Review: Doctor Who: The American Adventures by Justin Richards

Doctor Who: The American Adventures by Justin Richards

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I didn't know initially when I was reading it that it was aimed at middle-grade readers. I could tell it wasn't quite a fit for adults, though. The stories were entertaining, but just ok. They were lacking in the mannerisms and the like which help you picture just which Doctor you are reading about.

Middle-grades fans will probably enjoy these stories. It takes some familiarity with the series, though. I wouldn't give it to a child who knows nothing of the series and expect that child to enjoy it.

Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. The stories are pretty much okay, but not great. The pacing in the stories was good, but they were lacking in characterization. It's a good middle-grades book for fans.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.



View all my reviews

Waiting on Wednesday #161: The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Salem’s chief of police, John Rafferty, now married to gifted lace reader Towner Whitney, investigates a 25-year-old triple homicide dubbed “The Goddess Murders,” in which three young women, all descended from accused Salem witches, were slashed one Halloween night. Aided by Callie Cahill, the daughter of one of the victims who has returned to town, Rafferty begins to uncover a dark chapter in Salem’s past. Callie, who has always been gifted with premonitions, begins to struggle with visions she doesn’t quite understand and an attraction to a man who has unknown connections to her mother’s murder. Neither believes that the main suspect, Rose Whelan, respected local historian and sometime-aunt to Callie, is guilty of murder or witchcraft. But exonerating Rose might mean crossing paths with a dangerous force. Were the women victims of an all-too-human vengeance, or was the devil raised in Salem that night? And if they cannot discover what truly happened, will evil rise again? 

Why am I waiting on this book? I like reading books set in Salem. And I like a good mystery. This sounds like the best of both worlds. And it seems to throw in the possibility of a touch of the paranormal as well. I haven't read The Lace Reader by the same author yet, but I intend to read it before The Fifth Petal comes out January 24, 2017 from Crown Publishing.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by!

Teaser Tuesday: Send in the Clowns by Julie Mulhern

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Some of the lines are so good, I couldn't help but share two excerpts.They both pretty much go to characterization:

I inserted my finger in the rotary dial and turned. I'm not sure what it says about me that I have a homicide detective's home number memorized.
5% through on my Kindle

I love Mr. Coffee. He and my father are the two men in my life who've never let me down.
6% through on my Kindle

Send in the Clowns is due out October 25, 2016 from Henery Press. It's turning out to be a good read for the season. And even though it is #4 in the Country Club Humorous Mysteries series, it's readable as a stand alone. It just makes me want to go back and read the earlier books.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Review: The Obsidian Chamber by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Number 15 in the Pendergast series, Crimson Shore was a bit fantastical and I had a little trouble suspending disbelief in some cases. I had no such trouble with #16, The Obsidian Chamber. There were still elements that stretched credulity, but it was easier to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the story.

When last we left A.X.L. Pendergast, he was injured and floating out to sea. There were serious questions as to his survival. He has been missing and presumed dead. Proctor, Mrs. Trask, and most especially Constance Greene have been mourning him in their own ways. Constance retreats to the sub-basement as a means to help herself deal with her grief. Mrs. Trask is off visiting her sick sister.

Meanwhile, a mysterious figure from the past arrives at the manor and wreaks havoc. Proctor, is attacked and believing Constance kidnapped, takes off on an international chase.

This someone is trying to woo Constance. When she finds out who, it is a great shock to her system. Meanwhile, A drug running boat has picked up Pendergast and the crew decides to hold him for ransom from the FBI. Will Constance succumb to the charms of this man from their past? Will Pendergast survive the drug runners treatment and find Constance in time?

This is a fast paced action/adventure/thriller type book. A little science fiction is also blended in. There is a touch of romance in this particular installment. Still, it's a real page-turner. For me, this was a much better read than the previous book. You can read my review of Crimson Shore here.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It was an enjoyable reading experience.  This book can be read as a standalone. It might be a richer experience though if you've read some of the other books in the series. The first 7 chapters of the book can be read on the authors' website here.

The Obsidian Chamber was released October 18, 2016 from Grand Central Publishing,

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

All Hallow's Read

Basically, it's about giving books, particularly scary books, at Halloween to someone else. Sounds like a lovely tradition to me. Maybe I will give one to my daughter this year. She's been reading Stephen King's Gunslinger books. I can give her something else to read by him or by someone else like Ray Bradbury.

Also Litsy and Out of Print are partnering together to donate books to children in need. The details are on https://www.outofprintclothing.com/pages/all-hallows-read

Some recommendations for books to give can be found on the All Hallow's Read website. If you do a web search for All Hallow's Read book recommendations, you can find a wide variety of recommendations from different outlets.

Some of my picks for picture books are:

The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old House by Stan and Jan Berenstain
Five Little Pumpkins illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly illustrated by Pam Adams
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

Does this sound like a good idea to you? What book recommendations would you have for a particular age group (adult, YA, middle grades, picture books)?

Waiting on Wednesday #160: Trouble Makes a Comeback by Stephanie Tromly

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A brilliantly funny romantic comedy - with infectious characters, wry humor, and breakneck dialogue, this sequel to Trouble is a Friend of Mine is perfect for fans of John Green, Jesse Andrews, and Ally Carter.

After a fall semester of fiascos: getting arrested, then kidnapped, then blown up in an explosion (all thanks to the weird, but brilliant Philip Digby), Zoe Webster is looking forward to a quiet spring. Now that Digby has left town, she's finally built a regular high school life for herself. She's dating Miles; she knows girls she considers friends; she's learning to enjoy being normal and semi-popular. Which of course is when Digby comes back: He's got a new lead on his missing sister and he needs Zoe's help. Suddenly Zoe is tussling with a billionaire archvillain, locking horns with armed goons, and digging into what makes the Digby family tick, even as she tries to navigate the confusing and emotionally fraught world of high school politics and locker-room drama. After all, it's hard to explain Digby to a boy like Miles, especially when Zoe isn't sure how she feels about Digby herself - or how he feels about her.

Now that Digby's back, get ready for another hilarious whodunit filled with razor-sharp dialogue, ridiculously funny action, and the most charismatic, dynamic duo you've ever met. And just try to stay out of trouble. We dare you. 

Why am I waiting on this one? Zoe and Digby are the main reasons why I am waiting on this book. I love the weird chemistry that they have. In book one in the series, Digby comes across as a sort of cross between Sherlock  and Ferris Bueller. I want to see how Digby grows or if he remains the same and why. And I'd like to see Zoe, a relatively new girl in town, succeed at finding a niche for herself in high school. I enjoyed the humor in book one and hope the second book will be just as much fun. You can read a free excerpt of this book on Bustle.com. Expected publication of this book is December 1, 2016 from Hot Key Books.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by!

Teaser Tuesday: The Obsidian Chamber by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Filipov stood on the forward deck, breathing in the perfume that wafted from the great spruce boughs jutting from the trees growing out of the bluff just above and ahead of the boat. It was a calm, cold, sunny fall morning. All was going as planned.

~ 26% through on my Kindle

This quotation comes from an ARC and may appear differently in the final edition. The Obsidian Chamber, #16 in the Pendergast series, is expected to be released today from Grand Central Publishing.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Review: Deader Homes and Gardens by Angie Fox

Verity Long and her ghostly companion Frankie are in desperate need of money for basics and to fix up the house. Verity takes on a case concerning one of the oldest homes in town - Rock Fall mansion. Frankie is a little disgruntled at first that she took on the job without consulting him. Then he is downright scared and refuses to enter the mansion

The mansion contains several ghosts. At least one of them may be violent. And the rumored, cursed, Egyptian treasure seems to have gone missing.

Will Verity be able to put the ghosts to rest before she  becomes the next victim to the curse? Will Frankie help her or just be a hindrance? Will Ellis Wydell, her love interest and deputy sheriff, be able to keep her out of trouble? Will they find the treasure?

Frankie has his stubborn moments, but generally gives Verity what she needs if not exactly what she wants. In order to solve the mystery of where the treasure is, she must get the ghosts to settle down. Unlike in the past, the ghosts seem to be reluctant to talk to her. The mystery itself is twofold - what happened to the family that was living there plus what happened to the treasure.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good cozy, paranormal mystery. It's well paced. There is just a touch of romance. And the mystery itself has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end.

Deader Homes and Gardens by Angie Fox is #4 in the Southern Ghost Hunter Mystery series. It became available October 11, 2016.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Quickie Review: Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays by Mike MacDonald and Jilly Gagnon

If you read the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, then you are familiar with the format of this book even though it is not from the same company. Each section of text is followed  by the presentation of two choices. In order to continue the plotline, you must choose one of them.

The premise, in this case, is the holidays. You are a single male who was hoping to skip the holidays this year on a tropical beach with your friend from college. But, the trip is canceled due to a hurricane. What do you do now? Where will you spend the holidays? Options vary greatly. Perhaps you will spend Christmas with your girlfriend and her family. Or maybe you will book another flight to another beach. The possibilities for the story seem endless.

This is a good, fun book. I like the interactive format. And it's well suited to the Kindle. When you click on your choice it takes  you directly to the next appropriate page. The humor in it is often on the dark side. I enjoyed playing with the different choices and miserable endings. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Choose Your Own Misery: The Holidays by Mike MacDonald and Jilly Gagnon is due out October 18, 2016 from Diversion Publishing.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #159: A Composition in Murder by Larissa Reinhart

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

The book I am waiting on this week is A Composition in Murder by Larissa Reinhart. it's #6 in the Cherry Tucker murder series.

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

At Halo House, Cherry Tucker finds the tea deadly sweet…

With a new art teaching gig at Halo House—Halo, Georgia’s posh independent living home—and Halo society scrutinizing her family and her love life, Cherry Tucker needs to stay out of trouble. However, her sleuthing skills are sought out by Halo House’s most famous resident: Belvia Brakeman, the ninety-year-old, blind CEO and founder of Meemaw’s Tea. Belvia confides in Cherry that the family tea empire is in jeopardy. The CEO suspects her daughter, the COO, has been murdered and she might be next. Her offer is hard to refuse, but will have Cherry treading on Forks County Sheriff toes, namely her personal Deputy Heartache, Luke Harper.

Amid her town troubles, can Cherry put her reputation, romance, and life on the line for the final request of a sweet tea tycoon? While she juggles senior citizen shenanigans, small-town politics, and corporate family scandals, Cherry finds the sweet tea business cutthroat in more ways than one. 


Why am I waiting on this one? I love a good humorous cozy. This sounds like it will fit the bill. I've read a couple of the other Cherry Tucker mysteries and have enjoyed them. And southern, sweet tea and shenanigans? What's not to like? A Composition in Murder is due to be released November 15, 2016 from Henery Press.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by!

Teaser Tuesday: Deader Homes and Gardens by Angie Fox

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Not even fried green tomatoes warm out of the pan were worth one more random knock on the door that led to an uncomfortable half hour of small talk. Especially if it was with someone I hadn't seen since the church potluck in fourth grade, and it ended with a "bless your heart." That was Southern for "yep - you've got problems."

~ 2% through on my Kindle. Verity Long is talking about the parade of people that have been coming by her house since it was revealed that she could indeed see ghosts.

Deader Homes and Gardens is expected to be released today from Moose Island Books. This is the fourth book in the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries series.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Review: Teetotaled by Maia Chance

Still set in the 1920s, book two in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series picks up where book one left off. Lola Woodby and her former cook and detective agency partner Berta had solved their first case. But, any money they had from that one is just about gone and the rent is due. They are forced to take the first job that comes their way.

The mother of  bride-to-be Grace Whiddle wants to get a hold of her diary. The two ladies are hired because discreet is in the name of their agency. Soon they embark upon an adventure to a health farm where her former brother-in-law is on staff. Lola and Berta try everything they can think of, including climbing in and out of windows, to get the diary. On the night where they are participating in breaking and entering, Grace's future mother-in-law is killed.

Mrs. Whiddle fires Lola and Berta. Before too long has passed, they are lucky enough to land another case - to solve the murder of Grace's future mother-in-law. While it's a more dangerous case than they would like, they are desperate for funds.

Adventures ensue as the Lola and Berta accompanied by Lola's pomeranian try to solve the murder using her former husband's yacht as a base of operations. Lola is a tad clumsy and her dog gets in the way or away as canines are sometimes wont to do. Berta is her stalwart support and companion. Often it seems they have different ideas of how to pursue the case. But they work out their differences by pursuing both theories.

There is a touch of humor in the book and a sprinkling of romance. The plot moves along quickly as they question suspects and pursue leads. It's a good mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

Lola and Berta are fully developed characters. The others aren't quite as much, but their page time is generally less.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.  This is an enjoyable, cozy, period piece. The book was released October 4, 2016 from Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #158: Snared by Jennifer Estep

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. 

This week I am waiting on Snared by Jennifer Estep. It's due out January 31, 2017 from Pocket Books according to Goodreads. Synopsis is from Goodreads:

The sixteenth book in the New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series that RT Book Reviews calls, “An extraordinary series…[containing] one of the most intriguing heroines in the genre.”

If you don’t know Gin “the Spider” Blanco, you don’t know dangerous female heroines.

Irony 101—The Spider herself snared in someone else’s web…

Another week, another few clues trickling in about the Circle, the mysterious group that supposedly runs the city’s underworld. Gathering intel on my hidden enemies is a painstaking process, but a more immediate mystery has popped up on my radar: a missing girl.

My search for the girl begins on the mean streets of Ashland, but with all the killers and crooks in this city, I’m not holding out much hope that she’s still alive.

A series of clues leads me down an increasingly dark, dangerous path, and I realize that the missing girl is really just the first thread in this web of evil. As an assassin, I’m used to facing down the worst of the worst, but nothing prepares me for this new, terrifying enemy—one who strikes from the shadows and is determined to make me the next victim. 


 Why am I waiting on this book? I love the Elemental Assassin series. I enjoy reading about the adventures and dangers the characters encounter and rooting for Gin and her friends to triumph. It's a good urban fantasy series.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever-growing TBR lists. Thanks for coming by!

Teaser Tuesday: Teetotaled by Maia Chance

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Expected publication:
October 4th 2016 by Minotaur Books

"Some people have a nemesis, I  have Miss Ida Shanks. One part boiled fowl, one part witch, and one part writer for New York's most muckraking newspaper."

31% through on my Kindle

This quote comes from an ARC and may appear differently in the final edition.

Teetotaled by Maia Chance is due to be released today from Minotaur Books. It's a period cozy taking place in New York in the 1920s. It's a lot of fun too. Lola Woodbury and her former cook Berta have been forced to find another way to make a living after Lola's husband dies leaving her penniless. They've happened on the notion of forming a private detective agency. This book is the second in the series.

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Review: Michelangelo's Ghost by Gigi Pandian

Expected publication:
October 4th,  2016 by Henery Press

Jaya is at it again. Not only are members of the general public reaching out to her regarding their treasures, but her former mentor, Lilith Vine, is as well. Lilith believes she has found a connection linking India and Italy art wise in the 16th century through some notebooks she obtained from a family in Italy. And as an added bonus, Lilith thinks there is a link between the artist in question and Michelangelo.

Jaya's interest is immediately captured by Lilith's revelations. Soon afterward, Lilith dies under shady circumstances. Jaya believes her death to be murder. This spurs Jaya on regarding the research necessary to prove Lilith was correct.

Meanwhile, Jaya's brother and his current girlfriend have been in town visiting Jaya. Her brother, Fish, decides that Jaya shouldn't travel to Italy alone. So, the three of them set off for the area of Bomarzo, Italy where the Park of the Monsters seems to hold clues to solving the mystery of just where is the studio of the artist in question. Will any of his works have survived? Just who or what is the ghost wailing in the rain? Who can Jaya trust as she investigates the connections?

Michelangelo's Ghost is a well written adventurous mystery. Jaya shows courage as she pursues her dreams, especially after some of the things that happened in the last installment, Quicksand, Some might argue that she is even a little reckless at times in her enthusiasm.

The plot is well paced and keeps you turning pages. Gigi Pandian does a good job of increasing the suspense the further you get into the book. I also enjoyed the afterward where she talks about the history behind the book and tells which things are pure fiction vs. fact.

Overall, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. If  you like a suspenseful, adventurous mystery, then you will probably enjoy the Jaya Jones series. The books in the series get better and better. Michelangelo's Ghost is due out October 4, 2016 from Henery Press. This is book #4 in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery series.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.