Review: Undercover Princess

Undercover Princess by Connie Glynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

I really enjoyed meeting Lottie Pumpkin and Ellie Wolf as they attended Rosewood Manor. These 2 young ladies couldn't be more opposite, but they became the best of friends. Lottie is a scholarship student who loves princesses and feels that she must be perfect in order to prove her right to be there. Ellie is the princess of a country with an edge to her desire to live a "normal" teenage life.

When rumors start to swirl and the students begin to believe that Lottie is the princess, Ellie comes up with a plan to allow the rumors to be seen as truth. There are twists, turns, and intrigue throughout the story as we learn that there may be threats against the princess. Lottie and Ellie have to navigate the challenges together, and this brings them closer than ever as friends.

I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.

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Review: Murder on Cold Street

Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it, if you ask me

I really enjoyed reading this book about Charlotte Holmes. This is the first book in the series that I have read, but it is book #5 in the Lady Sherlock series. I look forward to going back to read more about how we got to the current state of things.

Charlotte Holmes claims to be Sherlock's sister, but in reality there is no Sherlock to speak of. She works "on his behalf, as he is an invalid", mainly because she knows most would not work with a woman detective.

In this story, Charlotte is faced with helping her friend, Inspector Treadles, to determine who killed the 2 men with whom he had locked himself in a room. The men worked with his wife, who had recently taken over managing the family business.

The story had several twists and turns, and I really enjoyed the side jaunts that you thought might lead somewhere, but weren't the answer!

4 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it, if you ask me

I really enjoyed reading this book about Charlotte Holmes. This is the first book in the series that I have read, but it is book #5 in the Lady Sherlock series. I look forward to going back to read more about how we got to the current state of things.

Charlotte Holmes claims to be Sherlock's sister, but in reality there is no Sherlock to speak of. She works "on his behalf, as he is an invalid", mainly because she knows most would not work with a woman detective.

In this story, Charlotte is faced with helping her friend, Inspector Treadles, to determine who killed the 2 men with whom he had locked himself in a room. The men worked with his wife, who had recently taken over managing the family business.

The story had several twists and turns, and I really enjoyed the side jaunts that you thought might lead somewhere, but weren't the answer!

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader's Copy.

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Review: The Testaments

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it without even asking! (but you need to read the first book first)

I really enjoyed the narrators in this book, as they were all different enough to know that it was a new section of the story.

I enjoyed learning the fate of Gilead and a little more about how it came to it's end. At the end of The Handmaid's Tale, we knew it was no longer in existence but not what had taken it down. This is a great story line that describes the end of Gilead from several points of view.

I loved that it kept some characters from the first book, but introduced us to another set of intertwined characters we didn't know about. Some of the characters were extremely disturbing, but others were not quite what you were expecting (after The Handmaid's Tale).

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Review: The Stars of History: Charlie Chaplin

The Stars of History: Charlie Chaplin by Swysen Bernard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 our of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I learned a lot about Charlie Chaplin that I never knew while reading this graphic novel. It was clear that Charlie started out with a hard life, but he was able to pull himself up and become the star he is now known to be. I also had no idea about how he was treated through the trials of McCarthyism.

I really enjoyed learning more, and perhaps I will look into the autobiography that is mentioned!

Thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for a copy of this book!

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Review: When the Emperor Was Divine

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This book was interesting, right from the start. The writing, never mentioning the name of the characters, made me interested to know more about the family.

I find the stories of what we have done to our fellow Americans throughout the years to be sad, but interesting. We cannot change if we do not learn from the past.

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Review: Admission

Admission by Julie Buxbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

This books is a fictionalized version of the "Varsity Blues Scandal" that tore through headlines about parents paying for raised test scores and fake athletic abilities to get their kids into great schools.

This novel takes the perspective of a child who didn't know it was happening, and the toll it takes on her life and relationships. It was written in a style that showed before and after the story broke in alternating chapters, showing what was known and perhaps what should have been known. It also shows what this sort of thing can do to relationships within a family and those of friendships and romance once the story broke.

I really enjoyed the book, and I will be looking for other stories from the author in the future.

Thanks to Random House Children's Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this Advanced Readers Copy.

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Review: The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye

The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye by Nancy Springer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 out of 5 stars - I'll tell you to read it, even if you don't ask.

The reason this got 5 stars is because it nicely tied up the end of this series. There were no open ended questions still lingering, and no wonder if another book could still be coming. (Though, I wouldn't be sad if there was another!)

In this newest case, Enola is hunting for a kidnapped Duquessa, Lady Blanchefleur. She was last seen going into the Baker Street Underground Station, and hasn't been seen since! While Enola is hunting for the missing Duquessa, Sherlock is hunting for Enola. A mysterious package has been dropped off at their home in the country, and it is addressed to Enola from her mother.

The story ties up with a nice, happy ending... with the possibility for future adventures!

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Review: The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline

The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline by Nancy Springer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I loved how this one tied in the historical figure of Florence Nightingale.

Enola has to work to determine how, why, and who has kidnapped her landlady in the latest installment of the mystery series. Her landlady had followed her husband to the Crimean War many years before. It was what lead to her extreme deafness and left her a widow. Now Enola has to determine how that past has a connection to the current state of affairs.

Sherlock is also pulled into the case through other means, and Enola works to keep her freedom while also running into Sherlock several times.

I really enjoy Enola's spunk and fortitude to keep going through all her trials!

Can't wait for the next one.

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