Teaser Tuesday: The Thread that Binds the Bones by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

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!

"Until yesterday, I was almost normal. I didn't need or use any of this. Then, when I came out to the Hollow, it was like going to the Twilight Zone, except ... Michael grabbed the cab off the road and flew it to the house, and I felt that in some weird way I had come home."

~ 22% on my Kindle

Slightly more than the 2 sentence teaser, but I think it works well. The speaker is Tom who is new to all kinds of abilities including the means to fly a cab off the road. This is a Kindle edition of a previously published Bram Stoker award winning book. It is book one in the Chapel Hollow series. The Kindle edition is being released today, November 1, 2016 from Open Road Media. You can find more information about the book and the author on Goodreads here.

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: 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!