Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Geronimo Stilton: The Volcano Of Fire




Geronimo Stilton is a mouse that works as an editor at a local paper. He goes to work one morning and discovers a mysterious package on his desk. It contains a map where he is to go and figure out what this message is all about. While climbing the mountain to the location on the map, he falls and finds himself in the Kingdom of Fantasy once again. The Elves tell him the Volcano of Fire has been reawakened, and the Princess of Fairies has been kidnapped. They need Geronimo's help to find the Princess and stop the volcano from erupting. Geronimo agrees to face many dangers and adventures to help with the Elves' quest.

This was the fifth book in the series, and the only one I have read so far. I was able to follow the story easily. At 320 pages it might seem like a long book for young readers, but it is really easy to read and goes faster than you would guess. There are a lot of illustrations and maps, and the type is large enough that there is not too much on a page. I think a young audience would really enjoy this book.

This was the second book that the Bookworms Book Club read together. Paige chose this book. It was a fun adventure book that worked well for boys and girls. Here are the Bookworms' thoughts on the book:

Q&A With The Bookworms Book Club

How Many stars out of 5 would you give this books?
Paige 5 stars
Alejandro 5 stars. At first I thought 4 1/2, but as I thought about it I think it gets 5.

What was your favorite part?
Alejandro The Diggerts were my favorite because it reminded me of what I like to do, which is looking for rocks and minerals.
Paige I had two favorites. 1. The proposal scene and the pretty picture that went with it. 2. The Pirate Captain's button that changed the room making chairs pop up.

Did you notice any parts of the story that reminded you of other books or movies?
Paige The Pirates were like the Pirates on Stardust. Also climbing up the hair was like Rapunzel.
Alejandro Diggerts reminded me of the Dwarves on Snow White. Also the trash scene where the walls closed in were like the Labyrinth and Star Wars.

What did you think about a story using parts from another book or movie?
Paige I thought it was cool that they did that.
Alejandro I like it when they do that.

Did you like the illustrations and how many there were?
Both Yeah, it was just the right amount of pictures.
Alejandro I liked looking at the pictures, it was like having a movie in your head about the book.
Paige They were colorful. I like seeing what the characters and land looks like. It is ok to imagine it too, but I like to see the pictures and what it is suppose to look like.

This was #5 in the series, were you able to understand what was happening?
Alejandro Yes, there was enough about the other stories to understand what was going on, like why the Prince was eating hay.
Paige I had read some of the other books before, so I knew what was going on.

When Geronimo goes to the Library, all the books want to be read. They shout why he should choose them. How would you choose what book to read?
Alejandro I would pick the book with the most information about what I wanted to know.
Paige I would pick the book with lots of pictures and definitions about what I am looking for.

Geronimo has an amulet to make 7 wishes, did he make good choices? What would you wish for?
Paige He wasted some of his wishes, at the dinner when he accidently wished for different food. I would wish to be the next Great Baker.
Alejandro I would wish for a fifties car, a bigger backyard, and a helicopter.

There are some codes in the book and a key to translate them. Did you translate any of the codes?
Alejandro  No. I wanted to finish the book first, and forgot to go back and do it.
Paige Yes I did translate all of them. It was fun to do.

The Diggerts give Diggert names to Geronimo and his friends, what Diggert names would you give each other?
Alejandro I would name Paige Diamond.
Paige I will name Alejandro Stonehead
Both We will name Whitney Ruby.

There is a Sludge Monster that turns into whatever you are afraid of. What would it turn into for you? How would you stop it?
Alejandro I liked when it turned into mud. For me it would turn into Slenderman or something horror related. I don't like horror movies and stories. To stop it I would not think about it anymore.
Paige Or a clown?
Alejandro NOOOOO!
Paige I liked that it had red firey eyes and turned into a cat for Geronimo. For me it would be the bully Samantha at school. I would fight it with a bow and arrow or a knife to stop it.

Is there anything else you would like to say about the book?
Alejandro I thought it was very interesting.
Paige I didn't like the cover. The volcano looks like a log with fire at the end.
Whitney How would you change that?
Alejandro Make it look like a volcano.
Paige I would have Geronimo with the Diggerts rescuing Sprout in a cage in front of the volcano.

Would you tell your friends about this book?
Alejandro Yes!
Paige I would tell them to read it and the other books too.

Thank you Paige and Alejandro for reading and reviewing this book with me. I look forward to our next book together.

Monday, July 28, 2014

The Anatomy Lesson





This is the story behind one of Rembrandt's most famous paintings: The Anatomy Lesson Of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp. Taking place in a single day, we slowly learn about the events that culminated in this painting. Siegal explores where the cadaver for the lesson came from, and how he ended up being dissected. The story lends humanity to the cadaver in the painting, while explaining how one of Rembrandt's first major works was made.

I thought this was a well researched book, but unfortunately there was not a balance between information obtained through research and the story being told. The information was not well integrated into the plot, and interfered with the flow of the story. I appreciate the effort Siegal made in researching the topic, and I generally prefer my historical novels to be based on fact with a lot of factual information included in the story, this just was not the right balance for me.

The other issue I had was the voices of characters were indistinct. Each chapter is told from a different character's viewpoint, and I could not immediately tell which character's view the chapter I was reading was from. This was unfortunate, because there were some very distinct characters and personalities, so I would have liked to read some clear voices for the different characters.

It was a very dry read, and there was little motivation to continue reading despite the interesting subject matter. If you are interested in Rembrandt or this particular painting, you could probably read a non-fiction account and come away with more information, and obtain it in a more enjoyable manner.

I would recommend reading a different book.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Tiger Lily





Before Peter Pan and the Lost Boys have their adventures with Wendy, they have adventures with Tiger Lily. They meet in the forbidden woods of Neverland, and Tiger Lily's life will never be the same. Soon she must choose between her love of Peter Pan and her future with her tribe. Tiger Lily is willing to risk it all when the appearance of Wendy changes everything.

Tiger Lily is a retelling of the classic story Peter Pan. Despite the title, the story is from Tinker Bell's perspective. I liked reading from her point of view, because she gives a very intimate view of the characters, and does it with a startling honesty. It also makes the telling seem more unbiased as we learn of the difficult relationship of Peter Pan and Tiger Lily.

This book grabs you from the beginning. Although there is a slower pace to the story, it does not matter. You are drawn into the lives of these characters and revel in the new version from Anderson. Offering a complexity to the classic characters, we see them through new eyes. I loved how imperfect these characters were, and found it a fascinating version of the tale.

If you like reading retellings of classic tales, I recommend reading Tiger Lily.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Chew: Taster's Choice





Tony Chu is not your regular detective. He is a Cibopathic--he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. Getting these impressions can be a great asset to solving cases, as long as he is willing to take a bite out of a corpse. His ability comes to the attention of the most powerful law enforcement agency: the Special Crimes Division of the FDA. They want him to investigate some of the strangest cases, and a lot of cold cases. The question is: is Tony literally willing to take a bite out of these cases?

Taster's Choice is the first book in the series, and it was a good start. It is a familiar enough tale with a talented detective potentially uncovering a huge conspiracy, yet it offers a new twist to keep you interested. When I first heard about it, I immediately wanted to read it. I thought this sounded like an awesome version of the psychic working to solve crimes. It was definitely a unique approach to the classic whodunnit, and I have high hopes for the series.

It was an amusing book, but despite the obvious funny nature of it, there are some serious points as well. Some interesting characters were introduced, that I look forward to seeing again. The world set up was intriguing. There was a good balance between initial world building and leaving some mystery to discover later in the series. For example, why are beets the only thing Tony can eat without receiving impressions? I think there is great potential for this to be a decent series.

If you are looking for a new twist on a detective series, I would recommend trying the Chew series.

Friday, July 18, 2014

The Girls Of Atomic City





In Oak Ridge Tennessee, a new city was made as part of the Manhattan Project in 1942. More than 75,000 people(mostly women) lived and worked there. Most of them had no idea what they were really working on. They knew their work helped the war effort, but little else. Even talking about what your job was in Oak Ridge was answered with the punishment of eviction and unemployment. Very few figured out what they were part of, until the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.

I had never read anything about the production of the nuclear bombs before. I did not realize how secretive it was. It was surprising to learn that the people working in these factories had little idea what they were doing. The government did not want overly trained people working in these factories. They wanted people who knew enough to do the job they were given, but who would not know enough to ask questions.

I thought the information was not conveyed in the clearest or most engaging manner. The narrative changed perspectives a lot, which made a lot of the information very repetitive. It also made it hard to really get to know any of the women that were part of this community. It was also difficult to keep track of the different women as parts of their story were told earlier and you would not read more about them until a lot later in the book.

I thought it the topic was really interesting, and there was a lot of good information in the book, it just needed to be presented in a different way. I had never heard about Oak Ridge before, and I am really glad the author researched an important, but forgotten part of history.

I would recommend giving this book a try if you are interested in World War II.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

William Shakespeare's The Jedi Doth Return





In the end of the trilogy, we return to the sands of Tatoonie. A daring rescue is afoot. Han has been frozen in carbonite and is being used as a wall decoration in Jabba's palace. His friends must use all of their talents if they are to free him from the notorious crime lord. They must move quickly, the Rebellion has great plans to destroy the Empire's second death star, and need all of their people to make the plan work. Will Luke and Leia be able to save their friend and thwart the Empire's evil plan?

I received a free copy of this book from Quirk Books*. I was very excited to receive this book because I am a huge fan of Star Wars, and greatly appreciate the cleverness of this trilogy. This was a great finish to William Shakespeare's Star Wars. Doescher expertly combines the language of Shakespeare with the Star Wars universe. I was happy to see the return of the chorus in this volume. Even the dedication should not be missed. I think my favorite part of this book was when Obi-Wan Kenobi was speaking to Luke on Endor. It was so well done.

One of my favorite things about this series is all of the literary references that are worked into the original tale that fit so perfectly with the story. I will let the readers discover most of them, but my absolute favorite was the Tusken Raider version of Oedipus. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to be reading and discover these hidden gems. It is one of the many things that makes this series worth reading. The whole trilogy was so awesome, I have put all three of them on My Favorite Books list. I cannot wait to see what Doescher does next.

This is an amusing version of the Star Wars series. I highly recommend reading the whole trilogy!

*Quirk Books does not require a review or stipulate what kind of review should be given if you are inclined to review the book. It was simply part of a promotional event for their book. Winning this book does not change my review. It merely provides me with a book I would not have heard about, or gotten to as quickly.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer





Johannes Cabal sold his soul to the devil many years ago thinking it would help him with his necromancy. It turns out, not having his soul is proving problematic for Cabal. He travels through hell to retrieve his soul from the devil. Satan does not want to return it, but being bored is willing to enter into a wager for Cabal's soul. The wager: Cabal must get 100 people to sign their souls over to the devil, and he has one year to do it. To make it interesting, Satan gives him a carnival to lure people in. Johannes Cabal must immediately set up the carnival if he has any hope to complete his task in one year.

This is the first book in the Johannes Cabal series. I had read the third book Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute, and loved it! So I was excited to finally read another of the Johannes Cabal books, and thought I would start with the first book. This is a witty and humorous book, but there is great depth to the story as well. Howard's writing style is engaging. I adore his characters, you immediately get a sense of who they are, yet they develop as the story progresses. I am so glad that this is a series, because I want to continue in this world.

The plot is very engaging, and Howard writes an excellent version of the Faustian tale. Also, I love that this version of hell is people in interminable lines filling out bureaucratic paperwork. Anyone who has waited in line to get government paperwork completed will appreciate this.

If you like fantasy books, I highly recommend reading the Johannes Cabal series.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Y The Last Man: Unmanned





Yorick Brown is an unemployed escape artist who is training a monkey to help the disabled. Some mysterious plague hits, and he finds himself the only male left on earth. Every male mammal has died leaving the world inhabited by females. His monkey Ampersand also survives this mysterious plague. They set out together to find out what happened, and why they survived. Yorick's other main goal is to reconnect with his girlfriend who was in Australia when the plague hit. It will not be easy to achieve either of his goals as he must dodge angry female republicans that have taken over the government, a gang calling themselves Amazons who are man haters(Yorick discovers his sister among them), and many more challenges along the way.

Unmanned is the first book in this graphic novel series. It is a slightly different take on the post-apocalyptic story, so I am curious to see where it goes. I had heard great things about this series, but I feel sort of indifferent after this first volume. Not very much happens in this book except the basic plot layout. I will read a couple more books in the series to see if it picks up at all.

The characters were also stereotypical end of the world characters, and so far, there is not a lot to them. I hope that changes as the series progresses. Right now Yorick seems like a wimpy helpless male that the Amazons will end up killing if he isn't more careful. A lot of the women portrayed seem like extreme angry feminists. I hope that there will be more to the characters than that.

If you are looking for a new post apocalyptic story this one might intrigue you. I will continue with the series for now, because I want to know what the mysterious plague is.


Friday, July 11, 2014

Defending The City Of God





Born around 1105, Melisandre becomes the first Queen of Jerusalem. The treaties that she and her family make with the various warring factions are all at risk. She must try to keep her city during the violence of the first crusades. Exploring political intrigues, women's roles, and dynastic conflicts Newman looks at the early crusades from a different perspective.

I won a copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Review Program*. I was curious about Melisandre, and was excited to learn more about her. Unfortunately, when I finished the book I still felt as though I knew little about her. A lot of the book was not about Melisandre as there are a lack of sources about her. This lack, made definite statements impossible for much of what the author wanted to say about Melisendre. Consequently, there was a lot of assumptions and guesswork in this book. I lost track of how many times it was stated "we cannot know for sure" which was followed by "I guess this is what happened". I appreciate that the author was clear about their guesswork, but I do not think the material was there for the book they were trying to write. Perhaps a historical fiction book would have worked better.

I also thought the material could have been presented in a clearer way. The biography included a lot of information about Melisandre's family. I think only around half of the book was directly focused on her. This made the book seem very cluttered, and made it difficult to follow at some points.

There was a lot of information about the crusades, so people who like reading about the crusades might find it more interesting. I would recommend reading a different book about Melisandre.

LibraryThing does not require a review of the books won in their program. If a winner is inclined to review a book, a positive or negative review is not stipulated, only an honest review. Winning this book does not change my review. It merely provides me with the chance to read the book sooner than I would have been able to, or to read a book I might not have heard about otherwise.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Brassicas





Brassicas are among the healthiest vegetables in the world. Some of the vegetables in this family are: broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, and turnips. The Brassicas cookbook explains a little bit about these vegetables, how to match flavors, cooking methods, and some delicious recipes. There are also tips for those that have dietary restrictions explaining how to make the recipes work for them.

The recipes are divided into sections for each vegetable. Each section begins with information about the vegetable, how to choose it at the market, and how to prepare it. This is perfect if you are not as familiar with the vegetable. I like having the sections as it makes it easier to find the recipes you are looking for. The recipes all have a note on ways you can change it slightly, if you want to add a different flavor to the recipe. This is an awesome feature! It allows for personal taste preferences, but you can also make the same recipe several times and not have it get old.

There are beautiful photographs for a decent number of the recipes. They will make you want to try everything! I always prefer it when a cookbook has a lot of pictures to help me decide what I want to make, and to know how the recipe should turn out.

Here are two of the recipes I have made so far:


Master Kale Saute

This is a simple, but flavorful saute that makes a great side. I used one of the variations where you caramelize a yellow onion before the sauteing the kale. It was a delicious side that went well with the chicken I was serving. I will be making this one again.


Roasted Broccoli With Savory Granola

I was immediately intrigued by this recipe and had to try it. I had never had granola with vegetables before. It was tasty! I was surprised how easy it was to make. The flavor was perfect as a side for Chickpea Burgers.

I was excited to get this cookbook because I am always looking for ways to make healthy sides and new recipes for vegetables. It can be difficult to find recipes for brassicas that are not covered in cheese. It is mentioned in the description for this book that the recipes "bring out the flavor without covering them in cheese". I was so happy to discover that the book lives up to that statement. There are a couple recipes with cheese in them, but you make the dish in a way that you taste more than cheese.

The recipes are easy to make, with a lot of different options. Anyone will be able to find a recipe they will like in this book. If you are unfamiliar with these vegetables or do not typically care for them, I would try this cookbook. The variety of recipes and tips on combining flavors will help you discover something you will enjoy. There are so many recipes in this book I am eager to try. Here are a few at the top of the list: Kale and Sweet Potato Saute, Roasted Broccoli with Winey Mushrooms, Brussels Sprout Leaves with Lemony Yogurt Dressing, and Indian Potato and Cauliflower Curry.

If you are looking for new recipes for brassica vegetables I highly recommend this cookbook.

**I received a free copy of this book from Blogging For Books to review**

*Receiving a free copy does not change my review. It merely provides me with a book I would not have gotten to as quickly or heard about otherwise.

Monday, July 7, 2014

I Survived The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor






Danny is eleven years old living in New York City. He moves to Pearl City Hawaii when his Mother gets a job at the Hickam military base hospital as a nurse. She thinks it is the perfect opportunity to get Danny away from the dangerous situations he keeps finding himself in. Danny is not happy about the move. In fact, he plans to run away to New York as soon as possible. Before he can run, the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. Danny finds himself in great danger, and must try to survive the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

This is the first book in the I Survived series that I have read. I thought it was a good way to introduce kids to historical fiction, and historical events. I really liked that the author included facts about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a timeline of events, and a list for further reading if the reader wants to know more about the topic. It is a short story, and is easy to read.

I found out about this book from my nephew Alejandro. He and my niece Paige wanted to start a book club, and this was the first book they read together. We had some good discussions about the book, and Paige wrote a great summary for us. Here are their thoughts on the book:

Q&A With The Bookworms Book Club

How many stars out of 5 would you give I Survived The Bombing Of Pearl Harbor?

Alejandro 5 I thought it was awesome!
Paige 4 1/2

What was your favorite part of the book?

Alejandro I liked that the boy Aki knew what all the different kinds of planes were.
Paige I liked when Danny met the Sudo family, and that the officer Mack liked Danny's Mom.

Did the Story turn out how you expected it to?

Paige Kind of. I was pretty sure Danny would live because he is the main character, and they usually live. I was surprised that they had the part about the officer Mack liking Danny's Mom. I thought it would be all about Danny. 
Alejandro I read this book before, but the first time it surprised me when the soldier gave Danny his wing pin when Danny helped him.

When Danny moves to Pearl City from New York, he wants to run away back to New York. Why do you think he wanted to do that? Why did he decide not to run?

Alejandro He wanted to run back and see his best friend Finn.
Paige He was going to stowaway on a ship.
Alejandro But than the attack started and he didn't want his Mom to be sad when he was gone.
Paige And he didn't want to get hurt while the bombs were falling.

Why do you think Danny didn't wait in a safe place with the Sudos for the bombs to stop? 

Alejandro He ran towards the hospital, and bombs were falling around him. I thought why is he doing that it isn't safe!
Paige I thought it was crazy to be outside. I would start running to the nearest hiding place. Danny wanted to make sure his Mom was ok. 

Danny helps some wounded soldiers, what do you think about that?

Alejandro He tried to find his Mom, and was helping people. That was a good thing to do. I would help because it is good to help, and I want to be a doctor when I grow up.
Paige I think it was good that he helped people, but I would not want to be a doctor there! I would freak out and be afraid of killing someone. I think it would be better to be a nurse like my Mom and Danny's Mom.

Mr. Sudo was arrested because he was Japanese, what do you think about that?

Paige I didn't like it! Just because he was Japanese doesn't mean he helped with the bombing or did anything wrong. They should have to have a real reason to arrest someone. I would try to help my neighbor like Danny if I knew them, and if I knew they didn't do anything wrong.
Alejandro He shouldn't go to jail just because he drew pictures of planes. They should have evidence before sending someone to prison. It was rude to ask to search his house because he was Japanese. I liked that Danny tried to help, and that he asked his gangster friend to help. I would try to help my neighbor.

Did you know about the bombing of Pearl Harbor before you read this book?

Paige I learned a little about it in class. The book helped me understand a little more about it. The facts at the end helped too.
Alejandro Of course I did! I knew a lot about it already because I like to read about World War II, and I read this book a couple of times before. It was a refresher for me.

Did the main character Danny change at all in the book?

Paige He did change a little, but not a lot. He got in trouble a lot at first, but he became nicer.
Alejandro I thought he changed a lot. Not leaving was a big decision.

Would you recommend this book to your friends?

Paige Yeah, I think I would.
Alejandro I learned about the I Survived books from my friends, so we talk about them already. I would tell people who hadn't read them to read them.

Thank you Paige and Alejandro for reviewing this book with me. I look forward to reading and reviewing more books with you!

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel






Sixteen year old Jacob has suffered from personal and family tragedy, and decides to travel to a remote island of the coast of Wales. He finds the remnants of an old house that was Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. While exploring, Jacob discovers evidence that the children attending the school might have been dangerous, and they might have been kept on the island in quarantine. Jacob is even more surprised to find out that some of the children might still be alive.

This is an adapted version of the original novel to graphic novel form. The heart of the story and the main plot points stay the same. Nothing is drastically changed, minor plot points are simply left out for the ease of telling the story in a different format. This version might work for a younger audience that is not quite ready for the emotional depth of the full novel.

 I liked that some of the old pictures included in the novel were worked into the art of this version. I thought it was interesting to see in picture how parts of the story play out rather than simply reading about them. I liked how the art was used to show the differences in the regular world and the loop.

While I still really enjoyed the graphic novel, nothing compares to the original Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. I would recommend reading the original novel first, and afterwards reading the graphic novel so you can fully enjoy the story.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Casual Vacancy





Barry Fairbrother is in his early forties, and has a seat on the parish council in the idyllic town of Pagford. Barry suddenly dies, leaving a vacant seat on the council. The empty seat becomes a catalyst for all the issues that are hidden in the town. Conflicts between the rich and poor, parents and children, teachers and pupils. We learn that Pagford is not the perfect town it seems to be. The battle to win the election and claim the council seat has begun, the question is: who will survive the turmoil and claim the seat?

I found myself having conflicted feelings when I finished reading Casual Vacancy. I knew when I read the description, that it probably was not the type of story that would appeal to me. So, why did I read it? Because it was the first book written by J.K. Rowling for adults, and took place in a non-fantasy setting. I was perfectly aware it would be different from The Harry Potter series. I expected that from a good author. I wanted to see what her writing was like in a different setting. The conflict for me is: I did not like the story, but I think it was really well written.

Some of the issues I had with the book were: the plot moves forward very slowly, I did not really care about the characters, and I just could not get involved in the plot. Also, the language, while understandable might be difficult for some to understand, particularly Americans as many of the words are abbreviated, and there is also some British slang that is used. All of these issues by themselves might have been easy to get over, but the combination was too much for me to really get into the story.

Although I found myself uninterested in this book, I do admire the way Rowling writes her characters. They always seem very real to me. There is no perfect character. Everyone has their flaws. I always believe the characters she writes, and find their actions very plausible.

While this was not my favorite book, I think some people might like it. If you liked The Goldfinch, you will probably like this book.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Countdown City





There are only 77 days until the asteroid hits earth. Detective Hank Palace has until recently, continued working as a detective, even with the end of the world looming. A woman who used to babysit Hank when he was younger begs him to find her missing husband. Most people think her husband has left to do whatever he wants in the few days that are left. This woman is convinced there is more to it. Hank finds a few clues to work with, and does his best to discover what happened to this man. Hank finds himself in an anarchist encampment with more going on than he anticipated.

I won a copy of this book from Quirk Books*. This is the second book in the Last Policeman trilogy. It builds on the tension of the first book. We learn more about Hank's character in this book. In The Last Policeman, Hank was more of a mysterious character. Here more of his personal life is divulged. I liked learning more about him, but it will make it more difficult when the asteroid hits.

I like that these are not simply mysteries or post-apocalyptic stories. The impending doom creates a new dimension to the genre, and brings up a lot of interesting questions. What would you do if you knew when you would die? What do you do with the time you have left? This series will grab your attention, and you will want to keep reading until the asteroid hits.

This book ended with a cliff hanger, and I cannot wait until the third book is released!

If you enjoy mysteries, you have to read this trilogy!

*Quirk Books does not require a review or stipulate what kind of review should be given if you are inclined to review the book. It was simply part of a promotional event for their book. Winning this book does not change my review. It merely provides me with a book I would not have heard about, or gotten to as quickly.