Book Review - Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

 

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon is about a grandmother, mother, and granddaughter trio who decide to solve a murder.  Lana Rubicon is known for her killer business skills. She’d caused many people to tremble in their shoes when they knew she was coming. She is proud of the L.A. real estate empire she has built with her keen business intuition and taste.

After having a health scare, she decides to move 300 miles north of the city to a small coastal town where her daughter, Beth lives with her teenage granddaughter, Jack. Lana isn’t used to the easygoing sleepy town vibes. She tries to get used to the slower pace of life instead of fast paced life in LA but it’s a hard adjustment spending her days doing nothing. Lana feels that the boredom might kill her before the cancer does and that she needs something to do to make her feel relevant again.

Jack is independent and loves the slough near their house. She works as a kayak tour guide and wants to save up enough money for a boat to go sailing by herself. While on a tour, one of the kayakers finds a dead body. Jack brings in the group and reports the body to the police. Jack becomes a suspect because she finds the body but she was also out in the slough the day before with another tour group. Beth and Lana are worried that the police will just blame Jack for the murder without actually investigating the crime. Beth wants her mother to focus on getting better while finding Jack a lawyer instead of Lana sticking her nose into the investigation. However, Lana decides that she can’t sit still while her granddaughter is accused of something she didn’t do. Lana will stop at nothing to protect her family while proving that she is still useful. Will Lana be able to find out the truth behind the murder?

The book was a fun and quick read. The characters were quirky with some laughable moments. I liked reading about Lana and her amateur sleuthing journey. I like that the author showed us how Lana was piecing together the clues and her thought pattern behind her deductions. The murderer was easy to guess but their motivation was slightly different than I was expecting.

The murder aspect does play a role but the story also focuses on repairing and strengthening the bonds between the three women. Lana cares about her daughter and granddaughter but didn’t spend any time with them. She has to learn how to bridge the gap that has widened over the years. While Beth is trying to let go control of her daughter and giving her own space and independence.  Beth finds it difficult since it has only been the two of them for years. It was interesting seeing how the characters were trying to navigate the relationships with each other while trying to figure out their needs and the murderer. If you are looking for a murder mystery with a bit of heart, then you might enjoy this book.

Book Review - All You Have to Do by Autumn Allen

 

All You Have to Do by Autumn Allen is about two Black male students who struggle to gain acceptance and equality in the prestigious schools they attend. In April 1968, Kevin was a student at Princeton and lived through the day when Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated. He and his fellow students decide to join a protest to protect the neighboring community from losing their homes as Columbia University gobbles up more real estate to expand their institution to build a new gym. Kevin and his fellow students are disappointed in the college because those homes belong to low income people of color who won’t have anywhere else to go. The school made it seem that it cares about the community and its students of color but the move made the students think otherwise. Kevin is unsure where he falls in the spectrum because his family has afforded him more privileges in comparison to other Black students. At times, he questions if he should be pushing hard for equality or should be grateful for his opportunities and keep quiet.

In September 1995, Gibran attended a prestigious private prep school. He and his fellow Black male students want to attend the Million Man March to show support of their culture. When they try to convince the school to allow them to attend, they face backlash which might lead to several consequences for Gibran if he doesn’t get in line with the policies at school. Gibran feels that even though the school has a Black principal, his and his fellow classmates' needs are not being met. They are expected to conform to their White classmates and other faculty’s perspectives of them. Gibran is quick to anger and he feels with every injustice that he consecutively faces, that his fuse gets smaller and smaller. The people around him worry about him and for him, especially when he seems to be ready to explode at any given moment. 

The two students are connected and their struggles overlap in many different ways. They both want to emphasize the struggles and inequalities that Black people face on a daily basis. Both Gibran and Kevin came from families that were able to provide them with opportunities that other people of color might not have. They want to protest the quality of treatment Black people receive but, calling attention to the cause might cause them both to lose their opportunities that their parents worked hard to provide them with. Will Kevin and Gibran be able to discover who they want to be instead of accepting who society tells them they are?

I thought the book was an emotional read. It spoke of two turbulent times in history where racial tensions were high. I never knew about the Columbia gym fiasco and that was interesting to read and learn about. The book was narrated by Gibran and Kevin who were born decades apart but had similar struggles. It was interesting seeing how they both navigated what society and their respective families wanted for them and how they wanted the world to perceive them. Both character arcs were well developed and coincide with historical events to add more depth to their stories.

The book showcases how different people experience different things. In Gibran’s chapters, he talks about how he and his fellow Black students had to watch a talent show in which white students were mimicking their culture and how disrespectful it felt to them. When he tried to explain how it made them feel, he was expected to show them respect about their thoughts and feelings but he  didn’t get the same respect back. It was hard to read that because we are taught to show respect but I can relate to how he was feeling of not being seen and respected. I feel like these chapters might be hard to digest for some readers but it is important to understand other people’s feelings and culture and treat them respectfully. 

I thought the book was thought provoking and had many important heartfelt moments. However, I was surprised at the language the book had included for young readers. Personally, I wish the author didn’t include this but, I can understand if they felt that it made the characters more authentic. This was the author’s debut novel and I look forward to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora

 

Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora is about a young girl who moved into a new house following her parents’ divorce. Evie Archer, her brother, Stan, and her mother move from NYC to Ravenglass, Massachusetts for a fresh start. Evie is excited for a new start and to blend in with everyone. She quickly learns that the house she moves into has a dark history and all the locals know about it. 

The Hobbie House is also known as the Horror House after a young girl around Evie’s age named Holly Hobbie, goes missing from the home. Her body was never found and no one knows how she disappeared as she vanished from her bedroom without a trace.

As Evie begins to investigate the house’s past, she realizes there is more to the story. She learns that before Holly went missing another young girl disappeared in an eerily similar way. Evie wonders if the two cases are connected. As she investigates, she realizes that something insidious is in the house and it’s slowly encroaching on Evie’s life. Evie is starting to have a hard time differentiating what is real and what isn’t. Will Evie find out what happened to Holly or will she suffer a similar fate?

The young adult novel was a quick and entertaining read. The author slowly builds up the suspense and creepiness factor to set the mood. The book is told from Evie’s perspective and her character is well fleshed out. However, the author did not do as great a job developing the other supporting characters in my view. I wish we got to learn more about her mother, Stan, and Evie’s romantic interest, Desmond. The story hints that something happened with her father but, it was much later did we get some idea of what occurred. I hoped the reader got more detail about familial relationships earlier on especially when Evie was struggling at Hobbie House. It would have helped shine some light on Evie’s mental state.

While the book is billed as a horror novel, I didn’t find it scary or spooky. I found that the story was a bit slow to build up and it was very predictable. The romantic element was a bit fast, especially the intensity. It seemed that Evie liked Desmond but then didn’t always keep him in the loop and they went from talking about their sewing class to being madly in love. It seems that a lot of the characters said that Evie was spiraling out of control but didn’t do much to ensure she was okay or vice versa. Her friend, Tina, who got Evie interested in the history of Hobbie House didn’t really play much of a role. I was surprised that the book was going to be a part of the series as I felt like it could be a standalone. I felt like the book took forever to build up and when it finally got to the end, it happened so quickly. However, I would be open to reading more books from the series. If you like young adult horror series, then you might enjoy this book.

Book Spotlight - Light Comes to Shadow Mountain by Toni Buzzeo + Giveaway

 

About The Book:

Title: LIGHT COMES TO SHADOW MOUNTAIN

Author: Toni Buzzeo

Pub. Date: July 11, 2023

Publisher: Holiday House

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 272

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/LIGHT-COMES-TO-SHADOW-MOUNTAIN

Cora Mae Tipton is determined to light up her Appalachian community in this historical fiction novel from an award-winning author and former librarian.

It’s 1937 and the government is pushing to bring electricity to the mountains of southeastern Kentucky. It’s all Cora can think of; radios with news from around the world, machines that keep food cold, lightbulbs by which to read at night! Cora figures she can help spread the word by starting a school newspaper and convincing her neighbors to support the Rural Electrification Act.

But resistance to change isn’t easy to overcome, especially when it starts at home. Cora’s mother is a fierce opponent of electrification. She argues that protecting the landscape of the holler—the trees, the streams, the land that provides for their way of life—is their responsibility. But Cora just can’t let go of wanting more.

Lyrical, literary, and deeply heartfelt, this debut novel from an award-winning author-librarian speaks to family, friendship, and loss through the spirited perspective of a girl eager for an electrified existence, but most of all, the light of her mother’s love and acceptance.

Back matter includes an Author’s Note; further information on the Rural Electrification Act, the herbs and plants of Appalachia, the Pack Horse Library Project, and more; and a “Quick Questions” historical trivia section for readers.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

 

About Taylor Tyng:

Toni Buzzeo is a New York Times bestselling children’s author. She has published twenty-nine picture books for kids as well as eleven books for teachers and librarians. A former librarian and college and high school writing teacher, Toni and her books have won many awards, including a Caldecott Honor for One Cool Friend, illustrated by David Small. Endlessly enthusiastic, Toni draws on her career experiences as an elementary school librarian in crafting her books and speaking with audiences of children in schools and libraries. Toni lives in Arlington, Massachusetts.

 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of LIGHT COMES TO SHADOW MOUNTAIN, US Only.

Ends August 22nd, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/7/2023	Confessions of the Perfect Mom	Excerpt/IG Post
8/7/2023	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
8/8/2023	Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
8/8/2023	Paws.Read.Repeat	Review/IG Post
8/9/2023	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
8/9/2023	Gryffindorbookishnerd	IG Review
8/10/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
8/10/2023	avainbookland	Review/IG Post
8/11/2023	Lifestyle of Me	Review/IG Post
8/11/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

8/14/2023	@get.outside.and.read	IG Review
8/14/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
8/15/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
8/15/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
8/16/2023	@jlreadstoperpetuity	IG Review/TikTok Post
8/16/2023	enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
8/17/2023	gsreadingspree	IG Review
8/17/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review
8/18/2023	@dharashahauthor	IG Review/TikTok Post
8/18/2023	popthebutterfly	Review/IG Post

Book Spotlight - Clara Poole and the Long Way Round by Taylor Tyng + Giveaway

 

About The Book:

Title: CLARA POOLE AND THE LONG WAY ROUND

Author: Taylor Tyng

Pub. Date: July 4, 2023

Publisher: Pixel+Ink

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 384

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/CLARA-POOLE-AND-THE-LONG-WAY-ROUND

Mr. Lemoncello meets the Amazing Race in this quirky high-octane balloon-racing middle grade around-the-world adventure.

When an unintended flight over Michigan in her class science project—a lawn chair held aloft by balloons—brings her instant celebrity, Clara Poole is invited to be the spokesperson for a round-the-world adventure race. But when her overprotective father refuses, Clara forges his signature in a moment of defiance and runs away to Paris to take her place in the skies. If only she’d read the fine print first.

Partnered with a veteran aeronaut who wants nothing to do with her, Clara faces down ten treacherous stages in a race around the world—capturing flags in the perilous mountains of Nepal; being a guest of honor at a maybe-wedding in the Saharan desert; flying through rings of fire in Hong Kong—all while learning the ropes alongside a colorful cast of international competitors.

But there are more dangers ahead. Someone is trying to sabotage the competition. And surviving this race means Clara must come to terms with the tragedy that set her fleeing to the skies in the first place, and accepting that forgiving herself isn’t a process she has to undertake alone.

Gorgeous prose and winning characters combine in this quirky, often-hilarious, sometimes heart-breaking, and thoroughly captivating middle grade adventure series starter from an incredible new talent.

Book Trailer:

 About Taylor Tyng:

Taylor Tyng has worked as a designer, animator, film editor, and software CEO. He finds endless

joy in writing for middle-grade readers, who are no longer children but not quite adults. He lives

in Massachusetts with his family. Visit him online at TaylorTyng.com.

https://linktr.ee/taylortyng

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of CLARA POOLE AND THE LONG WAY ROUND, US Only.

Ends August 22nd, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

8/7/2023	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
8/7/2023	Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
8/8/2023	Rajiv's Reviews	Review/IG Post
8/8/2023	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Review/TikTok Post
8/9/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
8/9/2023	Destiny's Path	Review/IG Post
8/10/2023	Lifestyle of Me	Review/IG Post
8/10/2023	Review Thick And Thin	Review/IG Post
8/11/2023	enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
8/11/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

8/14/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review
8/14/2023	@katherinebichler	TikTok Post
8/15/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
8/15/2023	Gryffindorbookishnerd	IG Review
8/16/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
8/16/2023	@get.outside.and.read	IG Review
8/17/2023	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
8/17/2023	popthebutterfly	Review/IG Post
8/18/2023	@pagesforpaige	Review/IG Post
8/18/2023	Confessions of the Perfect Mom	Review/IG Post

Book Review - How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang

 

How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents by Jimmy O. Yang is a memoir from a stand up comic and actor about his journey into show business. Jimmy and his family emigrated from Hong Kong to Los Angeles when he was 13. He didn’t know nor understand American culture. He learned English by watching BET and trying to emulate others around him.

His parents wanted him to pursue a prestigious career such as a doctor, lawyer, or working in finance.  Instead, Jimmy went against his parents’ wishes and decided to pursue a career in stand up comedy. He realized that it was better to disappoint his family than spend his entire life in regret for not choosing a career that he loved.

Jimmy narrates his journey from leaving a career path that his parents wanted to his dream job. The path wasn’t as straightforward and prosperous as he hoped. Even though he had a few standup gigs, he still wasn’t able to afford rent. Jimmy even took a job as a strip club DJ in hopes of making rent.

I am familiar with Jimmy O. Yang and saw a few episodes of the HBO series “Silicon Valley” in which he appeared. He was funny in the show and his humor shines through in his memoir, including the photos with funny captions. It was interesting to learn about his journey and family but there were a few things that I was surprised to learn, like him working as a strip club DJ.

While the book was a funny read, it was light on some details. He mentions that he had a brother and his mother went back to Hong Kong to pursue her own dreams but they rarely made an appearance meanwhile he did get repetitive with a few of stories. I was surprised that when he goes into detail about some of his life, he didn’t provide any insights or introspect.  It was surprising that Jimmy expected to hit it big without having prior acting experience or training. I don’t have any experience in the field but it seems like a cutthroat business and not surprising when he wasn’t booking anything if he didn’t have the experience/training.

I felt that the ending was disappointing, it was basically how he started the book. I wish there was something more to explain about his future plans or goals. I am a little confused by the title, was this supposed to be a self-help book or a guide for immigrant kids or immigrant parents? Or perhaps, was it a tale to prove that sometimes going against your parents’ wishes, one can still end up successful? If you are a fan of Jimmy, then you might enjoy the book as it’s filled with his adventures and it’s a quick read.

August 2023 Empties!

 

It's been some time since I did an empties post! I actually had more products than I space for so, hopefully I would be able to do another empty post sooner than later. I did finish a lot of things but I think majority of the items were meh and things I wouldn't repurchase again. There were a few highlights and a few items that I would avoid again in the future.

The Love Beauty and Planet deodorant in coconut water and mimosa flower smelled so great and it went clear. It had a fragrant floral scent. However, during our the heatwave we got hit with, I think I will need to stick with prescription strength deodorant.  

I love Elemis products and their  Pro Collagen Marine Cream is so good. It was creamy and soaked right into my skin. I used it both at night and during the day to keep my skin feeling soft and hydrated. I liked the Naven x Koa Life The Glow Up Facial Oil. I got it from Amazon and it left my skin looking so radiant. The oil is enriched with little shimmer that makes your skin glow and it smells amazing. A few drops is all I needed for a dewy look.

I didn't like the Yensa Pumpkin Tumeric mask.  I have mixed feelings with this brand. Some of their products are great while others are garbage. This mask is the latter. It had a weird consistency and no matter how much and the weather, this mask keeps melting and going into my eyes or into my mouth when I apply it. I tried using it on a cold day, it still slips down into my eyes and mouth. 

The Seoulista Beauty Hydration Super Serum  is a very hydrating serum that had no added scent. However, the way to dispense the serum was innovative but hard after the product was about half way. The bottle feels heavy but the product is so slow to dispense and no matter how hard you press the squishy bottle one little teeny drops come out at a time.