This book was so cute! A great Christmas story that I can see being made into a movie.
Marmel, head labeling elf he is in charge of labeling the naughThis book was so cute! A great Christmas story that I can see being made into a movie.
Marmel, head labeling elf he is in charge of labeling the naughty and nice and he is in a tizzy because Santa changed the rules and now no one is on the naughty list but Marmel has found a whole family (The Krumwerth’s) that he thinks should be on the permanent naughty list, no more chances they are just bad, bad, bad, at least according to Marmel. However Santa wants to give them a chance to redeem themselves, much to Marmel’s chagrin. According to the rules Marmel must inform the family they are in danger of being on the naughty list forever, so he heads to the house and informs teenaged Amanda of the family’s fate. We also get to see Santa’s brother RC (Reverse Claus) who lives on the South Pole and wears green and has green and white candy canes, which I will never look at without thinking of RC again!
I enjoyed the Krumwerth family too they used to have fun on Christmas but have somehow forgotten their Christmas spirit, but they aren’t the only ones Marmel seems to be having a problem with this himself and for and Elf that is a very bad thing to happen.
The story is told by Marmel & Amanda in alternating chapters as you see how they try to get their Christmas Spirit back. I enjoyed the family stuff and know what it is like when Christmas becomes more of a chore than the fun and family it is supposed to be. I also enjoyed the scenes in the South Pole and hope maybe RC will get his own book one of these days!
I truly enjoyed this book and can so see it as movie **Hello Hollywood… Do You Hear Me?**
I highly recommend this fun book, even if you are done with your Christmas reads for the year I say pick one more up. I will be buying a paper copy for our library.
4 ½ Stars
I received this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.
PS I see there is an audiobook version of this that I am sure would make a fabulous roadtrip book for you and your family!
Edited to add:I was excited to try the audiobook this year, and I was not disappointed, Ralph Lister’s narration was fantastic all the characters, voices and accents were fabulous! ...more
Set in North Dakota with shades of A Christmas Carol, this was an enjoyable Christmas Story. A tale about appreciating the little things, not sure whaSet in North Dakota with shades of A Christmas Carol, this was an enjoyable Christmas Story. A tale about appreciating the little things, not sure what else to say other than this is a good story especially for North Dakotans! (or anyone who likes the Christmas Carol premise)
Got this free from Audible narrated by Jim Dale, and so glad I did. I really enjoyed this short story, who knew a cricket could be a “fairy godmother”Got this free from Audible narrated by Jim Dale, and so glad I did. I really enjoyed this short story, who knew a cricket could be a “fairy godmother”.
It’s Dickens it has happy and sad moments, and of course a moral about changing the way you act and live and some Christmas miracles.
This was another fun installment of the series, we have lots of Lulu & Grandma (my 2 favorite characters) and this time we also have a giraffe who LulThis was another fun installment of the series, we have lots of Lulu & Grandma (my 2 favorite characters) and this time we also have a giraffe who Lulu names Kevin. Stephanie as always seems to find trouble no matter where she goes and wrecks another Rangeman vehicle, breaks a bone or two and has to be rescued a few times from imminent death. She is also given the evil eye curse from Joe’s grandma Bella which may be the scariest situation of all!
Just when you think Stephanie is going to grow up and make a decision about the men in her life, we readers realize her relationship with Joe Morelli may not be as strong as we think it is. Evanovich shows us that other than the occasional shag and rescue (or is that the other way around) Stephanie & Morelli aren’t really in each others lives the way an almost engaged couple should be. She has no idea he has a game day with his family & friends, how long have they been dating? How could she not know this, unless there is less of a relationship than we had been led to believe? My thoughts on this love triangle may have changed with this book.
Stephanie also decides to finally quit the bonds business, will it last?
I love this series if I am feeling blah or am in a book slump these are my go to books, they aren’t great literature but they are fun and I enjoy the heck out of them!
As always Lorelei King brings every character to life with many, many varied voices she is the voice of this series and makes me only read these books on audio!
Comfort and Joy by India Knight, narrated by, Anne Flosnik
Hmm what to say about Comfort & Joy, first of all this isn’t your normal sappy with a good mComfort and Joy by India Knight, narrated by, Anne Flosnik
Hmm what to say about Comfort & Joy, first of all this isn’t your normal sappy with a good moral Christmas story it is more Sex in the City meets AbFab Christmas story. And that is exactly what I liked about this book it was fun and had many laugh out loud moments, but not one you want to listen to in public without earbuds in it does get a little racy in spots but that is half the fun of this book.
I liked the characters in this book, Clara was trying to do the best she could and I like that she included not only her exes but their families too so her children would still have family there for Christmas, which I found very refreshing. She is a bit of an A personality when it comes to planning the big Christmas meal and was happy that on the third Christmas in the book they went to Marrakesh and she let others do much of the work.
I related to Clara so much, trying to plan the perfect Christmas for a bunch of people you’re not sure you even want to spend time with let alone what’s supposed to be a happy holiday. But I loved how she handled it, I myself would have drank much more! I loved Clara’s wit and sarcasm, I am a bit sarcastic myself so I enjoyed this aspect of Clara’s personality immensely!
Anne Flosnik’s flawless narration helps this book along at times and who knew she had such good comic timing, she embodies Clara and all the other characters, as always Anne’s narration was spot on!
Just a warning if you are reading or listening to this in public there are some laugh out loud moments and you may get sideways glances from people around you, I would also recommend not eating or drinking anything while reading especially the first half or you may ruin your book and/or your clothes from spitting whatever you have eaten or attempted to drink!
If you like your Christmas stories on the bawdy, funny side I highly recommend this book. Just don’t go into it thinking you are getting a heartwarming sappy read because that’s not this book!
I sort of finished Seven for a Secret by, Lyndsay Faye narrated Steven Boyer, I say sort of because I dnf'd it with about an hour left I just didn't cI sort of finished Seven for a Secret by, Lyndsay Faye narrated Steven Boyer, I say sort of because I dnf'd it with about an hour left I just didn't care to listen anymore and I am not sure if the story got boring or if the narrator sounded bored so I was too. I wanted to like this book so much, since I loved Faye's Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H. Watson but it just didn't do it for me.
This book reminded me of the TV show Copper which I love but this story got a bit long winded for me and by the end I just wanted it over. The middle of the story was interesting and she does give a great feel of New York in this time period, but I just wanted her to get on with the story and have it come to a conclusion. The copper star in this book Tim Wilde at times doesn’t seem too bright, and I felt that even for an abolitionist he seemed pretty forward thinking, again in that way it reminded me of the show Copper, and possibly that is why I didn’t enjoy this as much as I thought I would because of the comparisons.
Steven Boyer’s narration was really good at times, let me clarify the main character had this kind of boring one note dialect he sounded bored or depressed but his other characters and accents were very well done including a southern woman that I thought was very good, I think that may be why the main characters voice was so strikingly boring compared to all the other great voices he did.
I will read more Lyndsay Faye books as I said I absolutely loved Dust & Shadow and if she writes more Holmes books I will be thrilled, however I probably won’t read anymore in this series or if I do I will read them in paperform.
3 stars(barely)
I received the paperbook from Librarything Early Reviewers but got behind and bought it on audio. ...more
I thought at first this book would only have a niche audience of librarians, but it is also about Tourettes and faith and even though the author is a I thought at first this book would only have a niche audience of librarians, but it is also about Tourettes and faith and even though the author is a Mormon I think what he says about faith applies to all religions. I enjoyed this book and not just the parts about libraries, though those may have been my favorite parts. I found it fascinating when he describes his Tourettes and how it feels; I’ve read a number of books about Tourettes but haven’t ever heard anyone describe the tics as well as the author did, like I never knew they hurt and that you could feel them coming on but could do nothing to stop them. I felt so bad for him when he was on his mission trip and his Tourettes got really bad. This is an awful disorder and I have a lot of compassion for Josh and think he is amazingly strong.
I also enjoyed how much he loves books and reading and the way he talks about his love of books, even at the adoption agency when he maybe should have let that conversation go!
I also enjoyed how supportive his family was of him it was refreshing to see a family full of love and not torn apart by Tourettes or faith or anything else!
A few quick thoughts I jotted down while listening…Loved when he went to the city council & commented that he’d never seen any of them at the library, so true!! And being a babysitter, I know this pain big-time! Also the guy watching porn and you just want to say “seriously man you’re in a library” I know there are many librarians that have thought the same thing why would you look at this stuff in a public place?
Stephen R. Thorne was the narrator and I thought he did a very good job at the narration and telling Josh’s story, I liked that he didn’t go over the top when making the Tourettes vocal tics and didn’t make them comical because it is such a serious disorder.
I highly recommend this book to not only librarians and readers but anyone who would like to know more about Tourettes and anyone who has questioned their faith. I need to say I am not usually someone who likes books about faith because peoples beliefs are very different but I liked that he told it straight and didn’t get preachy.
4 Stars
Full disclosure I received this book from the Audiobookjukebox & the Publisher for a fair and honest review...more
I am happy with the way this ended it was far from predictable and more realistic given the context of the book, yes I am sad too don't get me wrong bI am happy with the way this ended it was far from predictable and more realistic given the context of the book, yes I am sad too don't get me wrong but I'm ok with that.
I enjoyed this book I thought it was a great ending to this series, I also love that the author had the guts to do what she did, Bravo! Because in reality not everyone gets a HEA!
If you loved the first 2 books this one may be hard on you, yes, have tissues ready but I say read this and look honestly at the world they live in and what they’ve been through and realize that this is the most realistic ending to any of the dystopian books I’ve read!
First off I must say I am a fan of Evanovich I love the Stephanie Plum series, I am also a fan of Monk, so I was expecting way more laughs in this oneFirst off I must say I am a fan of Evanovich I love the Stephanie Plum series, I am also a fan of Monk, so I was expecting way more laughs in this one than I got. Most Evanovich books have many laugh out-loud moments and I am finding none in this one.
I am over 50% done with the audiobook and I am giving up, this book is boring and the characters fall very flat, I was expecting more of a White Collar feel with funny maybe even irreverent moments and have gotten none of the above.
Life is too short to read bad books.
Sorry Ms. Evanovich but I will stick to your Stephanie Plum series. ...more
A good middle grade ghost story, with a bit of a moral to the story. There were times I felt like the mom/aunt in this book should have taken a step bA good middle grade ghost story, with a bit of a moral to the story. There were times I felt like the mom/aunt in this book should have taken a step back and listened instead of jumping down Ali’s throat, and just believing her bratty little 4 year old who annoyed me to no end. However, I think that may be what kids will like about the book especially if they have younger siblings that drive them crazy.
I don’t really know what else to say about this book it was predictable to me but might not be for a middle grade reader. I read this to see if it would be a good book to add to our library’s collection and I liked to well enough and thought the kids would find it spookier than I did so, yes I will be buying this book for our middle grade collection.
Narrator Rachel Dulude did a good job, but I wonder if she made Sissy a little too snotty especially in the end, I felt she should have toned it down a bit.
When we venture back to Sevenwaters the household is preparing for the wedding of Dierdre to a nobleman, the house is full of people among them Johnn When we venture back to Sevenwaters the household is preparing for the wedding of Dierdre to a nobleman, the house is full of people among them Johnny and some of his men including Aiden and Cathal, Aiden has eyes for Dierdre’s twin Clodagh and his rude foster-brother Cathal seems to have a lot to say about this. As was decided by Lord Sean, Johnny son of Liadan & Bran would be the heir to Sevenwaters since he and wife Aisling have only had daughters but an unexpected late in life pregnancy produces a son they name Finbar. The pregnancy has been worrisome to the whole household because of Aisling’s age but when everything goes well with the birth the whole household celebrates and sighs with relief, until the day Cathal comes to say goodbye to Clodagh in the nursery and in that second her brother Finbar is gone and in his place a changeling made of sticks that only she can see is a real child from the otherworld. This begins Clodagh’s journey into the otherworld to rescue her brother with Cathal’s help.
This one had much more otherworldly/magical beings and worlds than the last couple books have had which I enjoyed, most of the book is spent in the otherworld with forest beings and the evil King of The Oaks Mac Dara who wants something but it isn’t Finbar or Clodagh . Cathal was an interesting character because in the beginning he is so rude to everyone especially Clodagh but as the story goes on we see why he was like he was and his reasoning’s behind it all.
Clodagh’s journey is interesting because unlike all the other daughters of Sevenwaters who did battle with otherworldly foes this is this first one that did their fighting in the otherworld, she has a long harrowing journey and I was glad that years and years hadn’t passed in the real world while she searched for her brother!
Rosalyn Landor did a great job on the narration as always, Mac Dara’s voice had just the right amount of contempt for humans and venom when he was crossed. She gave Clodagh a dignity and fragility at times that was a nice blend. I always enjoy all her different voices male and female.
Another great book from Sarah Addison Allen, it’s magically beautiful! Now I have to tell you, there is a bit of predictability to this book BUT it isAnother great book from Sarah Addison Allen, it’s magically beautiful! Now I have to tell you, there is a bit of predictability to this book BUT it is the journey they take to get there that makes it so worth the read.
There are two stories at the beginning of this book that eventually intertwine the story of Kate who a year ago lost her husband and has been sleepwalking through life not being present in her or her daughter Devin’s life, in fact, in that year she has let her mother in law, Cricket , pretty much take over her life, which is ironic considering her husband always wanted her out of their lives. Then we have the story of Eby Kate’s great aunt who in the 60’s married the love of her life, George, who was also very rich not that Eby ever cared about that, while they are in Paris they meet Lisette (I won’t tell you how …Spoilers). When they finally come back to the states Eby’s family just wants and wants so Eby & George get rid of their money and buy a hotel/resort in Georgia called Lost Lake and are very happy for many years. Kate spent one glorious summer there when she was 12 and when she & Devin find an old postcard Eby sent to Kate years ago they decide to go visit Lost Lake much to the chagrin of her over bearing mother in law.
Devin & Lisette have become my new favorite characters from this author. I love Devin she is precocious yet so wise beyond her years she sees her mother sleepwalk through a year after Devin’s father dies and now that her mom is awake again she just wants things to work out and they aren’t going to work out moving in with her grandmother Cricket. Devin’s journey is so magical and wonderful. I just love her I can’t help it. Lisette is such an interesting character and I truly fell in love with her quiet wisdom too. I enjoyed every scene she was in. There is a slew of interesting characters besides the ones I have already mentioned, there is Selma and her charms, and Bulahdeen is hilariously over the top. These two ladies have been coming to Lost Lake for years and cracked me up most of the time, I loved that the author gave us a good background on these characters and not just here they are.
As with other Addison books there is some big time magical realism going on here in more ways than one which made this one unique, there are a few different magical realism stories here and they are so different yet the way they fit into this story is so well done that I believed it all.
All this makes this book almost impossible to put down, between the magical story and the great characters this is a must read especially if you are a southern fiction fan or a fan of magical realism.
Sarah Addison Allen did not disappoint in this long awaited book and I am so glad she updated her fans on her breast cancer progress that she has had 2 clean scans.. Hoorah!
5 Stars Full Disclosure I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss & the Publisher for a fair and honest review. ...more
This was a very unique ghost story, or haint story, because that’s what they call ghosts on Black Mountain. But there are times when it gets a little This was a very unique ghost story, or haint story, because that’s what they call ghosts on Black Mountain. But there are times when it gets a little confusing because there are so many stories and characters and there were times I had forgotten who was dead and who was alive because the ghosts felt like flesh and blood people going about their business, although that is also what made this book so unique.
These haints are everywhere on the mountain just not everyone can see them, and there is one that is a storycatcher she catches peoples stories , which is usually the secrets and lies, the hurts done and takes it upon herself to right these wrongs in any way she can. And there are a lot of secrets on Black Mountain and the Rev. Dobbs holds a doozy and he will pay one way or another for it.
I truly enjoyed the writing and felt the characters were well fleshed out but there are a lot of them and there is back and forth in time too with some of the stories but once you get them straight in your head you need to hear more about each and every one of them and the strands of how it all fits together makes for a fascinating story.
Allyson Johnson was a new to me narrator and I was very impressed with her narration she moved smoothly from female to male and from old lady to young girl. Her southern women seemed very real the accent didn’t sound faked or forced in any way. I will be finding more books narrated by her.
This was my first Ann Hite book and for sure won’t be my last I truly enjoyed how she weaved this story and can tell she is a master storyteller, I look forward to reading more books by her.
This was a fascinating read, I asked for this from netgalley because I am fascinated with the Triangle Fire tragedy but this book is about so much thaThis was a fascinating read, I asked for this from netgalley because I am fascinated with the Triangle Fire tragedy but this book is about so much than just that, it is a fabulous immigrant story.
We meet teenaged Miriam and her family when they are living in Kiev, they have already lived through the pogroms (which is a violent massacre or persecution of an ethnic or religious group, particularly one aimed at Jews) and there is hints at more to come, but her parents have a dream, to go to the golden land to America where no one burns you for being a Jew. They start their journey by getting out of Kiev and moving to Germany to make enough money for Papa to go to America first and make enough money for the rest of the family to come over. It is 2 years before enough money is saved and the tickets arrive for Miriam, her mother Sara, her brother Yuri, and baby sister Devora to make the great sea voyage. However Miriam’s brother is a little brat who doesn’t want to leave, sorry Yuri really made me mad in this story and Devora has been sickly and the doctor advises that she not go on this trip. Ok that is all I am going to tell about that part *No Spoilers*.
The book goes on with Miriam’s story her sea voyage , what that was like and the conditions for these passengers was pretty grim, but I liked how the author let us see through Miriam’s eyes that first look at New York harbor the Statue of Liberty and arriving at Ellis Island. I thought her descriptions of this and the Lower East Side made you feel like you were there and was well written. So there is so much more to this book than the Triangle Fire which I’m sure you have guessed is where Miriam gets a job and after still having nightmares from the Pogrom’s of her childhood this was a pretty tough time. One caveat here, the description of the fire is very graphic so teens or adults with a weak stomach may have a hard time with that.
I really enjoyed this book and pretty much read it in one sitting, this was my first book by Irene Watts though I have been meaning to try her books, I will now be reading more of her books. I really enjoyed her writing and the descriptions of time and place were well done.
I would recommend this to teens and adults alike and will be buying the paperbook for our library!
4 Stars As I said I received this book from netgalley for a fair and honest review. ...more
This was a re-read of one of my all-time favorite fantasy books and I have to tell you I loved it just as much the second time through as I did the fiThis was a re-read of one of my all-time favorite fantasy books and I have to tell you I loved it just as much the second time through as I did the first and listening to the audio version only enhanced my love of it.
I still loved the characters of Sorcha & Red, this whole story is so beautifully written, Juliet Marillier is such a fabulous writer!
I thoroughly enjoyed this fairytale re-telling (The Wild Swans by, Hans Christian Andersen), this is not a story for the faint of heart, just a warning there is a rape scene, and this love story which to me is so secondary to Sorcha’s quest is chaste and doesn’t overpower the book at all. Sorcha’s quest will break your heart and it amazed me still even on re-reading/listening what a great strong woman she was.
I enjoyed the “magical” elements the fair Folk and the druids it all seems so normal and everyday that you totally believe these people truly lived in this time.
This was my first time listening to Terry Donnelly as a narrator at first I wasn’t sure about her because I was expecting more of an Irish accent from the characters at Sevenwaters but she really grew on me and I was enrapt with the book by the end and was very happy with her narration, I thought she put just the right amount of venom in the Uncle Richard’s voice. I see she narrates another one later in the series and I look forward to it and would definitely listen to this narrator again.
As I said I love Juliet Marillier’s writing she knows how to weave a tale so well that you believe every word. If you are a fan of the quest type fantasy give this series a try.
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