Middle-Grade Review: The Way to Stay in Destiny

I always enjoy Augusta Scattergood's middle-grade novels, including Glory Be, and Making Friends with Billy Wong, so I'm not sure why The Way to Stay in Destiny sat on my TBR shelves for so long (admittedly, it wasn't alone!). I'm glad I finally got to it because I loved this warm, fun novel about making your own family and figuring out who you are.

In the 70's, twelve-year-old Theo, whose full name is Thelonius Monk (listen to his namesake below), arrives on a bus in Destiny, FL, with an uncle he doesn't know, leaving behind his entire life. He lost his parents when he was very young, and now the grandparents who raised him are no longer able to care for him, and their farm in Kentucky has been sold. Theo and his Uncle Raymond have traveled all the way to Destiny for a job for Raymond, but what will Theo do in this place where he knows no one? His uncle is a Vietnam vet who doesn't even seem to like Theo much. They arrive at Miss Sister Grandersole's Rooming House and Dance Academy, and Theo spots something that might make this place a little better: a huge piano. There are two things in the world that Theo loves (besides his grandparents and the farm)--playing the piano and baseball. But on their first day at the rooming house, Uncle Raymond forbids Theo to play the piano, even though Miss Sister encourages him. Luckily, he meets a friend that first day, a mischievous girl named Anabel who will be in his grade at his new school. Not only will he have a friend the first day, but Anabel loves baseball as much as he does--and a lot more than the stupid dance lessons her mother makes her take. When Theo and Anabel partner on a school project to look into the town's history and figure out whether the great Hank Aaron once lived there, Theo begins to think Destiny might not be all that bad after all.

I just loved this sweet, warm-hearted novel about friendship, family, and identity. Like all of Scattergood's novels, the characters feel real, and I was immediately drawn into their lives. Theo is a likable kid who is struggling to come to terms with the massive changes in his life. Issues of loss, PTSD, and figuring out what's important to you are addressed through the story in a way that will be comforting and encouraging to kids. It's a great story with a little mystery and a lot of heart!

179 pages, Scholastic
 Scholastic Audio

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, of a scene with Theo and Anabel doing research for their project, and/or download it from Audible.

You can purchase The Way to Stay in Destiny from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

Or you can order The Way to Stay in Destiny from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Fiction Review: The Call of the Wild

Just before all the movie theaters (and everything else) shut down in March, we saw The Call of the Wild on the big screen with some friends. I remembered reading it in Junior High, though my old friends on Facebook don't (but they think it is crazy that I remember what we read in school and which year!). The movie inspired me to re-read the classic novel, The Call of the Wild by Jack London, which my husband just read a couple of years ago, too. I thoroughly enjoyed this action-packed, heartfelt story of a dog and a man and the pull of nature, set in the wild Alaskan/Canadian lands.

In the 1890's, the Klondike Gold Rush drew many men to the wilds of the furthest northern reaches of our continent, with the lure of riches. With all those men drawn up north, there was also a great need for large, strong dogs to pull the sleds necessary for travel in the deep roadless snow. One dog, named Buck, was living a quiet domestic life in the pleasant climate of northern California in a large home owned by a judge when an employee sold him off secretly for the large bounty being offered for such dogs. Buck was a fully domesticated animal, who knew only the lands of his home, but he was bound and caged and shipped further and further north, passing hands multiple times. He soon learned "the law of the club" with one cruel owner/merchant and the "law of the fang" as he encountered rougher dogs who were used to fighting for food and survival. Eventually, Buck arrived in Alaska and was put to work on a Canadian mail sled. Though entirely new to the world of the sled dog, Buck was a quick learner, and under the tutelage of the other dogs (some friendly and some not) and the kind mail carriers, he quickly became one of the top dogs on the team. Buck's career as a sled dog continued, through owners kind and cruel, until he was finally defeated by one senseless owner who worked the dogs too hard and fed them too little. Starved of both food and kindness, Buck met John, and the two became inseparable, as Buck began to heal.

It's a wonderful and somewhat familiar story (I definitely read it before, even if my school friends don't remember), told entirely from Buck's perspective. Jack London was an engaging writer who wrote a very engrossing story, filled with action, adventure, suspense, and love. His passages describing the love and affection between John and Buck are lyrical and heart-warming (though after seeing the movie, I now hear John's voice in my head as Harrison Ford!). As is apparent from the plot description above, there is also a fair amount of violence and sometimes abuse in the novel. I believe it is probably fairly accurate for the time, place, and circumstances, and the author clearly depicts the animal-animal violence as a natural part of their natures. The overall theme here is echoed in the book's title: throughout the novel, Buck is pulled between domesticity and the innate "call of the wild," the pull of the natural world and of his ancestors and close relatives, the wolves. Of course, I disliked the violence, but I was gripped by this compelling tale from the very beginning and loved being a part of Buck's life. We also have White Fang, another Jack London novel with similar themes, in the same book, so I may read that as well.

101 pages, Bantam Classic

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, with a description of Buck and his home from the beginning of the book, and/or download it from Audible.

You can purchase The Call of the Wild from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop. 

Or you can order The Call of the Wild from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

TV Tuesday: The Good Place

Once again, people have been telling us how great a show is for years, but we kept thinking, "Naw, it doesn't sound like we'd like it." We finally tried The Good Place, and my husband, son, and I all love it! Why did we wait so long to try it? We did the same thing with Breaking Bad. I guess we are slow learners. The three of us are enjoying every episode of this smart, funny, warm show about the afterlife.

In the first episode, Eleanor Shellstrop, played by Kristen Bell, suddenly finds herself in the Good Place, after dying on earth. A being named Michael, played by Ted Danson, is in charge of the "neighborhood" that Eleanor has been assigned to. Michael has taken on a human form to make the residents feel at ease with him and is fascinated with all aspects of humanity (though he doesn't always understand them). Eleanor is assigned to her dream house, which comes as a bit of a surprise to her, and her soul mate, a prior philosophy professor named Chidi, played by William Jackson Harper. The surprise is all his, though, when Eleanor admits to him that there's been a mistake, and she doesn't belong there. She was actually a terrible person on earth and did horrible things. She soon realizes, though, that the Good Place is really nice, and she'd much prefer to stay there than get transferred to the Bad Place. She convinces Chidi to help her become a good person, and they embark on an educational journey together, to teach Eleanor all about philosophy and various meanings of leading a good life, while she practices what she's learning. Their next-door neighbors are Tahani, played by Jameela Jamil, a formerly wealthy young philanthropist with a posh British accent, and her soul-mate, a former Buddhist monk, played by Manny Jacinto, who has taken a vow of silence. Eleanor must become a good person and earn her right to stay in the Good Place, and Michael can't know about the mistake.

I'd heard the basic outline of the plot many times before, but what I didn't realize was how clever and funny the writing was, especially in the hands of this talented cast. We all love Kristen Bell in everything she's been in, and I hadn't seen Ted Danson in much since his Cheers days, though my son enjoyed him in CSI. We also didn't expect the warmth of the show; its humor is smart and is combined with an unexpected depth of emotion. Though the setting is silly, cartoonish, and even farcical at times, you really come to care about the characters and what happens to them. It's a brilliant combination that we are thoroughly enjoying.

We are on the last episode of the first season of The Good Place. There are four seasons in all (you may have heard about its big finale just this spring). We are watching it on Netflix. It's an NBC show, so you can also catch it on the new Peacock streaming service or the latest season On Demand or free on the NBC website. You can also stream it on Amazon; most episodes are $1.99 or $19.99 for a full season.

It's Monday 6/8! What Are You Reading?

It feels like the days (and week and months) are just flying by! Last week, our newly-graduated son was fully moved back in at home, and it is nice to have all four of us together again (for a short while). He's a very upbeat, happy person, so it's good to see his smiling face around the house.

Our weekend was a bit quieter with lots of work around the house (too much--I think we need more downtime), and a nice campfire in our driveway Saturday evening with good friends we hadn't seen since February! We've been friends for almost 30 years, and they share our love of outdoors, camping, and travel. It was fun to hang out and catch up with them, though we are all missing our travels. That portable firepit was a great buy this spring--highly recommended as a safe way to see friends!!

Of course, we always make room in our lives for reading, thank goodness. Here's what we have all been reading this past week:

I finished my first book for Big Book Summer, Faithful Place by Tana French, book 3 in her Dublin Murder Squad series. I just read--and loved--book 2, The Likeness, back in the fall, and my husband and I took advantage of a recent free week of Starz (it's also on BBC) to watch the new TV adaptation, Dublin Murders, which is based on the first two books and is excellent. So, I was geared up for this one and eager to read more! It was AMAZING and completely engrossing! This time, the story focuses on Undercover Detective Frank Mackey, with a cold case dating back to his childhood in the run-down neighborhood called Faithful Place where he grew up. As always, French has created immersive and realistic characters, setting, and plot that pulled me right in. The novel digs deep into Mackey's very dysfunctional family, with lots of unexpected twists and turns in the plot. It also puts a spotlight on his adorable daughter and his very loving relationship with her--a very different perspective on the abrasive detective than we've seen before. I loved every minute of this novel and was sorry when it ended.

But I recovered quickly and reached for another Big Book! Now I am reading my first-ever Liane Moriarty novel, Truly Madly Guilty, and it is so good. It's about two lifelong best friends, Erika and Clementine, who have a complicated relationship. It becomes even more complicated after a backyard barbecue at the home of neighbors of Erika and her husband. The neighbors, Vid and Tiffany, are larger-than-life, wealthy, and a lot of fun, but something happened that day that changed the lives of all six people. Clementine and her husband, Sam, are barely speaking to each other, and everyone is upset but not talking about it. What on earth happened at that barbecue?? The foreshadowing and suspense are so intense that I hate to put the book down! When I read a big reveal last night, I was so stunned that I stopped reading to page back through the earlier parts of the novel for clues (there were none). Now, I finally understand why everyone loves this author!

I'm still enjoying my first audiobook choice for #BigBookSummer, a novel I've been dying to read since its release in January: A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen. I absolutely loved his time-travel novel, Here and Now and Then, last year, with its sci fi plot and in-depth characters.  His second novel is similar, only the "sci fi" plot this time deals with a global pandemic. Yeah. It's not feeling quite so futuristic now! The novel begins six years after the pandemic, which was far deadlier than COVID-19, leaving the remaining population in quarantine communities and the infrastructure in tatters. But now, six years later, life is returning to a new normal. The main characters all live in the Metro area that used to be San Francisco: an IT guy working for a news organization who has a young daughter, a wedding/event planner who also works on the side as a "reunion agent," and a woman who was the world's hottest teen pop star when the pandemic hit who just wants to live a quiet life and stay far away from her controlling father/manager. I'm loving it so far and getting to know the characters as they each strive to build a new life, as the threat of a new outbreak emerges. I just keep thinking about the author writing such a prescient novel! Interestingly, he got some things 100% right (masks, hand sanitizer, not wanting to shake hands) and other things in his world are different than what we've seen.

My husband, Ken (who officially signed up for the Big Book Summer Challenge once I got him on Goodreads), chose his Big Book from our bookcase of novels we inherited from my dad (you can see it in this video - the first of my Mini Bookcase Tours). Most of it is filled with his collection of Stephen King and Dean Koontz hardcovers, so Ken chose a Stephen King book he hadn't read yet, Hearts of Atlantis. This book is an unusual one: a collection of two novellas and three short stories, connected to each other by recurring characters and taking place in chronological order. That format was a bit confusing to my husband at first, since he was expecting a novel, but he is enjoying it very much Anything Stephen King writes is engrossing. Besides, the first part of the book features a young boy, and King writes kids so well; he just perfectly captures what childhood feels like. Ken's almost finished now.

Our son, 25, has been plowing through one book after another in Brock E. Deskins' series, The Sorcerer's Path. He read books one, two, and three last week--The Sorcerer's Ascension, The Sorcerer's Torment, and The Sorcerer's Legacy. He's now reading book 4, The Sorcerer's Vengeance. The series is about a young boy from a wealthy family who's left on his own and must survive in the streets, among thieves, thugs, and murderers. He not only wants to survive but to avenge the wrongs done to him and his family. This series also revolves around some sort of mysterious magical power. He's enjoying the series (obviously!) and says he and his college roommate discovered this author years ago, and he's enjoyed reading his books ever since. My son hopes to one day write his own fantasy series!




Last week's blog posts:

TV Tuesday: Snowpiercer - we're enjoying this new post-apocalyptic mystery on a train!


Teen/YA Review: Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos - moving story of addiction's effects on a family


Fiction Review: Lakewood by Megan Giddings - dark, disturbing novel exploring race & class

 What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?

Fiction Review: Lakewood

Lakewood by Megan Giddings was one of the selections for Booktopia 2020 (cancelled, of course, but with some author events being held online now - click events at the link). Exploring themes of class and race in a dystopian-like plot, it is now even more relevant than ever. I listened to this dark, disturbing novel on audio.

Lena is in college in Detroit, but the recent death of her beloved grandmother, who raised her, has revealed financial problems in her family. With the care of her mother, Deziree, and her overwhelming medical conditions now on Lena's shoulders, she's afraid she may have to drop out of school. But how can she ever earn enough money to support the two of them and pay all the bills? Then, Lena hears of a job that sounds too good to be true: if she signs up as a research subject for a company in the remote town of Lakewood, she will be paid an enormous salary, be given free housing, and all medical expenses for her and her mother will be covered. Lena signs up and drops out of school to move to Lakewood. She has misgivings, though, when she finds out that she must keep everything about her new job and her situation a secret from her family and friends. She and the others hired with her are even given fake jobs in a fake company, with daily discussion points of a boring corporate job to share with loved ones. It all seems kind of creepy, but Lena needs the financial security and hopes that she will be helping to bring medical remedies to fruition with her role. The experiments, though, are sinister and get worse and worse the longer Lena remains there: eye drops that turn brown eyes blue, a pill designed to make bad thoughts disappear, and a cure for dementia that only seems to scramble Lena's brain. In fact, all of the experiments have serious side effects and damaging consequences. How much is Lena willing to sacrifice for her family?

On its surface, this is a sinister, disturbing science fiction novel about evil science gone wrong. It soon becomes apparent, though, that this book is also a thoughtful exploration of the pressures of being lower class and not being able to support your family, and the long history of horrific scientific exploitation of people of color (i.e. Henrietta Lacks, Tuskegee syphilis experiment). The experiments that Lena is subjected to become more and more alarming, and she notices right from the first day that the research subjects are all minorities, while the Lakewood employees are all white. The tension and dread grow as Lena gets deeper and deeper into this diabolical situation, with some surprising plots twists in the mix. It's a dark, troubling novel but one that makes you think about issues of race and class and things we take for granted.

288 pages, Amistad
HarperAudio

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

You can purchase Lakewood from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

Or you can order Lakewood from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Teen/YA Review: Out of Reach

In search of a quick book to read before the official start of my Big Book Summer Challenge last month, I turned to my stuffed shelf of middle-grade and YA books waiting to be read. Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos caught my eye, with its silver National Book Award Finalist medallion on the cover. I've never read anything by Arcos before (looks like this was her second novel), and this 2012 release was engrossing, with interesting characters addressing real-life issues.

Rachel is just one year younger than her brother, Micah, so they've always been close ... until recent years when she could feel him drifting away from her. She knew he was doing drugs, but she always figured he was in control and that rehab would help. After all, he was a decent student with great friends and a cool band that was actually pretty good. Then, the summer after his high school graduation (which he did not attend), Micah disappeared. He just left in the middle of the night. Now, months later, Rachel and her parents are no longer expecting him to just walk back in the door and are living in a terrifying state of limbo, wondering what happened to him. Rachel receives an anonymous e-mail, telling her that Micah is in a nearby beach town and that he needs her help. She asks his best friend, Tyler, to come with her to look for him, figuring they will find him and bring him home. Their quick day trip turns into a 24-hour odyssey, involving some leads on where Micah has been but also some very dark and disturbing people and places. As Rachel's search for Micah becomes more desperate, she and Tyler get to know each other better; he's the only person in the world who truly understands.

This may sound like an intense thriller-type novel, but it is more of a slow-burn mystery and an in-depth character study. The author delves deep into Rachel and her relationship with her brother, using flashbacks to take a closer look at his downward spiral into meth addiction. Her long talks with Tyler over the course of 24 hours, as they follow leads from one person to another in the strange town, also reveal more of both her own personality and her connection with Micah, including her guilt over not doing enough to stop him. There is some mild suspense, as they search for Micah in the unfamiliar world of addicts and the homeless, but the real focus here is on Rachel slowly coming to terms with what's happened to her brother, how it affects her, and how she can begin to move forward in her own life. There is an underlying thread of romance, too, as she and Tyler get closer and bond over their shared mission, even though they've known each other for most of their lives. I was completely immersed in this new-to-me world and learned a lot about the effects of addiction in one person on an entire family.

250 pages, Simon Pulse

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible, from the first chapter as Rachel describes the start of Micah's downfall into drugs.

You can purchase Out of Reach from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

Or you can order Out of Reach from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

TV Tuesday: Snowpiercer

In this time when Hollywood production has come to a screeching halt, and some of our favorite spring TV shows had to end early because they ran out of episodes, a new show premier is something to get excited about! We recently started watching Snowpiercer, a brand-new TNT show that began on May 17. From the creator of Orphan Black (one of our all-time favorites), it is based on a series of graphic novels published in France over 30 years ago (and the resulting movie adaptation that was released in 2013). We've only just begun watching it but are already hooked on this suspenseful, original post-apocalyptic mystery drama.

In this world, global scientists trying to stem climate change inadvertently went too far and created a new Ice Age, with temperatures plunging down to -120 degrees Fahrenheit and below. With the planet now unlivable for humans, a mysterious, wealthy benefactor named Mr. Wilford created a 1,001-car supertrain that circumnavigates the globe (no word on how all those tracks were laid...). The show begins almost seven years after the train departed. Since it never stops, the train is an intricate and ingeniously-designed closed system, where everything is re-used and recycled and nothing is wasted. Within the train's confines is a strictly regulated class society, with official first through fourth classes. As it left the station more than six years ago, though, a group of people pushed their way onboard into the storage areas at the back, creating an inadvertent fifth class, now known as the Tailies. One day, Melanie, played by Jennifer Connelley, who is the ship's "voice" in its daily announcements, appears in the Tail with a shocking request. She pulls one member of the group, Andre, played by Daveed Diggs, out to come up-train with her. In his pre-apocalypse life, Andre was a police detective. They need him now to solve a particularly brutal murder, in order to keep peace among the rest of the train. Another murder with a similar M.O. was committed years ago, and they now realize they pinned it on the wrong person (she's been serving her sentence frozen in a drawer and will now be thawed out and released).

The show has cleverly created a multi-layered story: that of the train itself and its residents and that of a murder mystery which must be solved. In bringing the detective up from the Tail, the inequities of class are highlighted for the audience, as we see the different classes on the train through Andre's eyes, for the first time, as he travels up-train to solve the murder. Every aspect of life on the train is unique and fascinating, from its nightclub cars to its first-class dining rooms to its internal "ocean," where fresh sea urchin and other delicacies can be harvested. The sci fi aspects are intriguing as well, as the train's closed systems are explored, though the main focus of the show is as a drama of humanity and a murder mystery. The supporting cast is great, and both Connelly and Diggs are excellent in their leading roles, with some intrigue introduced right from the first episode. We have only watched two episodes so far, but we are enjoying it and finding it a gripping story with interesting characters and an engaging setting. We can't wait to see what happens next!

Snowpiercer is currently airing on TNT, with three episodes (out of ten) shown so far, and a second season already approved. You can find it On Demand, if you get cable, or for free on the TNT website (the website also includes a cool video tour of the train's 1001 cars). You can also watch it on Amazon, where the first episode is free and subsequent episodes are $1.99 each or $17.99 for the entire season. Both Netflix and Amazon also carry the movie, which I have heard is quite different than the TV show (darker and more violent, without the murder mystery aspect).

Have you watched Snowpiercer yet?

It's Monday 6/1! What Are You Reading?

We had a wonderful celebration on Saturday for our younger son's college graduation! We held a little "ceremony" in our driveway, for our son and his longtime roommate/best friend, and then a celebration complete with decorations, a car parade (plus one bike and one skateboard!) of friends going past the house, and dinner and a campfire with our son and his roommate's family (easily socially distanced outdoors). It wasn't traditional, but in some ways, this personalized, intimate celebration was even better--sitting in comfy camp chairs in the shade, we all agreed we did not miss the hours of sitting on metal bleachers in a boiling hot stadium with 20,000 other people! The two graduates had a great time, and we managed to surprise them a few times during the day. Our son is moved back in at home now. In a month or two, he will be starting his new full-time job, moving into his own apartment, and embarking on his adult life, but we are all enjoying this little bit of time with the four of us back together. Nostalgia is high here this week!

Our family with the new graduate!

So, I spent most of last week getting ready for the big day! I apologize for not getting around to nearly as many blogs as I'd planned or even keeping up on new Big Book Summer Challenge sign-ups (I'm on it today!). This will be my catch-up week.

Speaking of the 2020 #BigBookSummer Reading Challenge, today is June 1, so it's the perfect time to think about your summer reading! The challenge is easy-going, like summer: you only need to read one book with 400 or more pages between now and September (Labor Day) to participate ... but you can read as many as you like! Here's my own pile of Big Books to choose from this summer. Just go to the challenge page to see the rules, leave a link to your sign-up post, or--if you don't have a blog--sign up on our Goodreads group (all the details and links are on that page). Hope you'll join the fun!

Our whole family (except our non-reader!) is getting into the Big Book Summer spirit! Here's what we've all been reading this past week:

My first choice for Big Book Summer is Faithful Place by Tana French, book 3 in her Dublin Murder Squad series. I just read--and loved--book 2, The Likeness, back in the fall, and my husband and I took advantage of a recent free week of Starz (it's also on BBC) to watch the new TV adaptation, Dublin Murders, which is based on the first two books and is excellent. So, I was geared up for this one and eager to read more! It is AMAZING and completely engrossing! This time, the story focuses on Undercover Detective Frank Mackey, with a cold case dating back to his childhood in the run-down neighborhood called Faithful Place where he grew up. As always, French has created immersive and realistic characters, setting, and plot that pulled me right in. The novel digs deep into Mackey's very dysfunctional family, with lots of unexpected twists and turns in the plot. It also puts a spotlight on his adorable daughter and his very loving relationship with her--a very different perspective on the abrasive detective than we've seen before. This one is keeping me up much too late every night, but I am loving every minute of it. I should finish it today.

My first audiobook choice for #BigBookSummer is a novel I've been dying to read since its release in January: A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen. I absolutely loved his time-travel novel, Here and Now and Then, last year, with its sci fi plot and in-depth characters and fun pop culture references.  His second novel is similar, only the "sci fi" plot this time deals with a global pandemic. Yeah. It's not feeling quite so futuristic now! Lest you think I am crazy, reading about pandemics during a pandemic, as the title indicates, the focus here is on new beginnings. The novel begins six years after the pandemic, which was far deadlier than COVID-19, leaving the remaining population in quarantine communities and the infrastructure in tatters. But now, six years later, life is returning to a new normal. The main characters all live in the Metro area that used to be San Francisco: an IT guy working for a news organization who has a young daughter, a wedding/event planner who also works on the side as a "reunion agent," and a woman who was the world's hottest teen pop star when the pandemic hits who just wants to live a quiet life and stay far away from her controlling father/manager. I'm loving it so far and getting to know the characters as they each strive to build a new life. I just keep thinking about the author writing such a prescient novel! Interestingly, he got some things 100% right (masks, hand sanitizer, not wanting to shake hands) and other things in his world are different than what we've seen.

My husband, Ken,  finished a thriller (and a Big Book!), Neon Prey by John Sandford. I gave him this paperback in his Easter basket ... I had to choose from the 10 books for sale in our local drugstore! I remember giving my dad some of Sandford's Prey series, but I don't think Ken has read one before. The series is about Lucas Davenport, who seems to be (from the blurbs) a member of the police force who is brilliant and tends to work on his own. In this particular novel (number 29 in the series), Lucas is chasing after a serial killer in Louisiana who has been killing--and getting away with it--for years. We always love reading books set in Louisiana, where we used to live (and an intriguing setting for any novel). This one sounds like a gripping thriller!

Next, Ken (who did officially sign up for the Big Book Summer Challenge once I got him on Goodreads) browsed through our bookcase of books we inherited from my dad (you can see it in this video - the first of my Mini Bookcase Tours). Most of it is filled with his collection of Stephen King and Dean Koontz hardcovers, so Ken chose a Stephen King book he hadn't read yet (and a Big Book, like most King books!), Hearts of Atlantis. According to the descriptions online, this book is an unusual one: a collection of two novellas and three short stories, connected to each other by recurring characters and taking place in chronological order. That format was a bit confusing to my husband at first, since he was expecting a novel, but he is enjoying it so far. Anything Stephen King writes is engrossing. Besides, the first part of the book features a young boy, and King writes kids so well; he just captures perfectly what childhood feels like.

Our son, 25, finished reading a relatively new novel, Priest of Bones by Peter McLean, book 1 in the series War for the Rose Throne, which be bought with the Amazon gift card that was in his Easter basket. It's a British fantasy that combines religion, politics, crime, and war. Ironically, just as I switched to Big Books, this one was only about 350 pages--my son very often reads fantasy chunksters over 1000 pages long, so this was a quickie for him! He enjoyed it very much.

Next, he read The Miscreant by Brock E. Deskins, book one of The Transcended Chronicles. He's enjoyed this author before and explained to me that this fantasy novel was different than the typical epic fantasies he normally reads. It focuses on a young man, Garran, who has special powers and is trained as a spy. So, this is more of an espionage novel, though still set in the sort of Medieval fantasy world that he likes reading about. He enjoyed it so much that he moved onto book two in the series.

As he started book two of The Transcended Chronicles, The Agent by Brock E. Deskins, my son said, "Mom, I'm reading a Big Book for summer, too!" It's a joke between us, since it's rare for him to read books that are below 400 pages, but he knows I get excited about my annual challenge! This novel continues the story of the magical spy, Garran, who must try to save the heir to the throne before assassins can kill him and the rest of his family. Then, the two must search for allies while trying to save the prince's sister. My son is enjoying this original, fast-paced series.

Now, our son has moved onto another Brock E. Deskins' series, The Sorcerer's Path. He's started with book one, The Sorcerer's Ascension. It's about a young boy from a wealthy family whose left on his own and must survive in the streets, among thieves, thugs, and murderers. He not only wants to survive but to avenge the wrongs done to him and his family. This series also revolves around some sort of mysterious magical power, too. He's enjoying it so far and says he and his college roommate discovered this author years ago, and he's enjoyed reading his books ever since. My son hopes to one day write his own fantasy series!




Last week's blog posts:

Teen/YA Review: Bent Heavens by Daniel Krauss - twisty, dark sci fi thriller

Fiction Review: The Last One by Alexandra Oliva - I loved this unique, gripping thriller about a reality show gone wrong!

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?

Congratulations, Class of 2020!

Fiction Review: The Last One

I'm always looking for ideas of great thrillers to give my husband as gifts, especially by authors he hasn't read yet, so when I heard my favorite books podcast, Books on the Nightstand (now retired but archived episodes still available), recommend The Last One by Alexandra Oliva, I added it to my list! My husband enjoyed this unique thriller about a survival reality TV show gone wrong, and it was perfect for me this spring, with so much distraction around. This fast-paced novel grabbed my attention and never let me go until the last page.

The reader knows immediately--right from the first line of the prologue--that a horrible pandemic hits (no, I didn't realize this before I started the book!), but of course, none of the characters in the novel know what is coming. Twelve people have signed up for a survival reality show that claims to be unlike anything that has been done before. They are given nicknames for the show, like the Hispanic cowboy known as Rancher, the fit military guy called Air Force, and the gorgeous but unprepared Waitress. The novel mostly focuses on Zoo, a strong but petite woman whose background in zoology and job working with animals earns her the nickname. The first few episodes of the show start pretty much as expected, with a combination of both Solo and Team Challenges, getting to know the contestants, ever-present cameras, and a highly produced final product. One of the unique things about this show is that it begins to air within days of production, so it truly is happening as viewers watch. A few days in, though, during a Solo Challenge, Zoo notices a big change. She can no longer see the cameramen, she truly feels as if she is alone, and the clues she's supposed to follow are no longer obvious. But they've been told that they will be alone for days at a time, and that many of the cameras are hidden, so she fully believes she is still being filmed and is still in the contest. The reader knows, from page 1, that a horrible pandemic has very quickly killed off most of the population (though we don't know any details about it), but as Zoo hikes further and further east, she just thinks that the size of this production is way bigger than she imagined and that with the fake dead bodies and deserted homes and towns, they must have a huge production budget. The narration moves back and forth between the start of the reality show and Zoo's current never-ending slog eastward, so the details are gradually filled in as the two timelines come together.

A big part of the tension here is in the reader knowing what has happened, and Zoo--in her exhausted and hungry state (oh, and she broke her glasses)--just not getting it. As she gives herself pep talks not to get psyched out by the special effects, the reader is freaking out a bit inside thinking, "Zoo, wake up! The dead bodies are real!" The suspense is stupendous as she hikes through both forests and devastated areas; this is a super gripping novel that I stayed up much too late reading each night. The pandemic aspect wasn't too disturbing since it is so different from what we've been dealing with in the real world. In the novel, the unnamed pandemic happens fast--within days, most people are dead-- and out of sight. The reader just sees the aftermath (mostly empty towns and houses) through Zoo's eyes. The focus is always on what Zoo is seeing and experiencing and thinking. I absolutely loved every minute of this novel, and it kept me captivated from beginning to end, which was just what I needed!

290 pages, Ballantine Books

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, with multiple narrators, and/or download it from Audible.

You can purchase The Last One from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

Or you can order The Last One from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Teen/YA Review: Bent Heavens

In the mood for some fast-paced sci fi, I recently listened to Bent Heavens, a teen/YA novel by Daniel Krauss. It was a twisty, dark, action-packed story with plenty of unexpected surprises.

Liv Fleming is just trying to get through her last year of high school, so she can move on and go to college. She's been through a lot. Two years ago, her father went crazy in a very public way and then disappeared shortly afterward. He showed up in a public park, naked, and raving about alien abduction. As her school's high school English teacher, he also directed a very strange version of Oliver Twist, all about aliens. So, the whole town knows. Before he disappeared into the woods and never returned, his passionate insistence on the dangers of aliens convinced Liv and her childhood best friend, Doug, to help him build traps all over the Fleming's overgrown backyard. Even though he's been gone for two years, Liv and Doug trudge out there every Sunday to check and maintain the traps (and an impressive homemade weapons arsenal in the shed), just like her dad taught them. Doug is still committed to this routine, but Liv is ready to move forward ... until the Sunday when they actually find something in one of the traps. The creature is like nothing they've ever seen before, but it does match some of her dad's lunatic ravings. Does this mean her dad was telling the truth the whole time? And could this thing know something about her dad and what happened to him? Could her father still be alive? Liv and Doug must decide what to do next.

This is a rollercoaster ride of a sci fi thriller and also quite an emotional ride as well, with Liv's complicated feelings about her dad and her guilt that she hadn't believed him. The plot is original and super twisty, and I was constantly surprised. However, the story is quite violent and sometimes brutal, which was hard to listen to, even though the audiobook was very well done and gripping. All in all, it's a unique premise and well-written, but you have to be prepared for a dark ride.

304 pages, Henry Holt and Company
Macmillan Audio

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, a flashback to Liv's dad's sudden naked appearance in a park, and/or download it from Audible.

You can purchase Bent Heavens from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

Or you can order Bent Heavens from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.