August 2023 Wrap-Up

August was a great month of reading. I only have one book that I'm still working on, The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg. I was looking forward to reading this one because we are doing a buddy read with the author, but other books have gotten in the way, and so far after five chapters it's not compelling me to pick it up the way her other series did. So, I'm taking this one slow and will get back to it soon.

I got all my other planned reads done.

 

A Beautiful Disguise (The Imposters #1) by Roseanna M. White ended up being one of my favorites out of all the books I read this month. See my review of this one here.

 

 

Shadow Schemes (Tournament of Shadow #3) by Tilly Wallace was good, but pretty much more of the same. Not a lot of plot progression for the series, but I do like how things are going with Sera and Hugh. 3 of 5 stars.

 

I really liked Five Little Pigs (Hercule Poirot #25) by Agatha Christie. There was a sad element to it because the case he solves is an old one and not much can be done to right some of the wrongs. 4 of 5 stars.

 

The Clockwork Boys (Clocktaur War #1) by T. Kingfisher. It was enjoyable but not what I was expecting. See my review of this one here.

 

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn ended up not being as good as I hoped, but it wasn't bad. See my review of this one here.

 

Dragon and Liberator (Dragonback #6) by Timothy Zahn was the last book in the Dragonback series. I enjoyed this series and liked the way things were wrapped up in this book. 4 of 5 stars.

 

I also ended up reading quite a few other books this month that were not on my list. 

 

First there was The Olympian Affair (The Cinder Spires #2) by Jim Butcher. I really enjoyed this book and am so glad that Jim Butcher finally wrote it. See my review here.

 

Next, I decided to listen to the last two Philip Marlowe books I had on Audio. Playback by Raymond Chandler and Poodle Springs by Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker. I liked Playback a lot. I think Poodle Springs is my least favorite of all the Marlowe books, but it's also the one that Chandler didn't finish, and was finished by Robert B. Parker. I wasn't a fan of Parker's first Spencer For Hire book when I read it, so I think I probably just don't care for his writing in general. I don't know how much of the story was already written before Parker took it over, but I just didn't like the overall story. I gave Playback 4 of 5 stars, and Poodle Springs 3 stars.

 

Next I read the Setback (The Birch Creek Ranch #7) by B. E. Baker. This one ended up getting published a little early, so I had a copy sooner than I thought I would. I very much enjoyed this book. See my review here.

 

After The Setback I decided to listen to the sequel to Clockwork Boys, The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher. I reviewed this book together with Clockwork Boys.

 

I actually started Tsalmoth by Steven Brust at the end of July and I took it slowly and made my way through it a chapter at a time. It was a really casual buddy read and no one rushed through it. I liked that I was able to take my time with it and just pick it up when I felt like it. I enjoyed it, but I didn't feel compelled to pick it up all the time and I'm not sure why. As usual for this series, I enjoyed the humor and Vlad's way of telling the story. 3.5 of 5 stars.

 

 

And finally, I got to finish out the Super Powereds series by Drew Hayes with Super Powereds: Year 4. All of the books in this series have been long, but this one is super long at 60 hours and 37 minutes. I listened at 1.5 speed so it went by a bit faster, but it still took me several days to get through this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this series, even though the books are really long, and probably could have been edited down, I didn't mind it because it was so entertaining. I'm going to miss these characters. 4.5 of 5 stars.

 

 

 

 

July and August 2023 Monthly Challenges

I feel like I kind of fell off the wagon with my July and August reading challenges.

 

For July the challenge was Ebook Extravaganza. I was supposed to read as many ebooks as I could. 

 

I did read or start on 6 ebooks in July but they were mostly ones I had planned on reading anyway, and my focus wasn't really on the challenge. 

These are the ones I read-

Secrets in the Mist by Anna Lee Huber

Hallowed Ground by Linda Castillo

Dragon and Judge by Timothy Zahn

Daughter of Ancients by Carol Berg

An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo

Tsalmoth by Steven Brust

 

 

For August the challenge was Audio book August, and I was supposed to listen to as many audio books as I could.

I ended up listening to 7 audio books. I feel like I did better on this challenge because I had more reads that weren't ones planned for something else, but I still wasn't really focused on it the way I wanted to be. That being said, I was really happy that I got through the rest of my audio books for the Phillip Marlowe series, and Super Powereds Year 4, a book I've been wanting to get to for months.

These are the ones I listened to-

Shadow Schemes by Tilly Wallace

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie

Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher

Playback by Raymond Chandler

Poodle Springs by Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker

The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher

Super Powereds: Year 4 by Drew Hayes

July and August 2023 Book Clubs: What Mad Universe by Fredric Brown and Clockwork Boys (Clocktaur War #1) by T. Kingfisher

July-

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi
Content: Clean

 

The editor of a sci-fi pulp magazine is accidentally transported to a parallel universe where space travel is common, Earth is at war with creepy aliens, New York City isn't safe after dark, and his girlfriend is with someone else.

 

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book before I read it. Classic sci-fi can be so hit or miss with me but I liked the description even though it was short. I listened to this one on audio and at first I didn't care for the narrator but after a while I got used to him, and he didn't bother me as much. 

The main character gets blown into a parallel universe. The first moon rocket falls back to earth and there's an explosion, which is what I think this cover is depicting. There are several covers for this book, none of them are all that good. One of our book club members put together a fun montage of most of them. It went something like this-

It started out with the classic girl in the bathing suit (space bikini) on the cover.

 

Then they added in this weird winged creature.

 

Then they tried to make it all about the bug eyed monster, and came up with this ugly thing.

 

Then they went with this one that we can't figure out.

 

And finally they just gave up.

Anyway, I ended up enjoying this book. I liked the way the author added in old pulp fiction terms and ideas like the bug-eyed monster, and the woman in the space bikini. This book was written in 1949, so those things weren't so old when the book was written, but he leaned into them and kind of made fun of them in a way. It was cleverly done. And the whole working on a sewing machine leading to the accidental discovery of space flight was a pretty funny idea. 

The only thing that I really didn't like about the book was the fact that the main character is so in love with this woman, but the only reason we are ever given is because she is so beautiful. That was a bit shallow, but then maybe it was done that way on purpose since this seems to be a homage to pulp fiction.

August-

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk
Content: Strong Language

 

A paladin, an assassin, a forger, and a scholar ride out of town. It’s not the start of a joke, but rather an espionage mission with deadly serious stakes. T. Kingfisher’s new novel begins the tale of a murderous band of criminals (and a scholar), thrown together in an attempt to unravel the secret of the Clockwork Boys, mechanical soldiers from a neighboring kingdom that promise ruin to the Dowager’s city.

If they succeed, rewards and pardons await, but that requires a long journey through enemy territory, directly into the capital. It also requires them to refrain from killing each other along the way! At turns darkly comic and touching, Clockwork Boys puts together a broken group of people trying to make the most of the rest of their lives as they drive forward on their suicide mission.

 

I enjoyed this book and it's sequel. I found the characters easy to like and the story kept me interested. I will say though, that for a book called Clockwork Boys, we saw very little of the clockwork boys. I was expecting more, but thought that there would probably be more in the second book. The series is called Clocktaur War after all, so surely there would be a lot more clockworks and a war. That was not the case. 

I did like a lot of things about these two books, but the story just didn't dig deep enough into things for me. The world building was great, and I thought there were so many good ideas, but the execution was a bit lacking for me. I think the reason behind that is, in part, due to the fact that it focused too much on the romance. The main character mooning over the paladin got really old after a while. This is coming from someone who likes romance added into the books I read. I just wasn't expecting it to be so much of the focus in this series. Also, the drama that ensues because of Slate's reaction when someone dies was so overblown and really annoyed me. I did love the gnolls though! They were the best part of the book. 

I would probably read more in this world if the author ever wrote more. Like I said, I enjoyed it, even if I had some issues with it. I rated the second book, The Wonder Engine 3 stars.

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

  

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Content: Strong language, Assassins doing their thing

 

 Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon.

They've spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can't just retire - it's kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman--and a killer--of a certain age.

 

I really loved the concept of this book, but I don't think it was executed all that well. It felt very implausible at times. First off, I had a hard time believing 60 something year old women would be able to survive some of these situations, especially when it involved hand to hand combat. All the other assassins just seemed a little dumbed down so that these 60 somethings could succeed. At times these women also acted a bit juvenile, so other than talking about menopause a few times, they didn't feel like they were in their 60s.

Then there is the problem of not really getting to know them all that well, except for Billie. I kept getting them confused with each other at first. There was the bombshell curvy one; the lesbian one, or were those two the same one? I think I'm still getting them confused. The um, I can't remember what she was; and then the grieving widow with a family; and then there was Billie, the ultra feminist one who protested in the 60s. That's pretty much all we find out about any of them, except Billie, because the book is from her point of view. Anyway, they felt like they just ticked off boxes, and had no real personality.

I picked this up because it reminded me of the movie Red, but the thing I liked about Red was the mix of male and female characters working together. This book was very heavy on the female characters, with most of the male characters being jerks. This also lacked the amount of humor I was looking for, and when it did include humor, sometimes it fell flat or felt juvenile. 

The book also contradicted itself with the whole, 'we don't want to kill innocent bystanders thing'. You'll know what I mean right from the beginning. And when we finally get to the reason behind why they've been targeted, it's really lame! 

Overall, this book was just ok. I feel like it could have been so much better if more character development had gone into it, with more well thought out jokes and humor, and more realistic situations for characters that are in their 60s, instead of making them seem younger.

The Olympian Affair (The Cinder Spires #2) by Jim Butcher

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk
Content: Strong language, Mostly off page sex

 

For centuries the Cinder Spires have safeguarded humanity, rising far above the deadly surface world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses rule, developing scientific marvels and building fleets of airships for defense and trade.

Now, the Spires hover on the brink of open war.

Everyone knows it’s coming. The guns of the great airship fleets that control the skies between the last bastions of humanity will soon speak in anger, and Spire Albion stands alone against the overwhelming might of Spire Aurora’s Armada and its new secret weapon–one capable of destroying the populations of entire Spires.

A trading summit at Spire Olympia provides an opportunity for the Spirearch, Lord Albion, to secure alliances that will shape the outcomes of the war, and to that end he dispatches privateer Captain Francis Madison Grimm and the crew of the AMS Predator to bolster the Spirearch’s diplomatic agents.

It will take daring, skill, and no small amount of showmanship to convince the world to stand with Spire Albion–assuming that it is not already too late.

 

I was so excited to get an early copy of this book! It's been a long time coming, and I dove right into this, even though I probably should have done a reread of The Aeronaut's Windlass first. There were quite a few things, and even characters that I had forgotten, but they all came back to me as I read. I loved the world building in this but what I love most are the characters. I especially love Miss Folly and Master Ferus, Captain Grimm, and Bridget and Rowl. Yet again the cats were there to provide a lot of the humor, which I loved. The airship battles and the duels were quite fun. There was a part that I found very sad near the end, and it ends with one character in quite the predicament, so obviously there will be more. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next! Thank you Mr. Butcher for continuing this series! 

On a side note- I'm not super crazy about the cover redesign. I don't think it's a bad cover but I have the hardcover on pre-order and it won't match my hardcover copy of The Aeronaut's Windlass.

Thank to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with and ARC of this book.

The Setback (The Birch Creek Ranch #7) by B. E. Baker

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction
Content: Clean

 

Amanda Brooks has made a new home for herself in Birch Creek, and she's finally learning to love the right way. But our past always catches up to us, and when her family surprises her with a visit, it slams into her plans like a bowling ball, knocking pins in every direction.

Donna Ellingson has a new job and a fresh resolve to embrace happiness with both hands. But every big change has its difficulties, and she’s not sure whether she made the right choice. It’s hard to move ahead when you keep looking back.

Helen Fisher has never deviated from her life plan. When things go wrong, she handles them, one way or another. When her family in Birch Creek needs a little of her attention, she resolves to deal with it quickly and get right back on track.

Can these three women navigate their respective setbacks and move forward with grace and hope? Or will these life changes alter their futures forever?

 

When I saw Helen was going to be a big part of this book, all I could think was, "Oh boy! How is Bridget going to make me like Helen?" Helen comes across as a snooty, cold person who throws money at everything to 'make it better'. She's so full of herself. I like the way Abby described her sister as lost. However, I knew that since Helen played a big part in this book, she would have growth and change. I had a hard time seeing how she would have enough growth and change for my liking, but I also knew that this author could pull it off, and for the most part, she did. It was a little hard to give Helen the amount of growth she needed because she enters the series at such a late stage, but it was adequate and with one more book to come, maybe we will see even more growth and change. I liked the way the romance played out for Helen in this book, and the guy she ends up with is just perfect for her.

I enjoyed the other parts of the book about Donna and Will, Amanda and Eddie, and Beth and Ethan. Amanda has finally grown and become what I knew she could be, and it was great seeing that. Some of those scenes with Amanda and Helen were priceless! They deserved to have to deal with each other. I was so happy for how things ended up for Donna, and the solution Beth came up with was one I had thought of and was happy to see in the book. I did think things may have been a bit too neatly tied up, but this is a feel good series and so I'm not surprised that it's ending with everyone feeling good and in a happy place. I liked the way things have ended up for everyone. I'm looking forward to reading the last book and finding out more about the other Amanda's (Amanda Saddler) time away, and how that plays into her future.

If you enjoyed Virgin River, Cedar Cove, Sweet Magnolias, or Heartland, than you might like this series. I happened to like this series better than all those.

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book.

A beautiful Disguise (The Imposters #1) by Roseanna M. White

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult, Christian Fiction
Genre: Romance, Clean Romance, Historical Romance, Mystery
Content: Clean

 

Left with an estate on the brink of bankruptcy after their father's death, Lady Marigold Fairfax and her brother open a private investigation firm marketed to the elite . . . to spy on the elite. Dubbed The Imposters, Ltd., their anonymous group soon becomes the go-to for the crème of society when they want answers delivered surreptitiously. But the many secrets Marigold learns about her peers pale in comparison to her shock when she and her brother are hired to investigate her best friend's father as a potential traitor.

Sir Merritt Livingstone has spent a decade serving the monarch in the most elite guard, but when pneumonia lands him behind a desk in the War Office Intelligence Division just as they're creating a new secret intelligence branch, he's intent on showing his worth. He suspects a man of leaking information to Germany as tensions mount between the two countries, but needs someone to help him prove it, so he turns to The Imposters, Ltd. No one knows who they are, but their results are beyond compare.

Lady Marigold is determined to discover the truth for her friend's sake, and she's more determined still to keep her heart from getting involved with this enigmatic new client . . . who can't possibly be as noble as he seems.

 

I was really looking forward to this new book by Roseanna M. White. After reading the description, I thought it sounded a lot like her Shadows Over England series with the spies, and I was kind of right. This one actually ended feeling like a mix of her Shadows Over England series and her Ladies of the Manor series, but it was also something different. This book had a unique mix of ideas that I feel like shouldn't have worked, but for some reason it did. 

The story pulled me in right from the beginning. It opens with the main character and her brother in a precarious situation, and it had me glued to the pages to see how they would get out of it. As I continued to read I did come to a point where I thought it may not work for me. For some reason I don't usually end up liking books that have a circus in them, and although this one doesn't exactly have a circus in it, it has circus-type elements to it, that in the beginning felt a bit implausible. Even so, I kept reading and this book just kept growing on me. I loved these characters, and the slow build romance paired with the mystery was right up my alley. In the end, I thought this was well worth the read and I had a hard time putting it down. This is the first book in a series and I'm looking forward to the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Planned Reads for August 2023

Book Club Read-

Clockwork Boys (Clocktaur War #1) by T. Kingfisher

 

 

Mystery Book Club read-

Shadow Schemes (Tournament of Shadows #3) by Tilly Wallace

 

 

My 'Pick it for me' book-

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

 

Read at Fantasy Buddy Reads-

Dragon and Liberator (Dragonback #6) by Timothy Zahn

 

The Spirit Lens (Collegia Magica #1) by Carol Berg

Another buddy read with the author!

 

NetGalley Read-

A Beautiful Disguise (The Imposters #1) by Roseanna M. White

 

Hercule Poirot Book for August-

Five Little Pigs (Hercule Poirot #25) by Agatha Christie

 

July 2023 Wrap-up

I just barely got all of my planned books for July read. I started the month with three books I was still reading from June, so that put me about a week late on starting my July list. Plus I added in two that weren't planned, but I did it! And I'm looking forward to mostly spontaneous reads in August. Here are my ratings for the July books. I'll put the two unplanned ones at the end.

 

 

Magic Claims (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years #2) by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong Language, Sex

 

 

 

Dragon and Herdsman (Dragonback #4) by Timothy Zahn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Clean

 

 

 

The Shadow Casket (The Darkwater Legacy #2) by Chris Wooding

See my review here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweeping S' Ride (Space Janitor #4) by Julia Huni

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Sci-fi
Content: Clean

This series started out strong but ended up disappointing me a bit in the end. I really enjoyed the murder mystery on the space station theme of the first book, and the romance was a nice touch as well. But the rest of the books were set on different planets and just weren't as compelling to me. Also, the romance became annoying because the main character kept running away from it and acting like a teenager about it. Another negative for me were the narrators. There were two and I liked the second one better than the first, but they both kind of grated on my nerves with the squeaky high-pitched tones, and the just the way the books were narrated in general. Although I liked book one enough to give it 4 stars and the novella The Trouble with Tinsel was really cute and I gave it 4 stars too, everthing else was 3 stars. 

 

Secrets in the Mist (Gothic Myths #1) by Anna Lee Huber

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Clean

After reading her Lady Darby Series and her Verity Kent Series, Ann Lee Huber has become a favorite author. So far I've loved everything I've read by her and this book was no exception. I'm looking forward to more books in this series.

 

An Evil Heart (Kate Burkholder #15) by Linda Castillo

See my review here.

 

What Mad Universe by Fredric Brown

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'll post a separate review of this one later since it was our book club read. 

 

 

 

A Fatal Illusion (Lady Darby #11) by Anna Lee Huber

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Clean

 

 

  

Evil Under the Sun (Hercule Poirot #24) by Agatha Christie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Clean

 

 

 

  

Daughter of Ancients (The Bridge of D'Arnath #4) by Carol Berg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: This book was clean. Previous books in the series dealt with torture, horrible deaths, slavery, and the loss of a child.

This was a wonderful conclusion to this series. I've thoroughly enjoyed it and the buddy read we did with the author over at Fantasy Buddy Reads. Now I need to buy myself physical copies for my book shelf. There's a lot of tragedy in this series, but also wonderful triumph. It had me feeling all the emotions.Carol Berg has now made my favorite authors list.

A Dangerous Ruse (Tournament of Shadows #2) by Tilly Wallace

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Content: Clean

So far I'm enjoying this series, but not as much as Manners and Monsters. This book in particular I felt like the solution just fell into their laps. 

 

Dragon and Judge (Dragonback #5) by Timothy Zahn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera
Content: Clean

In my opinion this is one of the best books in the series.

 

The Relationtrip by Elana Johnson

See my review here. 

 

Hallowed Ground (Kate Burkholder 14.5) by Linda Castillo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars