The Running Bibliophile

The Get Along Gang and the Missing Caboose by James Razzi is a children's picture book originally published on May 1, 1984 by Scholastic, Inc.  It's about a group of friends who have a caboose as a clubhouse, and it's missing!  Who took it, and will they be able to find it? This was a popular book series and television series when I was growing up, and when someone mentioned online, I knew I had to read one of the books for nostalgic reasons.  The Get Along Gang and the Missing Caboose was well written, and the illustrations were phenomenal.  It certainly brought back fabulous childhood memories.  I love the fact that the lesson of the story is that you can accomplish anything, especially with teamwork.  I also loved that they stood up to the bully of the story. Five out of five stars is what I gave The Get Along Gang and the Missing Caboose by James Razzi.  This is the perfect book for children three years old up to six years old. Follow Us On Soc...

This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham is about four friends going on a road trip to attend a music festival in the desert.  What no one else realizes is that they were infected during the pandemic and are now ghouls.  On the first night at the festival, Valeria goes feral and ends up killing someone and eating them.  Soon after, the girls discover that ghouls are being poisoned with a drug that will cause them all to feral.  The expected publication date is April 25, 2023. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the Advanced Readers Copy of This Delicious Death .  The synopsis was intriguing, so I was happy when I was approved to read this book.  I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Just as an FYI, there were several content warnings at the beginning of this book, including but limited to alcohol consumption by minors, cannibalism, drug use and drugging, gun violence, murder, parental neglect, suicidal ideation, and tr...

Mother of the Bride Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery, #29) by Leslie Meier opens with Lucy Stone, Phyllis, and a customer at the newspaper discussing children getting married.  Shortly thereafter, Lucy receives news from her eldest daughter, Elizabeth, that she is engaged and getting married in France.  Things go awry at the wedding and Lucy sticks her nose into the investigation making things much worse. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for approving my request to read an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Mother of the Bride Murder by Leslie Meier.  I was thrilled when I learned I was approved as this has become one of my favorite book series.  I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. This latest installment in the series started off a bit slow for me, but eventually, the pacing picked up, and I ended up enjoying how the story ended.  I enjoyed the tidbits of French conversation as I took some French in high school and college, and I...

The Little Scottish Ghost by Franz Hohler is a children's picture book that is being re-released in the United States by NorthSouth Books on July 18, 2023.  This humorous and not so scary book is about a little ghost that is learning to haunt the house she lives in with her parents, but her lessons don't go as planned as she ends up making the residents laugh instead tremble in fear.  Because of this, she is sent off to a castle to learn how to haunt properly. I'd like to thank NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for approving my request to read The Little Scottish Ghost .  Originally published in 1980, I had never heard of this book growing up, and it sounded intriguing.  I knew I had to read it and was happy that I received the ebook for free in exchange for my honest review. This is absolutely the kind of book I would have loved reading as a child. I have always been drawn to stories about ghosts, witches, and other magical or spooky, but friendly characters, and thi...

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth opens with Pippa and Gabe living in their dream home on a beach.  The only drawback are the people who come to jump off the cliffs behind their house to commit suicide.  Every time someone comes to jump, Gabe rushes out and talks them out of it.  However, one night, Gabe is unsuccessful, and the woman jumps.  When Pippa finds out that Gabe knew her, their life starts to unravel.  With an expected publication date of April 4, 2023 in the United States, this is a novel you don't want to miss. I'd like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth.  Having read The Mother-in-Law by the same author, I knew that this newest book would be worth the time to read, and I was thrilled when my request to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review was approved.  I was not disappointed in the least. Words cannot describe how engrossing The So...

Don't Be A Bully, Little Tiger by Carol Roth is a children's picture book published by NorthSouth Books due out on June 27, 2023.  Little Tiger is about to start his first day of school, but he doesn't know how to behave.  He's quite the bully . . . if there is something he wants, he just takes it.  When his teacher gently advises him to be kinder, he realizes he'll make more friends. I'd like to thank both NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for approving my request to read this book.  It seemed like it would be a great way for little ones to learn about sharing and being nice to one another, and I wasn't disappointed. The illustrations of this children's book were done exceptionally well, and if I were a child, I would have absolutely loved the pictures.  The author did a phenomenal job of teaching the importance of sharing and being nice to your classmates.  It gives parents and teachers the perfect way to open a dialogue with three, four, and even fiv...

What Happened On Floor 34? by Caroline Corcoran was published on January 19, 2023 and is about Rose Rivers, who works at a newspaper as the day editor and will be getting married in a few weeks.  When the Will Forest, the night editor, goes missing in the middle of his shift, Rose starts obsessing with the case and can't help but look into the case. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of What Happened On Floor 34? .  I was happy that my request to review this book was approved, and I received this e-book for free in exchange for my honest review. I was intrigued by this novel and couldn't read it fast enough ... it was that engrossing.  There were twists and turns galore towards the last twenty-five percent of the book that had my heart pounding.  Once I got to the end, I was sorely upset at the ending.  I'm not going to go into detail as that would give the story away, but I'd be interested to know if anyone else hated...

Murder at the Bookstore (The Bookstore Mystery, #1) by Sue Minix was published by Avon Books UK on January 19, 2023. It opens with Jen Dawson struggling with writer's block at the local bookstore.  When the owner of the bookstore happens to die, Jen is a mission to avenge her friend's death. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the Advanced Readers Copy of Murder at the Bookstore (The Bookstore Mystery, #1) by Sue Minix.  I was happy that my request to read this book was approved because I found the cover and synopsis of the novel intriguing.  I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Fun . . . Entertaining . . . Engrossing.  These are just a few words that I'd use to describe this book.  I loved the fact that some of the story took place in Savannah, Georgia because I have visited there and could imagine all the different spots and roads that were mentioned and kept thinking, "Oh, I know where that is!"  Most of the cha...

Leeva at Last written by Sara Pennypacker and illustrated by Matthew Cordell is a children's fiction book that was published on March 7, 2023 by HarperCollins Children's Books.  This story about a girl named Leeva Spayce Thornblossom who is the daughter of the mayor and the town treasurer.  Her parents are obsessed with fame and fortune and have little to do with Leeva.  With the help of the town librarian, Leeva goes on a quest to find out what people are for. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Balzer + Bray for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Leeva at Last .  I was delighted to be approved to receive this book in exchange for my honest review. This middle grade book was an interesting read, and I wasn't really sure how I felt about it at first.  It seems like it has similar situations to the book Matilda by Roald Dahl . . . I haven't read Matilda or seen the movie, so I am basing this on the synopsis and movie trailers I've seen....

Book Review: The Island by Natasha Preston The Island by Natasha Preston opens with teen influencer Paisley receiving an invite to Jagged Island, a resort and amusement park, for all expense paid weekend along with five other teen influencers in exchange for them posting their experience on their social media platforms.  However, none of them expected there to be a killer among them and no way to get off the island. A huge thank you goes out to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for approving my request for the Advanced Reader's Copy of The Island by Natasha Preston.  I was thrilled to be chosen to receive this book for free in exchange for my honest review.  The cover and synopsis of the book intrigued me right away, and I just knew I had to read it. Reminiscent of Diane Hoh, Natasha Preston weaves a fascinating tale that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from the get go.  I desperately wanted to take time off from work to finish th...