Book: Threshing Day

 Book: Threshing Day

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Pages: 224

this is my 252nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Welcome to Threshing Day, the brutal, high-stakes trial where would-be riders at Basgiath War College fight to earn the bond of a dragon or die trying.  Amid ruthless competition and dragon fire, these 13 cadets must survive a battlefield where desperate rivals will do anything to gain an advantage and dragons decide one's ultimate fate - and where a single choice can forge a rider - or destroy them.  Xaden Riorson, the powerful leader.  Rhiannon Matthias, the clever friend.  Dain Aetos, the dutiful rule-follwer.  Liam Mairi, the kindhearted protector.  Ridoc Gamlyn, the jokester.  Sawyer Henrick, the underdog.  Garrick Travis, the dependable aide.  Imogen Cardulo, the Impulsive fighter.  Bodhi Durran, the second-in-command.  Mira Sorrengail, the fearless rider.  Brennan Sorrengail, the brilliant tactician.  Aaric Graycastle, the restless royal. Sloane Mairi, the determined sister.  On Threshing DAy, there's only one rule: don't die.

This book was great.  Yes - I have read the Fourth Wing series, even though YA is getting way too young for me.  However - I do love a good dragon story.  The books were starting to wane for me, BUT I thought what the heck with this novella.  The art work is extrodinary.  And the stories of how each character obtained their dragons was fun.  I will say that Yarros does 2 things well - writing the dragon personalities - they are hysterical and so fun to read (and if you listen to these books - even a better listen), and endings.  Girl has a talent for endings of books.  So if you like the Fourth Wing books - definitely check this one out, and make sure you pick up a copy with the artwork.

Stars: 4.5 

Book: I'll Stop The World

 Book: I'll Stop The World

Author: Lauren Thoman

Pages: 446

This is my 251st read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Is it the right place at the wrong time?  Or the wrong place at the right time?  Trapped in a dead-end town, Justin Warren has had his life defined by the suspicious deaths of his grandparents.  The unsolved crime happened long before Justin was born, but the ripple effects are still felt after 38 years.  Justin always knew he wouldn't have much of a future.  He just never imagined that his life might take him backward.  In a cosmic twist of fate, Justin's choices send him crashing into the path of determined optimist Rose Yin. Justin and Rose live in the same town and attend the same school, but have never met - because Rose lives in 1985.  Justin won't be born for another 20 years.  And his grandparents are still alive - for now.  In a series of events that reverberate through multiple lifetimes, Justin and Rose have a week to get Justin unstuck in time and put each of them in control of trier futures - by solving a murder that hasn't even happened yet.  

Meh.  Free read from Amazon

Stars: 2 

Book: Girl Who Was Taken

 Book: Girl Who Was Taken

Author: Charlie Donlea

Pages: 352

This is my 250th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are both high school seniors in the small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina.  When they disappear from a beach party one warm summer night, police launch a massive search.  No clues are found, and hope is almost lost until Megan miraculously surfaces after escaping from a bunker deep in the woods.  A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has turned Megan from local hero to national celebrity.  It's a triumphant, inspiring story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing.  Nicole's older sister Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, epects that one day soon Nicole's body will be found, and it will be up to someone like Livia to analyze the evidence and finally determine her sister's fate.  Instead, the first clue to Nicole's disappearnace comes from another body that shows up in Livia's morgue - that of a young man connect to Nicole's past.  Livia reaches out to Megan for help, hoping to learn more about the night the 2 were taken.  Other girls have gone missing too, and Livia is increasingly certain the cases are connected.  But Megan knows more than she reveals in her blockbuster book.  Flashes of meory are coming togeher, pointing to something darker and more monstrous than her chiling memori describes.  And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you've been looking for.

This was an interesting enough book. I listened to it and it kept me entertained during long drives and yard work.  I did not see the ending coming - I will give it that.  I did feel like the killer was a bit of a "what?" reaction for me-  nothing that really lead me to believe that was where this was going anywhere in this book.  

Stars: 3.5

Book: A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe

 Book: A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe

Author: Mark Dawidizak

Pages: 283

This is my 249th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

It is a moment shrouded in horror and mystery.  Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849, at just 40, in a painful, utterly bizarre manner that would not have been out of place in one of his own tales of terror.  What was the cause of his untimely death, and what happened to him during the 3 missing days before he was found, delirious and "in great distress" on the streets of Baltimore, wearing ill-fitting clothes that were not his own?  Mystery and horror.  Poe, who remains one of the most iconic of American writers, died under haunting circumstances that reflect the 2 literary genres he took to new heights.  Over the years, there has been a staggering amount of speculation about the cause of death, from rabies and syphilis to suicide, alcoholism, and even murder.  But many of these theories are formed on the basis of the caricature we have come to associate with Poe: the gloomy-eyed grandfather of Goth, hunched over a writing desk with a raven perched on one shoulder, drunkenly scribbling his chiling masterpieces.  By debunking the myths of how he lived, we come closer to understanding the real Poe- and uncovering the truth behind his mysterious death, as a new theory emergest that could prove the cause of Poe's death was haunting him all his life.  

This was a very interesting book.  I admit I had no idea that Edgar Allan Poe died at the age of 40 and spent most of his life poor.  I did not know he was orphaned at a young age and the family that took him in is where the Allan comes from in his name.  I also did not know that no one knows how he died.  This book weaves his life - touching on his childhood and upbringing among the last few months of his life and the author trying to unfold what ultimately happened to him.  Good book.  

Stars: 4 

Book: Just Another Missing Person

 Book: Just Another Missing Person

Author: Gillian McAllister

Pages: 384

This is my 248th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Not everyone who is lost should be found.  22 year old Olivia has been missing for one day - and counting.  She was last seen on CCTV, entering a dead-end alley.  And not coming back out again.  Julie, the detective heading up the search for Olivia, thinks she knows what to expect.  A desperate family, a ticking clock, and long hours away from her husband and daughter.  But in this twisty police procedural, she has no idea just how closeto home this case is going to get. Becasue the criminal at the heart of the disapperance has something she never expected.  Hisweapon isn't a gun, or a knife: iot's a secret.  Her worst one.  And her family's safety depends on one thing: Julia must Not find out what happened to Olivia - and must frame somebody else for her murder.  If you find her, you will lose everything.  What would you do?

This was a pretty good book.  I have read quite a few of Gillian's books - Wrong Place Wrong Time continues to be my favorite of hers.  This has a good twisty story - good for a "spooky month".  I was not sure where it was going or who was going to be the bad guy until the end.  There are a ton of characters in this one and I had to really pay attention to keep them all straight.

Stars: 3.5

Book: Encyclopedia Brown

 Book: Encyclopedia Brown

Author: Donal Sobol

Pages: 96

This is my 247th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Leroy Brown, aka Encyclopedia Brown, is Idaville neighborhood's 10 year old star detective.  With an uncanny knack for trivia, he solves mysteries for the neighborhood kids through his own detective agency.  But his dad also happens to be the chief of the Idaville police department, and every night around the dinner table, Encyclopedia helps him solve his most baffling crimes. 

Read for the Rory Gilmore Challenge

Stars: 4 

Book: The Family Remains

 Book: The Family Remains

Author: Lisa Jewell

Pages: 384

This is my 246th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Early one morning on the shore of the Thamses, DCI Samuel Owusu is called ot the scene of a greusome discovery.  When Owusu sends the evidence for examination, he learns the bones are connected to a cold case that left three people dead on the kitchen floor in a chelsea mansion 30 years ago.  Rachel Rimmer has also received a shock - news that her husband, Michael, has been found dead in the cellar of his house in France.  All signs point to an intruder, and the French police need her to come urgently to answer questions about Michael and his past that she very much doesn't want to answer.  After fleeing London 30 years ago in the wake of a horrific tragedy, Lucy Lamb is finally coming home.  While she settles in with her children and is just about to purchase their first ever house, her brother takes off to find the boy from their shared past whose memory haunts their present.  As they all race to discover answers to these convoluted mysteries, they will come to find that they're connected in ways they could have never imagined.  

So - my bad.  I did not know this was a second book in a series!  I should have looked into it better before I pulled t off my shelf.  This is a sequel to The Family Upstairs.  I am wondering if my review would be different if I read that one first (I plan on reading it soon to find out).  IT was a good book, but not as good as some as the others of hers I have read.  There are a lot of hard topics in this one -rape is one of them, and I really do not like reading about domestic violence.  She did pull it all together in the end and wrapped it up well. 

STars: 3.5 

Book: The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder in the Castle

 Book: The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder in the Castle

Author: CL Miller

Pages: 304

This is my 245th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Hot on the heels of an art forger, a member of the Lockwood Antique Hunter's Agency disappears while investigating an isolated castle deep in Scottish countryside.  Freya and Aunt Carole race to her last known location and arrive in the wintry, snow-covered Scottish Borders.  At the castle, they discover that a murdred laird in the vegetable garden and his priceless collection of silverware has been stolen.  Local police believe Freya's missing team member was involved with the robbery and murder - but where is she now?  As a snowstorm descends on the castle, Freya and Carole call in back-up to help uncover what happened that fateful night.  As each question is met with more mystery, the clock is ticking to find their friend and he murderer before they are cut off from the outside world.

This is a 3rd in this series, and it was pretty good.  I have enjoyed this story line and these characters for the most part.  They are light and easy reads, and this one I was not really sure where it was going to end up.  But it wrapped up nicely.

Stars: 4 

Book: Warm Bodies

 Book: Warm Bodies

Author: John Marrs

Pages: 107

This is my 244th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Brenda lives quietly in a picture-perfect English village.  She looks after her grandchildren, restores old furniture, and keeps herself to herself.  She's the sort of neighbour people feel comfortable judging.  And judge they do.  Because villages notice everything.  The shopping.  The visitors.  The hours kept behind closed doors.  And when the local WhatsApp group begins to turn its attention to Brenda, curiosity hardens into suspicion, and gossip becomes a sport.  As scrutiny tightens, Brends finds herself navigating busybodies, moral crusaders and a community that believes it knows best.  What they don't know is that Brenda has spent a lifetime solving problems descreetly.  Methodically.  Permanently.  And she is very good at it.  The village may come to regret not minding its own business. 

I got this short story as an Amazon free read and I enjoyed it.  I am a Marrs fan, and he did a great job writing a full, interesting story with developing characters in 100 pages.  It was a good story with a bit of a twist I didn't really see coming.  Glad I read this one.

Stars: 4 

Book: The Beginning After The End

 Book: The Beginning AFter The End

Author: TurtleMe

Pages: 192

This is the my 243rd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

King Grey is a remarkable ruler with a prosperous reign, and yet - opulence and success cannot bury emptiness and solitude.  His time as king, however, comes to an abrupt end, and he reincarnates as Arthur Leywin - a baby born in a world of magic and monsters.  Equipped with memories of his previous life and the desire to protect the newfound warmth surrounding him, Art begins his journey of becoming a strong warrior once again.  Sword training, mana coreformation, magic studies - Art does it all in order to be as powerful as can be.  But will it be enought to repel the dangerous forces that threaten his second chance of life?

Stars: 3 

Book: Fever Beach

 Book: Fever Beach

Author: Carl Hiassen

Pages: 384

This is my 242nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Welcome to Fever Beach, where the sun blazes, the politicis are unhinged, and the characters are as volatile as a summer storm.  Dale Figgo is a half-baked crusader with the rare distinction of being kicked out of the Proud Boys - for being too dumb.  His latest bad decision?  Picking up a hitchhiker on a rainy afternoon while running an errand.  That errand sets off a chain reaction involving Viva Morales, a clever, resilient newcomer trying to rebuild her life post-divorce.  She's renting a room in Figgo's apartment and working at the Mink Foundation - a philanthropic front with something far darker beneath the surface.  Circling them is Twilly Spree, a hothead environmentalist with too much cash and a gift for over-the-top revenge.  When dark money and twisted motives bring their worlds crashing together, Viva and Twilly become unlikely allies.  Together, the uncover a tangle of corruption and consipracy led by a plastic-surgery-loving billionaire couple and a clueless c ongressman with delusions of grandeur.  In his most outrageous and deliciously funny novel yet, Hiassen delivers a gleefully chaotic portrait of contemporary madness.

This was another great installment for a Hiassen book.  Always amusing, and a favorite author in our house, this book did not disappoint.  There are the usual enormous amount of characters, and since this book was from 2025, it has a lot of timely news to parody off of.  Hiassen is not lacking for material these days in his highly left leaning books.  If you want to read a story where they poke good fun and a bananas story about people in Florida - check this one out.

Stars: 4  

Book: Kills Well With Others

 Book: Kills Well With Others

Author Deanna Rayborn

Page: 363

This is my 241st read for the year

What Amazon Says:

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, May Alice, and Natalie are called back into action.  They have enjoyed their time off but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone - literally.  When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready to tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.  Someon on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European ganster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendancy to kill first and ask questions later.  This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungy plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.  Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museums momle and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move beofe they make it.  Their enemy is unlike any they've faced befre, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this misison alive.

This books is a good one.  This is a second in a series and i liked it as much as the first.  It may be weird to describe this book as cute considered it is about hired killers, but they are basically grannies.  There is good banter between the 4 women as they just casually do their jobs.  I am not sure if this will be the last in this series, but I would read another.

Stars: 4 

Book: w0rldtr33

 Book: W0rldtr33

Author: James Tynion

Pages: 136

This is my 240th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

In 1999, Gabriel and his friends discovered the Undernet-a secret architecture to the internet.  They charted their exploration on a message board called W0rldtr33.  Then they lost control.  Someone brok into W0roldtr33- someone who welcomed the violent hold the Undernet had on them.  At great personal cost, Gabriel and the others thought they sealed the Undernet away for good.  They were wrong.  And now the whole world will know the meaning of PH34R.

I am making my way through James Tynion's graphic novels.  He writes some pretty twisted stories but I finish one of his series and search for another.  Looking forward to seeing where this one goes.

Stars: 4 

Book: The Night She Disappeared

 Book: The Night She Disappeared

Author: Lisa Jewell

Pages: 416

This is my 239th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

On a beautiful summer night in a charming English suburb, a young woman and her boyfriend disappear after partying at the massive country estate of a new college friend.  One year later, a writer moves into a cottage on the edge of the woods that border the same estate.  Known locally as the Dark Place, the dense forest is the writer's favorite place for long walks and it's on one such walk that she stumbles upon a mysterious note that simply reads "Dig Here"  Could this be a clue towards what has happened to the missing young couple?  And what exactly is buried in this huanted ground?

This was a pretty good book.  I like Lisa Jewell books - always trying to figure out where she is going with a story.  Keeps me guessing.  The story flowed well and I liked a lot of the characters.  This was a good start to a spooky month.

Stars: 4