The Running Bibliophile

First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Shot Through the Book (A Lighthouse Library Mystery, #12)  by Eva Gates . I received this cozy mystery for free in exchange for my honest review, and I’m delighted to have been selected to read it ahead of its release, even though I’m admittedly behind on my reading and reviewing. The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library is gearing up to host a YA Book Festival, bringing in authors from far and wide. But when the festival’s most renowned guest author is found murdered in the home of one of the librarians, Lucy McNeil suddenly finds herself under suspicion. Determined to clear her name before the festival begins, she sets out to uncover the truth. This was my first time reading a book from the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, and I thoroughly enjoyed the premise. Since I haven’t read the earlier installments, I did feel a bit out of the loop at first when it cam...

Sick Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg opens with teacher Mrs. Hartwell calling in sick to school.  When the substitute teacher doesn't show up, the other faculty and staff members fill in and chaos ensues.  Told from alternating perspectives, we see what several of the students think as well as what Mrs. Hartwell does on her sick day. A big thank you to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for the digital Advanced Readers Copy of Sick Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg.  I was excited that my request to review this book was approved.  I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. When I requested this book, I wasn't aware that it's part of a book series.  This children's book was exceptionally well written, and the illustrations are absolutely fantastic.  This is the perfect book for children between the ages of five and eight.  It reminds me of a modern day version of Miss Nelson is Missing (Miss Nelson, #1) by Harry Allard.  Even as an adult...

Incredulously funny and clever, Revenge of the Spellmans (The Spellmans, #3)  by Lisa Lutz continues the story of dysfunctional family of the Spellmans. Isabel "Izzy" Spellman has taken a break from her parents' private investigation firm and started working as a bartender at her favorite bar, The Philosopher's Club. When her boss, Milo, introduces her to a patron looking for a private investigator that is affordable, Milo expects Izzy to take the case. When Izzy isn't working at the bar or on the case, she is attending court ordered therapy. To top things off, her personal life is falling apart. This is a book series that just gets better as it goes and one that I am revisiting. Lisa Lutz is such a talented author. Although Revenge of the Spellmans is a mystery, it doesn't follow the normal formula that other mystery writers follow. One of the unique items of the book is that there are footnotes that further explain parts of the book and gives more...

The Sweet Valley Twins book series is what made me an avid reader as a child. I couldn't get through each book fast enough. This book series is perfect for children between the ages eight and twelve, and I definitely urge people to introduce these books to their kids, especially those who aren't interested in reading. I wish they had been introduced to me a lot earlier. As part of my rereading my way through my childhood, I picked up The New Girl (Sweet Valley Twins, #6) created by Francine Pascal. What I love about this series is that it always seems to deal with real life issues that children might deal with and teaches a lesson. In The New Girl (Sweet Valley Twins, #6) , the lesson is that things aren't always what they seem and bullying isn't the answer. Kindness can go a long way, so don't act like a jerk towards people. Rereading this book as an adult, I didn't remember anything about this installment going into it. I think this was one of ...

The second book in the Sunset Island book series by Cherie Bennett, Sunset Kiss (Sunset Island, #2) , is a great sequel to the first book in the series, Sunset Island (Sunset Island, #1) . Unlike the first book, Sunset Kiss features Carrie Alden's point of view of being an au pair and working for a celebrity. When Carrie Alden decides to shed her responsible personality and be like other young adults, she finds out quickly that being a wild child isn't all it's cracked up to be. What I love about this book in this series is that it actually teaches a lesson . . . being a responsible person and that there could be dire consequences if you aren't responsible. The lessons are that you should never leave the children you're watching alone at the house and to drink responsibly. There is even a secondary lesson . . . be yourself! If you want more details, you'll have to read the book! The first time I read this book series made me want to be an au pai...

The Advice Column Murders (Oakwood Mystery, #3) by Leslie Nagel was a phenomenal read and had me guessing throughout the book. It wasn't until I was two thirds of the way through the book before I began to suspect who the real killer was and ended up being correct with that guess. Prior to that I was thinking it was one of two people. When it came to figuring out who was writing the advice column, I had absolutely no clue to who the real identity of Jackie was and was absolutely surprised beyond belief. This installment of the Oakwood Mystery series was by far my favorite yet! I loved the fact that the romance between Charley Carpenter and Marcus Trenault began getting more serious and that Charley's father called her out on it. Bobby basically told her that she would lose Marcus if she didn't get it together. Fingers crossed that they get married in the fourth installment. What is great about this series is that you don't have to read the previous books in the...

The Worst Witch Strikes Again (Worst Witch, #2) by Jill Murphy is the sequel to The Worst Witch (Worst Witch, #1) . At just under 100 pages, it was a super quick read for me as an adult. I never knew this was a book series until recently, and I had to buy the series to read. Children who are just beginning to read chapter books and too young to read the Harry Potter book series should definitely pick up the Worst Witch series to read, especially little girls since it is based on a girls boarding school for witches. What I loved about this second installment of The Worst Witch book series is that it teaches lessons about friendship, jealousy, and the lesson of getting into trouble for something you did not do. There isn't anything I can really complain about when it comes to The Worst Witch Strikes Again (Worst Witch, #2) . It is age appropriate for kids between the ages five through eight and teaches valuable lessons. Fun and engaging, it even kept my attention as an ...

Wolfhunter River (Stillhouse Lake, #3) by Rachel Caine opens with Gwen Proctor, also known as Gina Royal, reluctantly traveling to the remote and mysterious town of Wolfhunter after receiving a phone call from a woman named Marlene Crockett. Gwen is immediately wary, fearing that helping Marlene and her daughter could be some kind of trap. Despite her concerns, Gwen will go to extraordinary lengths to protect her family while uncovering the dark secrets lurking within this seemingly quiet town. What can I say about Wolfhunter River other than … WOW! This latest installment of the Stillhouse Lake series completely captivated me. I found myself staying up well past my bedtime multiple nights in a row, unable to put the book down. The story is fast-paced, action-packed, and relentlessly gripping, with page-turning suspense that kept me on edge from start to finish. There were no slow moments, and I have to admit, this might be my favorite book in the series yet. The characte...

A while ago, I was looking for an inexpensive book to read that would fill the void of finishing another cozy mystery book series, and I came across Murder Buys A T-Shirt (A Haunted Souvenir S hop Mystery # 1) by Christy Fifield . It took me quite some time to actually pick it up to read, and I am so very happy I picked it up because I think I have a new favorite cozy mystery book series. The main characters in Murder Buys A T-Shirt (A Haunted Souvenir Shop Mystery #1) are all very likeable, especially Glory Martine whose point of view the story is told from. However, the character that steals the show is her pet bird, Bluebeard. Although this is a cozy mystery, the mystery wasn't too big of a mystery. I didn't mind it too much because the story line and characters were so engaging. It made me feel as if I were part of the friend circle and actually lived there. I loved the fact that the story took place in a town called Keyhole Bay, which is just outside of Pen...

In Lean Mean Thirteen , written by Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum does a favor for Ranger by planting a bug in her ex-husband Dickie Orr's office. In the process of doing this, Stephanie sees one of their wedding presents, a clock, on his desk and tells him it is now hers. She then sees a picture of her arch nemesis, Joyce Barnhardt, on Dickie's desk and goes ballistic . . . punching and hitting him (and more). Unfortunately for Stephanie, the whole office sees her do this, so when Dickie goes missing, she's the number one suspect in his case. Overall, I enjoyed this book because it featured Ranger quite heavily, but I am growing tired of him always saying how he is barely keeping control of himself from having sex with Stephanie. I'd really like to see Stephanie's character finally get over her commitment phobia and settle down with Joe Morelli, her on again off again boyfriend. Morelli isn't in it too much and that was quite disappointing to me because...