much—except a bathroom he didn’t have to share. The last cookie all to himself. And solitude. But when you grow up in a family of seven, you can kiss those things goodbye. He’s finally living alone and working on his syndicated comic strip in privacy. Sure, his American neighbor is distractingly sexy and annoyingly nosy, but she’ll be gone in a few months. Except now she’s determined to find her perfect match by checking out every eligible male in the town, and her choices are even more distracting. So why does it suddenly feel like he—and his obnoxious tight-knit family, and even these two wayward dogs—could be exactly what she needs?

The Aussie Next Door takes two wonderful people, with their own trust issues, and makes them work for a happy ending. Angie has been through in her life and all she wants is love and to help others. She slaps on a happy face and acts like everything is perfect even when her world seems to be crumbling around her. Jace needs his routines, and is set in his ways. He does not believe that he can be loved and accepted as he is because of his past. They both are so worried about getting hurt or ruining things that they are the cause of the majority of their own issues. I enjoyed getting to know both the characters very much, and liked hpw Jace's autism was handled in a matter of fact and realistic way. I love that it is a slow burn, friends to more story- and that the small town and big family tropes are also used. All of the characters and the setting are so well described and real to me that I want to go visit and meet them all- if only the trip would not take so long. I loved Jace's family- and think that the introduction of the secondary characters was well done, leaving me wanting to know more about what might happen to them and how they might find their own happy ending, but not with cliff hangers or big questions to leave me in suspense. It was a good balance. 

The Aussie Next Door is a sweet contemporary romance with a realistic look at how we are sometimes our own biggest barriers when it comes to making relationships work. It is sweet, tackles some real issues, and offers a believable HEA.

Book Review: The Scholar (Genoa Chronicles) by JJ Anders

The Scholar is the first book in the Genoa Chronicles series by JJ Anders. Anna is clearly different from others. With obvious physical differences and powerful abilities, she’s never quite fit in… anywhere. Having no knowledge of her parents, she sets out to discover her true origin. On the run for most of her life, she’s become a master at eluding capture, even a little cocky you might say. When a sticky situation forces her hand, she hitches a ride with a wizard, who whisks her away to another world, where, according to him, she’d been exiled from as a child. This new magical place seems oddly familiar as Anna discovers powerful enemies and treasured allies on her quest for answers. The dangerous journey thrust her headlong into the arms of Kriston, who finds himself caught between sworn-duty and insatiable curiosity.

The Scholar is a solid beginning to a great story. I loved getting to know Anna, she is pragmatic, curious, and kind. I like the way the details of Genoa, its history, and its inhabitants are revealed to the reader along side Anna. I liked that while there was a great deal of world building that needed to be done, there was a nice mix of action to break up the information. I liked Kriston and his men, as well as most of the secondary characters.  I did like that readers get a better understanding of several characters because of the chang point of views in the story. However, I found that sometimes it was hard to figure out which character was narrating. I was less thrilled when I would just get a good understanding- or at least interest- in the role a character would play in the grand scheme of things as they were narrating only for them to die. My other issue with the book was that I was left with more questions than answers, and no real resolutions. The ending felt more like the end of a chapter or section of a larger book rather than an ending of its own. I understand that there is so much world and character building that needs to be done for this story to be complete but a couple solid answers rather than hints to bigger questions would have really made me eager to seek out the next book. I want to know how it all plays out, I want to see the big bad pay for their crimes and the world be saved, but the non-ending of this book makes me a little less eager to continue. I liked the story- but was just frustrated with all the loose ends when I reached the end.

The Scholar is a good start to a fantasy series. However, I recommend having the sequels on hand because if you do enjoy the world and character building you are going to want to keep on going.

Book Review: Off the Market (Texas BBQ Brothers) by Audrey Wick

Off the Market is the second book in the Texas BBQ Brothers series by Audrey Wick. I did not read the first book, but found I could enjoy it as a stand alone. Although returning readers will enjoy seeing characters return and develop further.

Quinn LaFayette is in her inaugural year as library special programs director of Last Stand, but when the kickoff performance for the children’s summer program goes terribly wrong, she has to save face as well as her job. She has a surprise advocate in Cole, whom she did her best to ignore in school. Seven years has only made Cole more appealing, but Quinn is determined to resist the sparks that fly between them because they are too different. Restaurant owner Cole Hutchinson is no bookworm, but thanks to his fast-thinking antics, he ends up saving the day at the library and earning Quinn’s praise in the process. He’s tempted to seek more, but he’s juggling plenty of female attention from gracing the June edition of Modern Texas magazine featuring barbeque. Cole’s not interested in revisiting a woman from his past, but there’s something about Quinn that he can’t quite ignore. Can Cole prove that opposites really do attract?

Off the Market is a good contemporary, small town romance. I enjoyed the characters, and found the situations and concerns that both Quinn and Cole had to be believable. I have worked in a small town library, and can attest to how politics do play a role in every penny the library gets, and how one or two loud voices can make things better or worse for all concerned. I liked the slow progression of the romance between the two, but found that a lot felt unmentioned or skipped over. Yes, the relationship grew slowly over the summer, but sometimes it felt like a week or two was just glossed over and readers just know that they hung out some during that time. It was sweet, and I liked the characters, but I just never connected with them beyond the issues they had outside their relationship. It was luke warm rather than hot between them, and I do not mean just because there is very little physical between them in the story. There just was not enough spark or drive between them for me, they were good for each other- but I wanted something a bit more from them.

Off the Market is a sweet romance with a good premise. For those looking for a small town contemporary romance that has more sweet than heat. 

Early Book Review: Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy) by Ilona Andrews

Sapphire Flames is the fourth book in the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews , and the first full length book focused on Catalina. I do recommend reading this series in order, but if you are going to jump around starting here would be your best bet because of the shift in point of view. It is currently scheduled for review on August 27 2019.

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery. But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame. To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

Sapphire Flames is utterly fabulous. If you have been reading all things Ilona Andrews then you will not be surprised with the quality of the writing, the feels, and the danger that make up this book. If you are new to it all- hold on to the seat of your pants. I loved to read about Catalina coming into her own and fighting for her families future much like Nevada did in the earlier books. Catalina is such a great character, I love her balance of strength, vulnerability, and pragmatism. Alessandro is so much more than he seems, and I cannot wait to see what happens next, because I know there is so much more to come for them and House Baylor. The investigation and twists of this story were stellar. My complaints are only the best kind, that I want more and will now have to wait extra long for the next one since I got my hands on the ARC of this from Netgalley and read it so fast.

Sapphire Flames is a must read for Andrews fans. The balance of sweet and deadly was practically perfect.

Early Book Review: There Was a Black Hole that Swallowed the Universe by Chris Ferrie, Susan Batori

There Was a Black Hole that Swallowed the Universe is a picture book written by Chris Ferrie and illustrated Susan Batori. This book uses the familiar rhythm of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly," follow along as the black hole swallows up the universe and everything that exists in it, from the biggest to the smallest pieces of matter. The silly, vibrant artwork is sure to make stargazers of all ages smile. Included in the book are instructions to create a craft to turn a cell phone camera light into a black light. Use this new invention to reveal the secret, invisible text and artwork that reverses the story from nothing to the scientific creation of everything! It is currently scheduled for release on September 3 2019.

There Was a Black Hole that Swallowed the Universe is a well illustrated story that can give young readers a good idea of the building blocks of the universe. Some of of the word choices struck me as odd, and the fact that we go from planets down to cells did not make sense to me, but I know in a picturebook brevity is an art form its own and choices need to be made. I liked the idea and the artwork very much, and thought that the black light story in reverse is a wonderful touch, even if my digital copy does not allow me to enjoy it. I think this is a fun and enlightening story that will please many young readers and their caregivers.