Monthly Archives: March 2020

March 29, 2020 · 4:11 pm

Only Dead on the Inside by James Breakwell

If you want to make sure your children survive the zombie apocalypse, this book is for you. If you want to laugh out loud at the absurdity of a “parenting” book, this book is also for you. James Breakwell’s humor makes for a wonderfully hilarious escape of a read. The cartoons sprinkled throughout sometimes have something to do with the topic and the charts are just fabulous. I highly recommend this to anyone (especially parents) who just want to laugh.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2020: 19
Pages Read in 2020: 4759
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Filed under Humor, Reason: LitHub Bingo

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March 28, 2020 · 4:15 pm

Death is in the Details by Heather Sunseri

Death is in the Details is an amazing start to a new series. Less than halfway through the book I had figured out who the culprit of the first fire was. It was super obvious. And so I knew that person couldn’t be the one responsible for all of them because I’ve read other books by Heather Sunseri and she’s never that obvious. I actually gasped when it became clear who the serial killer and arsonist was. They hadn’t been on my radar at all. That was super well done. The end was quite a jolt as well so now I can’t wait to read the second book! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2020: 18
Pages Read in 2020: 4559
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Filed under Reason: I Like the Author, Reason: LitHub Bingo, Thriller

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March 25, 2020 · 3:41 pm

The Big Break by Megan McDonald

An expanded version of the original first Julie book, The Big Break is all about the 1974 American Girl doll. The story is well-written and has lots of little callouts to the time period. The last couple pages give non-fiction information about life as Julie would’ve experienced it and explains why certain things were included (like Julie struggling with her parents’ divorce and working to get on the boy’s basketball team at school). I recommend this book to kids who enjoy American Girl books. It makes an excellent family read-aloud!

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2020: 17
Pages Read in 2020: 4372
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Filed under Children, Historical Fiction, Reason: Bedtime Story for the Boys, Reason: Vine Review

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March 23, 2020 · 2:08 pm

Much Ado About Mean Girls by Ian Doescher

Imagine the entire Mean Girls movie written out like a Shakespeare play complete with the language and rhythms you would expect from William Shakespeare. That’s Much Ado About Mean Girls. It’s utterly fabulous. It’s so funny and reads very quickly. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes Shakespeare and enjoyed Mean Girls.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2020: 16
Pages Read in 2020: 4155
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Filed under Play, Realistic Fiction, Reason: LitHub Bingo, Reason: Vine Review

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March 17, 2020 · 6:09 pm

Pasta, Pinot & Murder by Jamie Lee Scott

There are a lot of spelling errors in Pasta, Pinot & Murder. The author went out of her way to include red herrings. So much out of her way that they were rather obvious. The resolution kind of came out of left field like she really, really wanted the murderer to not be obvious. The writing is decent enough. I don’t particularly recommend reading it, though. There are plenty of much better cozy mysteries out there waiting to be read.

2 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2020: 15
Pages Read in 2020: 3991
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March 16, 2020 · 12:10 pm

Duped by Abby Ellin

The author of this book fell for the lies of a narcissist and thought she was going to marry him. This got her interested in the lies people tell and other cases of people being duped by a liar. It turns out it happens a lot. Duped weaves the stories of people who have fallen for the lies of others with facts and statistics on liars, lies, and lying. The writing style is excellent and really draws you in, somehow making the facts and figures just as fascinating as the narratives. I highly recommend this book, particularly if you have ever known a narcissist.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2020: 14
Pages Read in 2020: 3821
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Filed under Memoir, Non-Fiction, Reason: Vine Review

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March 9, 2020 · 2:45 pm

Kit: Read All About It! by Valerie Tripp

Kit is the American Girl doll from 1934. In Kit: Read All About It!, her first book, she has to deal with her father’s job loss, her home becoming a boardinghouse, and that her friend’s family doesn’t seem to be affected by the Great Depression. It’s great historical fiction for middle grade age kids. The end gives some extra factual information about the Depression and how life was in the early 1930s. I recommend this book for kids who like history.

5 (out of 5) Stars

Books Read in 2020: 13
Pages Read in 2020: 3570
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