books – Page 14 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: The Raccoons: The One That Got Away

Title: The Raccoons: The One That Got Away
Author: Iain McLaughlin
Genre: Children’s
Publisher: Candy Jar Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: March 27, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

“One look at this place and you’ll fall in love… The unspoiled beauty of nature.”Bert Raccoon, Cedric and Bentley have a secret fishing spot — a beautiful wild lake, home to a legendary catfish called Old Tom.

This secret spot is so precious that even Cyril Sneer, now an environmental crusader, loves it and won’t trade it for a big net profit.

But it doesn’t remain a secret for very long. Soon, industry wants a bit of the pond, and all of the Evergreen Forest will suffer. But will anyone face the scales of justice?

This is a story of a community coming together to fight for what’s right.

Review:

Bert and Cedric have a secret place that they show to their young friend Bentley. It’s a pond where they go fishing and no one else knows it exists. They insist on keeping it a secret, but the wealthy businessman Cyril ends up using it for a new environmental business idea.

This is a great story in The Raccoons series. Each of the books can be read as a stand-alone. You also don’t have to be familiar with the TV show that inspired these books to read them. I love how interactive these books are, with QR codes that lead to clips from the TV show, a fun crossword puzzle, and pig themed jokes!

The One That Got Away is a great children’s chapter book!

Thank you Candy Jar Books for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Cry Wolf
Blast From the Past

Have you read The One That Got Away? What did you think of it?

Review: The Mistletoe Mystery (Molly the Maid #2.5)

Title: The Mistletoe Mystery (Molly the Maid #2.5)
Author: Nita Prose
Genre: Mystery, Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin Random House Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s mofinst joyful yet.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mysteryreminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.

Review:

Molly Gray always loved celebrating Christmas with her Gran. Now that she lives with her boyfriend, Juan Manuel, he is trying to continue her traditions and start new ones. Even though he is being very thoughtful with gifts and traditions, Juan is acting strangely. He is speaking to other women and sneaking around at work. At the same time, Molly is a little apprehensive about the Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Hotel, since she was teased at the last one. Molly must figure out what is going on with Juan, so they can have a happy holiday together.

It was so fun to revisit Molly Gray in this holiday novella! There was a little mystery with what Juan was doing, but I guessed what he was planning early in the story. I loved reading about the traditions Molly had with her Gran and the new ones she was starting with Juan.

The Mistletoe Mystery is a fun holiday novella for fans of The Maid!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Have you read The Mistletoe Mystery? What did you think of it?

Review: Lady Macbeth

Title: Lady Macbeth
Author: Ava Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Del Rey
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 13, 2024
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s most famous villainess, giving her a voice, a past, and a power that transforms the story men have written for her.

The Lady knows the stories: how her eyes induce madness in men.

The Lady knows she will be wed to the Scottish brute, who does not leave his warrior ways behind when he comes to the marriage bed.

The Lady knows his hostile, suspicious court will be a game of strategy, requiring all of her wiles and hidden witchcraft to survive.

But the Lady does not know her husband has occult secrets of his own. She does not know that prophecy girds him like armor. She does not know that her magic is greater and more dangerous, and that it will threaten the order of the world.

She does not know this yet. But she will.

Review:

Roscille is a seventeen-year-old French girl who was sent to Scotland to marry Macbeth, the Thane of Glammis. Her life in Scotland is very different from what she’s used to. She doesn’t get any help from a handmaiden, and she is married to a bloodthirsty man. Roscille wears a veil over her eyes at all times because her eyes can cause madness in men. Roscille must do whatever she must do to survive in her new role as Lady Macbeth.

This was a tragic story. It wasn’t a retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It follows the true history that inspired the play, while also having fantasy elements. Women were treated badly, but Roscille had to find ways to stand up for herself and survive this brutal world.

Lady Macbeth is an intense tragedy.

Thank you Del Rey for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: death, death of parent, stabbing, rape

Have you read Lady Macbeth? What did you think of it?

Review: Ghosted

Title: Ghosted
Author: Amanda Quain
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 25, 2023
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Never Have I Ever meets The X-Files in Amanda Quain’s Ghosted, a gender-bent contemporary retelling of the Jane Austen classic, Northanger Abbey.

Hattie Tilney isn’t a believer. Yes, she’s a senior at America’s most (allegedly) haunted high school, Northanger Abbey. But ever since her paranormal-loving dad passed away, she’s hung up her Ghostbusters suit, put away the EMF detectors and thermal cameras, and moved on. She has enough to worry about in the land of the living–like taking care of her younger brother, Liam, while their older sister spirals out and their mother, Northanger’s formidable headmistress, buries herself in her work. If Hattie just works hard enough and keeps that overachiever mask on tight through graduation, maybe her mom will finally notice her.

But the mask starts slipping when Hattie’s assigned to be an ambassador to Kit Morland, a golden retriever of a boy who’s transferred to Northanger on—what else—a ghost-hunting scholarship. The two are partnered up for an investigative project on the school’s paranormal activity, and Hattie quickly strikes a deal: Kit will present whatever ghostly evidence he can find to prove that campus is haunted, and Hattie will prove that it’s not. But as they explore the abandoned tunnels and foggy graveyards of Northanger, Hattie starts to realize that Kit might be the kind of person that makes her want to believe in something—and someone—for the first time.

With her signature wit and slow burn romance, Amanda Quain turns another Austen classic on its head in this sparkling retelling that proves sometimes the ghosts are just a metaphor after all.

Review:

Hattie Tilney is a senior at Northanger Abbey. She used to love her dad’s ghost stories and ghost hunting, but since he died, she no longer believes in ghosts. When her mom, headmaster of Northanger Abbey, asks Hattie to guide the new student, Kit Morland, around the school, Hattie agrees to get her mom’s approval. However, Kit is attending the school on a scholarship from a ghost hunting association. Hattie and Kit must work together on an assignment about the ghosts that haunt Northanger Abbey, but while Kit is eager to share their stories, Hattie wants to prove that they don’t exist.

This was a great gender-swapped retelling of Northanger Abbey. Northanger Abbey is told by the perspective of Catherine Morland, who believes in ghosts. I liked that this story is told from the perspective of Hattie, who’s skeptical about ghosts. It gave the story more tension, as she was surrounded by ghost stories and she used to believe in them as a kid.

Ghosted is a great YA ghost story!

Thank you Wednesday Books for providing a digital copy of this book.

Content warnings: cancer, death of parent

Have you read Ghosted? What did you think of it?

Review: A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2)

Title: A Torch Against the Night
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: August 29, 2017
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Set in a rich, high-fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Sabaa Tahir’s AN EMBER IN THE ASHES told the story of Laia, a slave fighting for her family, and Elias, a young soldier fighting for his freedom.

Now, in A TORCH AGAINST THE NIGHT, Elias and Laia are running for their lives.

After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.

Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.

But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.

Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.

Review:

After the events of the Trials, Elias and Laia are on the run to Kauf, a high security prison, to rescue Laia’s brother, Darin. Meanwhile, Helene has become Blood Shrike to the new Emperor Marcus, and her first job is to hunt down Elias and bring him back to be executed. If she can’t do it, her family will killed. Elias and Laia have to fight against many enemies on their dangerous journey to save Darin before it’s too late, while Helene grapples with her love for Elias and the safety of her family.

This was such a thrilling sequel to An Ember in the Ashes. The stakes were so high for Elias, Laia, and Helene. They all faced life and death decisions. There were twists that were so unexpected, including deaths I wasn’t prepared for. I’m so excited to continue this series!

A Torch Against the Night is a thrilling YA fantasy!

Content warnings: death, stabbing, blood, torture

Other books in the series:

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)
A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes #3)
A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4)

Have you read A Torch Against the Night? What did you think of it?

Review: The Unfinished

Title: The Unfinished
Author: Cheryl Isaacs
Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Contemporary
Publisher: Heartdrum
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback arc
Release Date: September 3, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this debut YA horror novel by Cheryl Isaacs (Mohawk), small-town athlete Avery is haunted by the black water and Unfinished beings of Kanyen’kehá:ka stories and must turn to the culture she hasn’t felt connected to in order to save her town.

The black water has been waiting. Watching. Hungry for the souls it needs to survive.

When small-town athlete Avery’s morning run leads her to a strange pond in the middle of the forest, she awakens a horror the townspeople of Crook’s Falls have long forgotten.

Avery can smell the water, see it flooding everywhere; she thinks she’s losing her mind. And as the black water haunts Avery—taking a new form each time—people in town begin to go missing.

Though Avery had heard whispers of monsters from her Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) relatives, she’s never really connected to her Indigenous culture or understood the stories. But the Elders she has distanced herself from now may have the answers she needs.

When Key, her best friend and longtime crush, is the next to disappear, Avery is faced with a choice: listen to the Kanyen’kehá:ka and save the town but lose her friend forever…or listen to her heart and risk everything to get Key back.

In her stunning debut, Cheryl Isaacs pulls the reader down into an unsettling tale of monsters, mystery, and secrets that refuse to stay submerged.

Review:

One morning when teenage Avery is on her morning run in the forest, she goes off the trail, gets lost, and finds the legendary black water. She’s always been told to stay on the trails, and now she has awoken the horrors that were lurking in the black water. Avery starts seeing faceless people following her in town, and then people start disappearing. When Avery’s best friend, Key, goes missing, she becomes more determined to find out what is causing these horrors and put an end to it for good.

This was such a creepy thriller. There was so much unknown about the black water that Avery encountered. She had to learn from some elders that were familiar with it, but her family was just her, her mom, and her great-aunt who had dementia, so her resources were limited. As the disappearances got closer to Avery, the story became more suspenseful and scary. Read this one with the lights on!

The Unfinished is a great horror!

Thank you Frenzy Books for providing a copy of this book!

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

Review: I Want to Read All the Books

Title: I Want to Read All the Books
Author: Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 17, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

An insatiably curious girl decides the only way to answer all her questions is to read all the books in this funny and charming picture book in the spirit of The Library Fish and Tom Chapin’s The Library Book.

Hana wants to know everything about the world around her. When she starts asking questions, her mother gives her a book. She learns so much, but now she has even more questions! She also has a big she will read all the books—every single one! She reads every book in her house…and then her friends’ houses…and then the whole block. Nonfiction, fiction, romance, mysteries, and science fiction. But when her mother takes her to the downtown library, she realizes there are a lot more books than she thought…way more. Maybe she can’t really read all the books—now what?

Review:

Hana is a curious girl. When she asks her mom where rain comes from, her mom suggests she find the answer in a book. Then, Hana makes a list of questions and challenges herself to find all the answers in books. She loves reading books so much that she declares she wants to read ALL the books. Eventually she must find another way to share her love of books when she learns that she will never be able to read all the books in the world.

This is a beautiful picture book! I loved the vibrant illustrations. There was even a picture of Hana reading this picture book on her quest to read all the books! This is a fun book that encourages children to read!

I Want to Read All the Books is a beautiful picture book!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book!

Have you read I Want to Read All the Books? What did you think of it?

Review: Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies #1)

Title: Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies #1)
Author: Lynn Painter
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: May 4, 2021
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar – and maybe snag him as a prom date – even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love – and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.

Review:

Liz Buxbaum loves rom coms because it connects her to her mom who passed away when she was a child. She dreams of having her own romance her childhood crush, Michael, who moved away when they were kids. Now, Michael has moved back to town. Liz wants to have her rom com moment with Michael and go to prom with him. She convinces her next-door neighbour and frenemy Wes to help her get Michael to notice her. However, the more time Liz spends with Wes, she wonders if he’s meant to be the romantic lead in her love story.

This was such a cute romance! I loved all the references to rom com movies and books. Liz was living her own rom com. At first, Wes convinced her to change things about herself to attract Michael. Liz eventually had to learn the hard lesson that it’s important to find someone who loves you for who you are, not to turn yourself into someone different to please someone else.

Better Than the Movies is a cute YA rom com!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a digital copy of this book!

Content warnings: death of parent (off page), car accident, vomiting, blood

Other books in the series:

Nothing Like the Movies (Better Than the Movies #2)

Have you read Better Than the Movies? What did you think of it?

Review: Pierre’s Promise of the Deep (The Adventures of Pierre and Penny LePockets)

Title: Pierre’s Promise of the Deep (The Adventures of Pierre and Penny LePockets)
Author: James-Scott Wong, Nino Aptsiauri
Genre: Children’s, Picture Book
Publisher: Hasmark Publishing International
Source: Author
Format: Paperback
Release Date: August 30, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This rhyming picture book features the spirited Pierre LePockets in his signature oversized jacket, baggy shorts, and magical pockets overflowing with toys and trinkets. When one of Pierre’s beloved toys falls into the deep ocean, he dives after it and finds himself in a vibrant underwater realm filled with extraordinary creatures.

He befriends Finn who bemoans the treasure that has gone missing when Gill had promised to safely guard it. Pierre is determined to recover the treasure and restore trust in the ocean world.

Will his plan work to set things right? Dive into this little adventure and you will discover a story that is sure to make a splash with young readers and inspire them to embrace the integrity of keeping promises.

This book is from the series The Adventures of Pierre and Penny LePockets, which strives to teach children life lessons and build their self-esteem through fantastical adventure stories.

Review:

Pierre LePocket keeps lots of toys in his pockets. When one falls out into the ocean, he dives in after it. Pierre meets a fish named Finn, who tells him that another fish named Gill promised to guard their treasure but now he’s gone missing. Pierre helps Finn and his friends get their treasure back.

This is another great story from The Adventures of Pierre and Penny LePocket series. This story teaches young readers the importance of keeping promises. Pierre told Gill he shouldn’t have taken the treasure, but he can make it right by giving it back. Even if someone has made a mistake, they can fix it by owning up to it and doing what is right. I loved the vibrant and detailed illustrations that accompanied this story!

Pierre’s Promise of the Deep is a great picture book!

Thank you James-Scott Wong and Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!

Other books in the series:

Penny’s Day on the Farm

Have you read Pierre’s Promise of the Deep? What did you think of it?

Review: Morgana and Oz, Vol. 1

Title: Morgana and Oz, Vol. 1
Author: Miyuli
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Webtoon Unscrolled
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 3, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

What happens when a struggling witch meets an angsty vampire? Either love or war.

Morgana belongs to a long line of witches, and Oz to the rival vampire clan. After a chance encounter . . . and maybe a few stray spells . . . these two need to find a way to work together, or risk all-out war between coven and clan.

It’s a Romeo and Juliet story where a boy and a girl from two rival clans, one a vampire and one a witch, meet cute, like each other, but then the girl makes a serious mistake and turns the boy into a cute kitty.

Collecting episodes 1-19 of the hit fantasy WEBTOON series.

Review:

Morgana is a teenage witch who is struggling to control her powers. Her spells always seem to go wrong. Her family wants to make peace with their rival vampire clan, but after a dinner party leaves the vampires ill, they’re ready to go to war. While everyone else was at the dinner, Morgana finds a vampire named Oz behind her house. She accidentally turns Oz into a white cat. Morgana needs to find the way to reverse the spell, but she doesn’t want to admit her mistake to her family, so she sneaks around with her new vampire cat friend.

This was such a fun graphic novel! It’s the perfect paranormal read for this fall. It was so fast paced and exciting. This book ended on a huge cliffhanger, so I can’t wait until volume 2 comes out!

Morgana and Oz, Vol. 1 is a great graphic novel for spooky season!

Thank you Webtoon for providing a digital copy of this book!

Have you read Morgana and Oz, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?