The Running Bibliophile

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...

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...

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 histo...

Baker and Taylor and the Mystery of the Library Cats by Candy Rodo is a fun, entertaining children's picture book that makes learning about New York City fun.  The story is about two library cats who go on an adventure to see the library cats at the NYC Library. I'd like to thank NetGalley, Baker & Taylor, and Paw Prints Publishing for the free copy of Baker and Taylor and the Mystery of the Library Cats in exchange for my honest review.  I was drawn to read this book as I love cats, and this book would have been right up my alley as a kid. Author Candy Rodo did a great job in writing this children's book and making it fun for little ones to learn about some of the things to do and see in New York City.  It gives parents a perfect opportunity to take their kids on vacation there to see some of the sites mentioned.  I also like the fact that the main two characters are very different but are still best friends . . . that's an important life lesson right there fo...

Freddie Mercury (Little People, BIG DREAMS) written by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and illustrated by Ruby Taylor is a non-fiction children's book about the singer Freddie Mercury.  Told in simple sentences with amazing illustrations, this book is perfect for children between the ages of five and eight.  I'd like to thank NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group, and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the free, advanced copy of Freddie Mercury in exchange for my honest review. The author does a fantastic job of telling the life of Freddie Mercury in simplistic terms for children.  She does tell about how the musician has AIDS, once had a girlfriend, and ended up with a boyfriend without going into the nitty gritty details that children may not necessarily need to know at their age.  I like the fact that it gives parents the opportunity to answer any questions their children may have. As an adult, I already knew the facts provided in the book, but I love the fact that i...

Who Slayed The Santas? (Juniper Holiday, #3) by Leighann Dobbs was published on December 15, 2022 and opens with Juniper Holiday decorating her Crescent Cove mansion for her Christmas party.  When the Santas she's interviewing for the party start showing up dead on the property, Juniper is determined to find out who the murderer is before the party is ruined. The Juniper Holiday series is fast becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery series.  It just keeps getting better!  All of the characters are such a trip, especially the main character named Juniper Holiday.  Although Who Slayed The Santas? deals with murder, it's such a fun, entertaining read that made me even more excited for Christmas.  This is the perfect book for those who are in a reading rut or looking for a beach read. Five out of five stars is what I give Who Slayed The Santas? (Juniper Holiday, #3) by Leighann Dobbs.  I hope the author keeps writing additional stories for this series.

Camp Creepy (Sinister Summer, #3) by Kiersten White has an expected publication date of January 3, 2023 and is the third book in a middle grade series.  The Sinister-Winterbottoms are in pursuit of Edaren't and find themselves at a summer camp that is as mysterious as it is very normal.  When all the campers begin acting strange, and Theo decides to investigate. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Press for the advanced copy of Camp Creepy (Sinister Summer, #3) by Kiersten White.  I was excited to be approved to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Not having read the other two novels in the Sinister Summer book series, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thought this being a children's book, it would be relatively easy to garner the back story and keep the characters straight.  I did have trouble connecting the dots as far as the back story goes, but I eventually got the gist of it.  And, it did take me a few c...