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Showing posts from January, 2023

Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...

Book Review: Going Rogue, Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine (Stephanie Plum, #29) by Janet Evanovich

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Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine (Stephanie Plum, #29) by Janet Evanovich was published on November 1, 2022.  The novel opens with Stephanie Plum arriving at the bonds office on a Monday morning, and office manager Connie Rosolli isn't there.  When Stephanie finally gets into the office, the file room has been tossed.  Then comes the ransom call, which sends Stephanie on the hunt for a mysterious coin that she needs to get Connie released. The Stephanie Plum book series is one that I've come to love and enjoy when I need a light read that will give me some laughs.  Right off the start, this edition has yet again made me think it's now being ghost written because Lula is asking if one of the people bonded out by Vinnie is Joe Morelli's grandmother.  Lula already know who she is, so this is what made me think that it's ghost written.  If the author just wanted to reintroduce Bella, there had to be a better way to do this. With that being said, I absol...

Book Review: Hedy Lamarr (Little People, BIG DREAMS) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Illustrated by Maggie Cole

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Hedy Lamarr (Little People, BIG DREAMS) by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Illustrated by Maggie Cole is a biography for the Austrian born, American actress and inventor.  This is a children's book for kids aged three through eight.  It was published on January 3, 2023. I'd like to thank NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group, and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Hedy Lamarr .  I was delighted to be approved to receive this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Well written and informative, Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara does a phenomenal job of telling the story of Hedy Lamarr in a child friendly way.  I'll admit that I had no idea who she was and what she contributed to science.  It made me want to learn more about her.  Additionally, the illustrations by Maggie Cole were fantastic as well.  I love the fact that take away from the book is that you can be anything you want to be and have more than one type of ca...

Book Review: The Nazi Conspiracy, The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch

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The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch is about the first ever meeting between Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill in Iran.  When the Nazis find out about it, they create a secret plan to assassinate the Big Three.  The expected publication date of this book is January 10, 2023. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Nazi Conspiracy .  I never learned about this secret plot in school, and I wanted to learn more about it.  When I learned that I had been approved to receive a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, I was thrilled. This non-fiction book was an informative read as well as mostly interesting.  There was a slow stretch in the book where approximately fifty of the pages read like a text book, but overall, it was a learning experience.  There is so much that was never taught in my histor...