Free Transformation

P.S. I Love Books is giving away a gently read ARC copy of The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson.

To enter all you need to do is leave a comment with your email address.

Of course there are extra entries as well...


+3 for following the blog with Google Friend Connect
+2 for subscribing through email
+2 for following the blog on Facebook.
+2 for following on twitter.
+1 for commenting on the review
+1 shareing the giveaway -sidebar, blog post, twitter, facebook (links required, each link = +1)

Giveaway ends July 12th. Open to the US only.

WWW Wednesdays (June 30th)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?
And leave a link to your post (or the answers themselves) in the comments of Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading?

Dog Days by John Levitt
Urban fantasy. So far so good. I don’t think it is the best book I’ve read in this genre but it is far from being the worst. Some of the characters sound familiar but I think that’s just because I’ve been reading a lot of urban fantasy lately.

What did you recently finish reading?

Alice’s adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.
They are cute and fun but I have to admit that I don’t really get what all the fuss is about. There were parts that were funny and that I liked a lot but I didn’t go crazy over them. A friend of mine thinks I might have had a different reaction if I had read them as a kid. Maybe so.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Woman who Wouldn’t by Gene Wilder.
I picked it up at the library and had to read the first couple of pages and now I want to get back to it. I still haven’t gotten to The White Mary which was my answer to this question last week. So that probably won’t be next but hopefully soon.

Minding Spot Giveaways

Minding Spot is giving some books away. You're bound to want at least one of them so you should check them out.

For Twelve Rooms with a View by Teresa Rebeck go here. You must be a Google follower to enter. Open to the USA only. Winner announced July 6th.

For Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase go here. Open to the USA and Canada. Winners announced July 7th.

For Paul is Undead by Alan Goldsher go here. You must be a follower of one - google, networked blogs, or twitter to enter. Open to the USA only. Winner announced July 9th.

For Fortunate Harbor by Emilie Richards go here. Open to the USA only. Winner announced July 11th.

For The Body Shop by Paul Solotaroff go here. You must be a follower of one - google, networked blogs, or twitter to enter. Open to the USA and Canada, no PO boxes. Winners announced July 13th.

Shylock's Daughter Review

Shylock’s Daughter by Mirjam Pressler

(from the book jacket)
Jessica is sixteen – and suddenly her life is far too dull. It’s true that as the beautiful daughter of a wealthy moneylender, she leads a privileged life in the Jewish Ghetto. But during her rare walks through the bustling main streets of Venice, she has caught glimpses of what the Christian world is like. It seems colorful and exciting – a sharp contrast to the endless rules and oppressive laws that are a daily part of living in the Ghetto.
Then a chance meeting with a handsome aristocrat named Lorenzo changes her life forever. Lorenzo is eager to offer Jessica the life she desires, if she will meet one painful condition: abandon her family and give up her religion, a betrayal that is certain to destroy her father, Shylock. Will this terrible price be worth it?


The Shylock from the title is the Shylock from The Merchant of Venice. The book does not strictly follow the play but I don’t think it strays too far. Shylock makes his famous ‘do we not bleed’ speech at a different time and place, the pound of flesh comes about differently too as well as a few other things. The main story is there but the focus is different. You get to see a human side to Shylock. Him with his family, with his grief, with his hated for those who hate and humiliate him. He becomes a real person instead of just the villain. You get to see Jessica, Shylock’s daughter, much more closely too and the decisions that she makes have more background and further consequences. There are new characters too. One is Dalilah, Jessica’s adopted sister, and the book alternates between a third person account of Jessica and her father and a first person account by Dalilah. Dalilah’s life is mostly out of her control and it is interesting to hear her thoughts on the actions of those around her since they will have such an effect on her. The other familiar characters from the play also take on different qualities. They are not cast as the heroes of the piece. Although the trial is devastating for Shylock in the play, in the book it takes on a sinister, almost sickening feel as you see Shylock torn apart and it treated as fun and games to everyone else. You also get to see the effect the outcome has on Jessica and learn that maybe the ending wasn’t as happy for everyone as it seemed. It is a look at the other side. You get to see the whole story unfold from Shylock’s perspective. There are more shades of grey when you can see Shylock’s point of view and come to see him as more than an angry, spiteful monster. There is also a lot in the book about how the Jews were treated and how they lived and worked at the time. It is interesting to learn about the Ghettos and how certain jobs were forbidden to Jews. And the history was worked into the book well so it flowed with the story. I don’t think you have to have read the play to appreciate the book but at least a working knowledge of it will certainly help.

The Friday 56, The Woman Who Wouldn't

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The book this week is The Woman Who Wouldn't by Gene Wilder. I just pulled it off the library shelf. I don't know anything about it. Not even what it's about. I just liked Wilder's other book so I wanted to read this one too.

The sentence:

"She's more afraid of us than you are of her, Clara. I promise."
"I'm sorry. It's just that it took me by surprise. We don't have many deer in Brussels."

I'm afraid of a lot of things but deer isn't one of them. Surprises are though so I guess I can see her point.

Quick Giveaway

Hurry on over to Review From Here! And I do mean hurry. A copy of The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue is up for grabs but you only have until Sunday the 27th to enter.

So what are the things that you have to hurry to do?

To enter:

+1 entry for leaving a comment
+1 entry for tweeting about it (leave link)
+1 entry for posting about it on any other social blogs (leave link for each)
+10 for blogging about it (leave link)

Good luck!!

Paranormal Goodness

All Things Urban Fantasy and Tynga’s Reviews are hosting a Paranormal Summer Fest and there are lots of books to win.

For Spells by Aprilynne Pike go here. US only.

For Stormwalker by Allyson James go here. Open internationally.

For 13 to Life by Shannon Delany go here. Open to the US and Canada.

For Bullet by Laurel K. Hamilton go here. Canada only.

For Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn go here. Open internationally.

For Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson go here and here. US only.


And there are lots, lots more. Go here for the complete list of giveaways and rules.
All giveaways end July 4th.

WWW Wednesdays (June 23rd)

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?

Leave a link to your post at Should Be Reading, or if you do not have a blog leave your answers in a comment.

What are you currently reading?

Cruel & Unusual by Patricia Cornwell. I’ve never actually read anything by her before and just happened to have this one around. It’s okay so far but some of the computer lingo is getting on my nerves.

What did you recently finish reading?

Gun, with Occasional Music by Jonathan Lethem. Just finished it last night. It’s kind of odd, but I like that. A mystery set in a sad, rather depressing future with constant, ubiquitous drug use, talking kangaroos and no questions, of any sort, allowed.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Huh. Well, I won’t know for certain until I actually start reading it but probably Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll because I just saw the new movie but read the book so long ago I really don’t remember it, or The White Mary by Kira Salak because it is checked out of the library and I’ll need to bring it back eventually. Of course now that I’ve written down those titles I will probably end up picking something completely different.

Lemon Cake

Tutu's Two Cents is giving away 2 copies of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender.

To enter:

1.Leave a comment say why you want to win. Include your email address (no email no win)
2.For an extra entry, leave a separate comment saying you're a follower (if you are not already one, become one!).
3.For another entry, blog about the giveaway, (sidebars are fine) and LEAVE THE LINK to the posting.
4.Since Tutu doesn't twitter, tweet, or FB, she is letting you get extra entries by visiting her blog every day, and simply saying "daily entry and the date".

US addresses only. NO PO Boxes.
Deadline is July 13th.

Shiver Giveaway

Luxury Reading is giving away a copy of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.

To enter just leave a comment with your email address.

There are extra entries to be had. Here's how:

-Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway and say which one you entered (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice (1 entry each)
- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)


Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry.

(Remember that all these things (i.e. following, become a fan etc.) refer to Luxury Reading. You are free to follow my blog but it won't get you entries to anything.)

Deadline is July 5th. The giveaway is open to the US only.

One Book At A Time

One Book At A Time is one year old. And to celebrate everyone gets a chance to win free books! There will be two winners for sure, the first winner will get to choose a book from the list and a book (under $15) from the Book Depository, the second winner will get a book off the list. For every 50 followers One Book At A Time gets a new winner will be added, up to 6 winners in all.

The List:

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri (gently used ARC)
We Hear The Dead by Dianne Salerni (gently used ARC)
Beautiful Dead: Jonas by Eden Maguire (gently used ARC)
Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchel (gently used ARC)
Princess For Hire by Lindsey Leavitt (hardcover read once)
The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner (gently used paperback

If you live outside the US you can enter to win the one book from the Book Depository but all books from the list can only be shipped to US winners.

Ends July 10th at 11:59 PM PST. You must be 13 or older to enter. And you must be a follower of One Book At A Time to enter.

The Friday 56, Cruel & Unusual

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The book this week is Cruel & Unusual by Patricia Cornwell.

The sentence:

"Everything worked like a charm," Roberts said.

What a boring 56 this week. I don't have anything to say about the book and that sentence isn't exactly exciting. He is talking about an electric chair so that helps out a little, but only a little.

Mini Reviews

The Nightingale Gallery by Paul Harding

Paul Harding manages to make the filth, smells, decay and disease very believable and real. It is a dark and dreary place where these people live and you can feel it. The mystery is good but nothing spectacular. The characters are flawed and gritty but, despite the surroundings and everything else, manage to not be so miserable that you don’t want to read about them. The relationship between the two main characters can even be fun at times and the characters themselves, likeable.



The King's Rogue by Dennis Max Cornelius Woodruffe-Peacock

The book is about Colonel Thomas Blood, who murders, kidnaps and steals his way through England in the 1600’s. Although Blood is a real historical figure I don’t know how much of this book can be relied on as fact. I have read (on the internet) some accounts of his life and many of the incidents seem to have happened although not quite the way they are depicted in the book. Whether it is historically accurate or not the book is still a fun adventure. Reading this book is a lot like reading an old Errol Flynn movie. There is political intrigue, swashbuckling, duels, adventure and of course our hero and his lady love. It’s a fun, fast read with a lot of action and some interesting characters.

Books and Needlepoint Giveaways

Books and Needlepoint has some wonderful giveaways.

For Still the One by Robin Wells go here. Ends June 20th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.

For Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas go here. Ends June 20th. Open to the US and Canada.

For Desire Me by Robyn DeHart go here. Ends July 2nd. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.

For What's Really Hood! by Wahida Clark go here. Ends July 5th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.

For the audiobook The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker go here. Ends July 5th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.

For the audiobook Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch go here. Ends July 5th. Open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.

Vocabulary

If you have been playing alone at home you know by now that there are lots of words out there that I have somehow failed to learn. Here are some more...


The Pencil by Henry Petroski

Palimpsest: a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text.

Ferule: a ring or cap, usually of metal, put around the end of a post, cane, or the like, to prevent splitting

Mucilaginous: of, pertaining to, or secreting mucilage.
2. of the nature of or resembling mucilage; moist, soft, and viscid.


Mucilage: any of various, usually liquid, preparations of gum, glue, or the like, used as an adhesive (I did know this but thought I should throw it in to go with the word above, which I had no idea was a real word until now.)

Friable: easily crumbled or reduced to powder; crumbly

Appurtenances: something subordinate to another, more important thing; adjunct; accessory

Frustum: the part of a conical solid left after cutting off a top portion with a plane parallel to the base

Hagiography: the writing and critical study of the lives of the saints; hagiology



The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King


Peripatetic: walking or traveling about; itinerant

Peroration: a long speech characterized by lofty and often pompous language

Sybaritic: pertaining to or characteristic of a sybarite; characterized by or loving luxury or sensuous pleasure

Naphtha: a colorless, volatile petroleum distillate, usually an intermediate product between gasoline and benzine, used as a solvent, fuel, etc

Dottle: the plug of half-smoked tobacco in the bottom of a pipe after smoking

The Friday 56, Dracula

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

My book this week is Dracula by Bram Stoker. I think we all know what the book is about so I don't think I need to say much. I was slightly surprised by how quickly Harker realized he was in mortal danger and that Dracula was no ordinary man. It makes me wonder what he does with the knowledge for the next 400 pages. If it turns out like the movies I've seen it seems like he could have put that information to better use.

The sentence:

They came close to me and looked at me for some time and then whispered together.

Waking up in a strange place with people looking at you would be creepy even if your weren't in Castle Dracula.

Reading is a personal thing, or why I never recommend books

So I heard about a movie that some guy had shot about his search for an author. He wanted to find this guy because he had read his book and wanted to read more but there wasn’t any more and he wanted to know why. I thought that a book that inspired something like that was worth looking into so I got a copy of Stones of Summer by Dow Mossman out of the library. The very first sentence had me worried. ‘When August came, thick as a dream of falling timbers, Dawes Williams and his mother would pick Simpson up at his office, and then they would all drive west, all evening, the sun before them dying like the insides of a stone melon, split and watery, halving with blood.’ Dream of falling timbers? Stone melon? I didn’t even know what any of that meant. But I decided to press on and see what the next 580 pages had to offer. And I found more of the same: ‘the moon was a round white reptile’s stone,’ ‘he watched himself pour himself through the shadows on the water,’ ‘a membrane thin as breaking mirrors at sleep.’ I found it hard going with all the metaphors comparing things to things I couldn’t understand or picture. I felt like I was trying to pick the story out from between all the imagery that I didn’t get. Mossman creates a lot of very interesting characters. Dawes and his family and friends are engaging and watching Dawes grow up among them is a good story. And sometimes I liked the language: ‘Dawes, who was already shut up anyway, shut up some more,’ ‘throwing out rocks into the night as if he were sounding for long-lost submarines.’ (Perhaps I like the last there because I actually understood the reference.) All the good points did make it hard to abandon completely but it was almost like work reading it. I found I had to read it a little at a time, between other things.

But I did finish it (having to renew it several times) and then I watched the movie, Stone Reader by Mark Moskowitz. (If you do not want to know the outcome of his quest you should stop reading.) In which the audience basically watches him drive all around talking to people about books. Some of whom did know Mossman, some he thought just might have, and some who didn’t know him at all. Some of the conversations were interesting. It’s fun to hear people who love, and know, books talk about them but much of it didn’t seem to have much to do with Mossman. And I was starting to get annoyed when he would contact someone but not tell them what he wanted only to find out after he had driven out there (with us in tow) that they had never even heard of Dow Mossman or in one case being told on the phone that the person did not remember Mossman and going anyway just to find out that even in person he had no recollection of Mossman. And much of it was rather slow. Watching him drive around (literally) wasn’t much fun and the lullaby sound track wasn’t helping.

But, after talking to a bunch of people and traveling to places Mossman had been, he did finally find Mossman, who seemed like a very nice guy and made me wish that I had liked the book more. Especially since it obviously took so much for, and of, him to write it. But the book certainly would not have inspired such a quest in me. I wouldn’t have even looked to see if he had written anything else. My reaction to it was completely different than Moskowitz.

It was said that the first sentence grabbed you right away. Well, I told you what my reaction was and I wouldn’t say it was gripping. So maybe that is a good test. If you think the first sentence is gripping you will be one of the many people who loved this book. But if you are like me and are left wondering what the heck is going on you should probably stop right there.

This is one reason why I find it so hard to recommend books to people. Reading is such a personal thing. Two people can have opposite reactions to the exact same book. Lots of people really loved Stones of Summer and I wouldn’t want to tell someone not to read it and have them miss out on it just because I didn’t get it but in all honesty I can’t recommend the book. On the other hand I don’t want to give someone a book I loved and have them tell me that they hated it. All which leaves my speechless when someone asks me to recommend a book. And makes me feel a little ridiculous since I read all the time, and everyone knows I read all the time and I can still never come up with a title to offer. I’m still working on an answer to my recommendation phobia. I still have hope that this blog will help. I just have to work up the nerve to actually tell people I know that I have a blog.

Peeking at Giveaways

Peeking Between the Pages wants to give you stuff!

For The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand go here.

For April & Oliver by Tess Callahan go here.

For Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea go here.

For The Secrets of Newberry by Victor McGlothin go here.

Winners for all 4 giveaways will be drawn on July 3rd.
All are open to the US and Canada, no PO boxes.

Good luck!

The Time of Terror Review

The Time of Terror by Seth Hunter

(From the book jacket)
In 1793, British navy commander Nathan Peake patrols the English coast, looking for smugglers. Desperate for some real; action, Peake gets his chance when France declares war on England and descends into the bloody madness of the Terror. Peake is entrusted with a mission to wreak the French economy by smuggling fake banknotes into Paris. His activities take him down Paris streets patrolled by violent mobs and into the sinister catacombs beneath the French capital. And they bring him close to famous characters of the day: the English feminist Mary Wollstonecraft, her American lover Gilbert Imlay who acts as George Washington’s agent in Paris, and British/American writer and revolutionary Thomas Paine. As opposition to the Terror mounts, Peake fights to carry out his mission – and to save the life of the woman he loves.


Seth Hunter makes the time and place come alive. You can almost see Robespierre and the people of the revolution, feel the menace of them and the power that they wielded. There is danger in the streets and violence everywhere. You can feel the terror of the time when you could be killed for not having a tricolor in your hat. It is a very vivid picture of the turmoil of the politics and the capricious nature of the people that Nathan Peake was thrust into. It is a story of the French Revolution and the war with England but it is more the story of Nathan Peake. It follows the course of this one man as he tries to navigate safely though all the perils in his way and still do his duty to his country. It makes it a very personal story while still giving a detailed and interesting account of the history that is all around him. It is an exciting tale with naval battles, trips through the catacombs and sewers, near hangings, beheadings, and intrigue. The tension builds as you wait to see how the story will unfold for our hero. And all of it told with a touch of dry wit that I thought was a wonderful counterpoint to the horror. It is a wonderful historical novel with a likable hero and lots of action and suspense. You’ll want to know what happens to Nathan next.

Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show

A Nut in a Nutshell is giving away 2 copies of Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show by Frank Delaney.

To enter you must visit Frank Delaney's website and leave a comment with something you learned about him or the book.

(Also make sure to leave your email address if it is not in your profile.)

After you have done that there are tons of ways to get extra entries.
Leave a separate comment for each entry.


~"Like" Frank Delaney on facebook - 1 entry (leave username)
~Follow Frank Delaney on twitter - 1 entry (leave username)
~Follow A Nut in a Nutshell publicly on google friend connect - 1 entry
~Subscribe by email to A Nut in a Nutshell(must activate) - 2 entries - leave 2 comments
~Follow A Nut in a Nutshell on networked blogs - 1 entry (leave username)
~"Like" A Nut in a Nutshell on facebook - 1 entry (leave username)
~Follow A Nut in a Nutshell on twitter @blueviolet - 1 entry (leave username)
~~Tweet the giveaway- may be done once daily - 1 entry (leave direct url to tweet) copy and paste the following:

Enter to win Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show: A Novel by Frank Delaney - 2 winners - at A Nut in a Nutshell #giveaway http://bit.ly/a35hqt

~Enter any of the other active giveaways - 1 entry each
~Add A Nut in a Nutshell blog url to your text blog roll - 2 entries (leave link and 2 comments)
~Add the new(purple) button to your blog (old one doesn't count) - 2 entries (leave link and 2 comments)
~Blog about the giveaway - 3 entries (leave link and 3 comments)
~Join and start or contribute to a discussion in the Blog Frog community - 3 entries (leave link and 3 comments)

Got all that?

You better hurry because that is a lot to do and you only have until 10 PM EST on June 18th to get all your entries in.

Open to the US only.

The Friday 56, Under the Western Acacia

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Storytime With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

The book this week is Ramses: Under the Western Acacia by Christian Jacq. It's the fifth and final book in the Ramses series. I liked the series but it isn't what I would call historically accurate. It has a lot of fantasy to it. And some people might not like the fact that Moses does not come off well. But it is a story, not history, so....

The sentence:

In the fortresses of his home country, he had learned to give the opposite sex what they deserved.

Good for him, and apparently her too.

Birthday Celebrations!

Drey over at Drey's Library is having a birthday and she is celebrating all month long.


She will be giving away 12 books this month. 6 are listed now and 3 more will be listed for the next 2 weeks (adding up to 12.) Every 8th day there will be a winner who will pick 3 books he/she wants. There will be 4 winners.

Rules:
Giveaway is open to US residents only.
To enter, comment and tell Drey your favorite part about birthdays
Comment before 6:00 pm CST June 7th to enter this week's drawing

The first 6 books are:
Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori #1) by Liam Hearn
Grass for His Pillow (Tales of the Otori #2) by Liam Hearn
Brilliance of the Moon (Tales of the Otori #3) by Liam Hearn
The Better Part of Darkness (Charlie Madigan #1) by Kelly Gay
Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass
Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin #1) by Jennifer Estep

So get over there and wish Drey a happy birthday and since you will be there anyway you might as well enter to win some books!

Books I Finished in May

Eleven. Memorial Day weekend helped me out. I was able to slip another one in there instead of working that day.


The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy
#3 in the Skulduggery Pleasant series. I think the first two were better but this one is still fun and I don’t plan to stop reading them.

What’s So Funny? by Donald Westlake
Dortmunder. I like the Dortmunder books. This one is not my favorite but it’s hard to go wrong with Westlake.

Hold the Enlightenment by Tim Cahill
Travel stories. Some of them funny some not but I always like Cahill’s style.

Something Missing by Matthew Dicks
Interesting idea. And you do get to like the main character even though he is a thief and, quite frankly, a bit of a loser.

Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
Not as good as I had hoped. Although I don’t really know what I was hoping for here.

Flight of Shadows by Sigmund Brouwer
See my review here.

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Holmes isn’t like Doyle’s Holmes so if that is going to upset you, don’t read this. I liked it but I can’t articulate why. Sorry, I know that is no help at all.

Unperfect Souls by Mark Del Franco
Connor Grey series. Once again not my favorite of the bunch but if there are more coming I will certainly still read them.

Nobody’s Prize by Esther Friesner
Sequel to Nobody’s Princess. I don’t think you have to read the first one first but it is probably a good idea. I like the way Friesner incorporates the myths but does not make the book fantasy at all. Helen got on my nerves sometimes though.

The House Without a Key by Earl Derr Biggers
Charlie Chan. I liked it. It’s a good mystery and I think Chan is funny.

The Return of Captain Conquer by Mel Gilden
A silly, fun, short, simple little story. Good for kids but I think that anyone that is a fan of the old serials or old TV superheroes will like it.