Review: Cracking the Case of the Missing Egg (Farm Crimes!)

Title: Cracking the Case of the Missing Egg
Author: Sandra Dumais
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Owlkids Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 15, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A peaceful day on the farm turns to panic when Hen discovers her egg has been stolen! The only one who can crack the case? Billiam Van Hoof, the world’s number one goat detective (at least, that’s what he calls himself).

As Van Hoof questions the animals and collects clues—a piece of eggshell, a yellow feather, and some tiny footprints—the answer to the mystery becomes obvious to everyone except the bumbling inspector.

Review:

When Hen wakes up to discover that her egg is missing, goat detective Billiam Van Hoof has to investigate. He interviews the other animals and searches for clues, on his search for the missing egg.

I loved the details in the illustrations. All of the animals were wearing clothes. Hen had just woken up and was rushing around, so she was wearing bunny slippers and pearls. The detailed images added to the humour of the story.

Billiam van Hoof wasn’t a very good detective. He found a cracked shell, a feather, and tiny footprints, but he still couldn’t guess what happened. Even though he couldn’t solve the mystery very quickly, young readers will figure out what happened to Hen’s egg.

This is an adorable children’s book.

Thank you Owlkids Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Cone Cat by Sarah Howden, Carmen Mok (illustrator)

Do Lizards Eat Ice Cream? How Animals Beat the Hear by Etta Kaner

Have you read Cracking the Case of the Missing Egg? What did you think of it?

TBR Thursday – September 10

TBR Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly Faye Reads, where you post a title from your shelf or e-reader and find out what others think about it.

My pick this week is Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

From the author of The Queen’s Rising comes a thrilling YA stand-alone fantasy about the unbreakable bond between sisters. Perfect for fans of Ember in the Ashes, Sky in the Deep, and Court of Fives.

After eight long years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been proudly serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon appears earlier than expected, Eva knows something has gone terribly wrong. Halcyon is on the run, hunted by her commander and charged with murder.

Though Halcyon’s life is spared during her trial, the punishment is heavy. And when Eva volunteers to serve part of Halcyon’s sentence, she’s determined to find out exactly what happened. But as Eva begins her sentence, she quickly learns that there are fates much worse than death.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Blog Tour Review: These Vengeful Hearts

Title: These Vengeful Hearts
Author: Katherine Laurin
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 8, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Anyone can ask the Red Court for a favor…but every request comes at a cost. And once the deed is done, you’re forever in their debt.

Whenever something scandalous happens at Heller High, the Red Court is the name on everyone’s lips. Its members–the most elite female students in the school–deal out social ruin and favors in equal measure, their true identities a secret known only to their ruthless leader: the Queen of Hearts.

Sixteen-year-old Ember Williams has seen firsthand the damage the Red Court can do. Two years ago, they caused the accident that left her older sister paralyzed. Now, Ember is determined to hold them accountable…by taking the Red Court down from the inside.

But crossing enemy lines will mean crossing moral boundaries, too–ones Ember may never be able to come back from. She always knew taking on the Red Court would come at a price, but will the cost of revenge be more than she’s willing to sacrifice?

Review:

The Red Court is a secret society at Heller High that deals out favors. Students can send them a message to get revenge on someone at the school, but the favor comes at a cost that will be repaid at a later date. Ember wants to join the Red Court so she can take them down. She blames them for causing her sister’s accident years ago, that left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair. However, joining the Red Court may take more out of Ember than she’s able to give them.

This was an exciting and suspenseful story. The chapters were short which made it easy to read quickly. The tasks that Ember had to do for the Red Court were also fast paced, which left a lot of cliffhangers to encourage me to keep reading.

My suspicions about the identity of the Queen of Hearts, the leader of the Red Court, were correct, so the ending wasn’t too shocking. It was a satisfying ending and all of my questions were answered, so there weren’t any loose strings. The ending left the possibility for a sequel, which I would love to read!

This was a great story!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

About the author:

Katherine Laurin lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, and tiny dog. When she’s not writing, Katherine enjoys reading, traveling, hiking, and listening to true crime podcasts. These Vengeful Hearts is her first young adult novel.

Have you read These Vengeful Hearts? What did you think of it?

‘Waiting on’ Wednesday – September 9

This is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. In this post we highlight a book that’s highly anticipated.

The book that I’m waiting on this Wednesday is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. The expected publication date is October 6, 2020.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

What books are you waiting on this week?

Review: The Lost Queen (The Lost Queen Trilogy #1)

Title: The Lost Queen (The Lost Queen Trilogy #1)
Author: Signe Pike
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Touchstone
Source: Gifted
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Compared to Outlander and The Mists of Avalon, this thrilling first novel of a debut trilogy reveals the untold story of Languoreth—a forgotten queen of sixth-century Scotland—twin sister of the man who inspired the legend of Merlin. 

I write because I have seen the darkness that will come. Already there are those who seek to tell a new history…

In a land of mountains and mist, tradition and superstition, Languoreth and her brother Lailoken are raised in the Old Way of their ancestors. But in Scotland, a new religion is rising, one that brings disruption, bloodshed, and riot. And even as her family faces the burgeoning forces of Christianity, the Anglo-Saxons, bent on colonization, are encroaching from the east. When conflict brings the hero Emrys Pendragon to her father’s door, Languoreth finds love with one of his warriors. Her deep connection to Maelgwn is forged by enchantment, but she is promised in marriage to Rhydderch, son of a Christian king. As Languoreth is catapulted into a world of violence and political intrigue, she must learn to adapt. Together with her brother—a warrior and druid known to history as Myrddin—Languoreth must assume her duty to fight for the preservation of the Old Way and the survival of her kingdom, or risk the loss of them both forever.

Based on new scholarship, this tale of bravery and conflicted love brings a lost queen back to life—rescuing her from obscurity, and reaffirming her place at the center of one of the most enduring legends of all time.

Review:

Langoureth is the forgotten queen from the sixth century. She was raised with her twin brother, Lailoken, in the Old Way, with legends and secrets kept by the Keepers. As they grew up, Christianity grew in popularity and became the religion of the land. When Langoureth is promised to be married to the son of the king, she has to fight between the desire to follow her heart and to do what’s right for her family.

This story was fast paced and exciting. The chapters ended with cliffhangers that made me want to keep reading. Langoureth had many secrets that she had to hide from others, which added tension. If these secrets were revealed, it could mean the death of her or the people she cared most about so it was important that she keep them to herself. The threat of these secrets kept up the tension in the story.

I loved the medieval history in this story. I wasn’t aware of this story before reading this book. There isn’t a lot of information about these historical figures, since it took place 1,500 years ago, but this story of the forgotten queen, Langoureth, is an important one.

This is a great historical story. I’m so excited to read the next book in the trilogy!

What to read next:

The Forgotten Kingdom (The Lost Queen Trilogy #2) by Signe Pike

Finding Merlin by Adam Ardrey

Have you read The Lost Queen? What did you think of it?

Top Ten Tuesday – Books for My Younger Self

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Books for My Younger Self. Here’s my list:

1. Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith

2. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

3. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

4. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

5. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

7. Dear Martin by Nic Stone

8. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

9. Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

10. Pride by Ibi Zoboi

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?

Happy Pub Day – September 8

Happy Pub Day to all of these new books!

Charming as a Verb by Ben Philippe

The Other Side of the Sky by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Before She Was Helen by Caroline B. Cooney

The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson

My Riot by Rick Spears and Emmett Helen

These Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin

Happy Narwhalidays by Ben Clanton

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

One by One by Ruth Ware

Iron Heart by Nina Varela

What books are you most excited for this week?

Review: The Switch [audiobook]

Title: The Switch
Author: Beth O’Leary
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: August 18, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

When overachiever Leena Cotton is ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, she escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some long-overdue rest. 

Eileen is newly single and about to turn eighty. She’d like a second chance at love, but her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen.

So they decide to try a two-month swap.

Eileen will live in London and look for love. She’ll take Leena’s flat, and learn all about casual dating, swiping right, and city neighbors. Meanwhile Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire: Eileen’s sweet cottage and garden, her idyllic, quiet village, and her little neighborhood projects. 

But stepping into one another’s shoes proves more difficult than either of them expected. Will swapping lives help Eileen and Leena find themselves…and maybe even find true love? In Beth O’Leary’s The Switch, it’s never too late to change everything….or to find yourself.

Review:

When Leena is forced into a two month vacation from her job, she decides to switch places with her 79-year-old grandmother, Eileen. They’re both struggling to find happiness in their lives, so they agree that they need a change of pace. Leena takes over her grandmother’s place in the councils of the small town, and Eileen joins the online dating world in London. They both have to face their new gossipy friends and a different pace of life. Their lives change during those two months in ways that are irreversible.

I loved the audiobook version of this book. There were two different narrators, for the alternating chapters of Leena’s and Eileen’s perspectives. The two women had great voices that really suited the characters.

I liked that Eileen was an older character in this story. I’ve heard complaints that a lot of romantic comedies usually feature young adult characters, rather than characters who are middle aged or seniors. Eileen’s position as a senior actually made for some funny situations as she learned about online dating. Her elderly friends were also funny in the way they obsessed over little details in the small town. I’m glad to see this diversity of the age of characters in a contemporary romance.

This is a great story! I highly recommend the audiobook!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary

Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane

Have you read The Switch? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – September 7

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished The Lost Queen (The Lost Queen Trilogy #1) by Signe Pike.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading These Vengeful Hearts by Katherine Laurin.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – September 6

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?