BOOK REVIEW – The Bones Remember, Book 2 of the Alexa Glock Forensics series

by Sara E. Johnson (Author), Sarah Naughton (Narrator), Dreamscape Media, LLC (Publisher) An Audiobook Review The Bones Remember is another fascinating, suspenseful adventure into the wild parts of New Zealand with forensic “teeth” specialist Alexa Glock. She’s an American on a work visa stationed at a forensics lab in Auckland.  She is called out to a remote island to identify…

BOOK REVIEW – Unplugged

by  Gordon Korman (Author), A.J Beckles (Narrator), Maxwell Glick (Narrator), Vikas Adam (Narrator), Reba Buhr (Narrator), Sarah Mollo-Christensen (Narrator), Barrett Leddy (Narrator), HarperAudio (Publisher) An Audiobook Review —“A middle-grade novel about a group of kids forced to “unplug” at a wellness camp – where they instead find intrigue, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos.”— This book and its author are a part of the reason I love reading middle-grade…

Book Review – The Hurtwood Village Murders, A Marius Quin Mystery, book 2

by Benedict Brown (Author), George Blagden (Narrator), Storm Publishing (Publisher) An Audiobook review Benedict Brown’s characters in all his books. including The Hurtwood Village Murders, are well-drawn and consistent. I like Marius’s often self-effacing attitude, especially with Bella, but also his curious and quick comebacks. I enjoy how Brown writes pet dogs into the stories, giving them character and sometimes…

BOOK REVIEW – Forbidden City – #3 in the City Spies series

by James Ponti (Author), Lisa Flanagan (Narrator), Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher) An audiobook. This is the third in the fantastic City Spies series that I have read, and it is absolutely not put-downable! I listened to this fast-paced book late at night in bed, while cooking dinner, walking, gardening… completely immersed in the world of these 12-15-year-old MI-6 spies,…

BOOK REVIEW – Golden Gate, Book 2 of City Spies

by James Ponti (Author), Lisa Flanagan (Narrator), Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher) An Audiobook Review “This mission is hot! It’s a go!”    GOLDEN GATE is the second of the City Spies books I’ve read, and I love them!  Smart kids (I mean VERY smart kids), super-special skills (but natural, no hocus-pocus), wild adventure, world travel, secrets, villains, danger,   complex…

BOOK REVIEW – Mint Tea and A Midsummer Murder: A British Cozy Murder Mystery with A Female Sleuth (A Waterwheel Cafe Mystery Book 5)

by Victoria Tait (Author)  I totally enjoy reading Victoria Tait’s Waterwheel Cafe mysteries with police officer Keya Varma and her cop and cafe friends. And, I have to say, her new MINT TEA AND A MIDSUMMER MURDER is one of the best.  Familiar characters and settings, plus a twisty murder mystery to solve, are what I expect…

BOOK REVIEW – Across The Desert

by Dusti Bowling (Author), Stacy Gonzalez (Narrator), Tantor Audio (Publisher) An Audiobook Review I bought and listened to this book because I have read and loved two other Dusti Bowling books for middle-grade kids. Like the others, “Across the Desert” is full of excitement, hardship and heartache, and a whole lot of need to overcome a giant obstacle or two. …

2024 Personal Essay Writing Challenge: Day 2

Write a personal essay each day of the final week of June with the 2024 Personal Essay Writing Challenge. For today’s prompt, write an essay based on the story you will most likely tell others. “Be Prepared” “Be Prepared” was the impression I received on a Sunday as we walked from our parked car to…

2024 Personal Essay Writing Challenge: Day 1

Write a personal essay each day of the final week of June with the 2024 Personal Essay Challenge.  For today’s prompt, write about a work experience. Knickknack, Paddy-whack, Give a Dog a Bone Very early on, when I was nine or ten, I became the chief knickknack duster of our home. My mother, a widow, worked…