Review: The Inheritance Games

On our recent trip to our local Barnes and Noble, I mentioned to one of the Bookworms that I was looking for another young adult title to add to my stack. I pulled several off the shelf that I had been browsing. She immediately picked up Jennifer Lynn Barnes’ “The Inheritance Games,” and said, “this one.” No hesitation. I’m glad I listened.

In the story, Avery is summoned to Texas and learns that she has inherited an estate worth billions. However, she doesn’t know the deceased or his family and now she has to live in the sprawling Hawthorne House with all of the (now hostile) family members who didn’t inherit what they were expecting. The mystery deepens as she gets to know the four Hawthorne grandsons (who are giving her mixed signals) and discovers that there is a puzzle to solve in order to learn why Tobias Hawthorne’s will was written the way it was.

“The Inheritance Games” is fast-paced and seamlessly moves from one scene to another. Though the plot seems outlandish at first glance, Barnes makes it WORK. Within the first few pages I was thoroughly invested and along for the ride. The puzzles add an intriguing element and the main characters developed nicely over the course of the story (though there are still some mysteries about them). Avery’s conversation with Grayson about charitable giving in the context of the Hawthorne Foundation was excellent food for thought. What is the best way to have the most impact on the lives of others?

This story is great for anyone who loves puzzles, mysteries, and secret passages. It is a FAST read and thoroughly enjoyable. I will be recommending this to students AND I will be reading the rest of the series…as soon as I can get copies!

✅Reading Goal: Student Recommendation #1

Review: I Eat Poop (Audiobook)

While browsing NetGalley, I kept running across the audiobook “I Eat Poop.” The title makes me giggle. This week I saw a review of the audiobook and decided I just had to hear it for myself. 

Mark Pett’s “I Eat Poop” features Dougie Dung Beetle. Dougie LOVES poop, but that is his secret. His favorite school lunch is a poop sandwich, but he fears the other bugs will make fun of him so he hides his lunch every day so they won’t see it OR see him eat it. In fact, Dougie has been telling the bugs at school he’s just a common Ground Beetle. One day, Dougie’s fondest wish comes true; he’s invited to eat lunch with the popular bugs. In the course of that one lunch Dougie has to decide if he will be an upstander and protect a friend from bullying AND whether or not he can be his true self with his classmates.

The story is delightful and the audiobook is a gem. The sound effects are spot-on as is the narration by Torian Brackett. I giggled throughout the story and was rooting for Dougie the whole time. The second half of the audiobook reviews Dougie’s school yearbook by introducing all of the bugs and their interesting characteristics. 

This story is great for young kids who might be worried about how they are different from their friends. It’s also great for anyone who likes a feel-good story about standing up for yourself and those you care about. If you’re working with older students on story writing for younger kids, this would be a solid example of a mentor story.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advance audiobook in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The audiobook of “I Eat Poop” will be available Tuesday, January 10.

✅2023 Reading Goal: Audiobook (I know, I know, it’s only 15 minutes, but you have to start somewhere, right?)

Review: Murder at the Seven Dials

Cara Devlin’s “Murder at the Seven Dials” is the first in the Bow Street Duchess series. Audrey Sinclair’s husband, the Duke of Fournier, has been accused of a brutal murder, and the evidence against him is damning. Despite the way things look, Audrey believes he is innocent and works to prove it. Along the way she butts heads with Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden, who later comes to see Audrey as a valuable, but exasperating, ally in the investigation. As they get deeper into the mystery, closely held secrets come out and lead the pair closer to uncovering the truth about the killer.

Historical mysteries are my preferred genre at the moment, so this story is right up my alley. “Murder at the Seven Dials” is well-paced and filled with interesting characters. Audrey’s special ability adds a touch of the paranormal, but is not heavy-handed. I am intrigued by the secrets and backstories of the central characters. This is an excellent first in a series and I am looking forward to the next installment.

This story is great for those who like mysteries, historical mysteries, and regency mysteries. 

Thanks to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and Cara Devlin for an advance reader copy of “Murder at the Seven Dials” in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

“Murder at the Seven Dials” releases on Kindle at the end of January.

Reading Goals 2023

I’ve been setting reading goals since the pandemic, but it has solely been related to the number of books I want to read. For 2023 I will add some specificity to my goals. Sort of….

📚100 books

📖 At least 4 professional books (teaching books)

🌐 At least 4 additional non-fiction books

🎧 At least 1 audiobook (I don’t do audiobooks, so this will be a challenge)

🔮 At least 1 sci-fi/fantasy book (a genre I generally don’t read)

📰 At least 1 book from a New York Times book list of one type or another (not accounted for elsewhere)

🎒 At least 4 books recommended to me by students (current or former)

🧑‍🍳 At least 1 cookbook

Review: Death Under Wrathful Skies

 

"Death Under Wrathful Skies" is the second installment in the Victoria Sedgewick series. Victoria is learning to deal with her reduced circumstances and is determined to make a go of her fledgling career as an private inquiry agent. 

In this episode, Victoria works with Mr. Keats, the agent who had looked into her husband's mysterious death, to solve a series of murders that are alarmingly similar. Bodies are stacking up and clues are in short supply, but Victoria is determined to make a name for herself in the detecting business.

As a character, Victoria is becoming more deliberate in her hunt for clues. She thinks aloud and uses her loyal servants, including Mrs. Bell the Housekeeper and Mr. Warrington the Butler, as sounding boards for her ideas. Both indulge Victoria, but also work to bring her back to the ground.

This story is great for those who enjoy cozy mysteries and historical mysteries.

Review: Death Behind Silent Walls

“Death Behind Silent Walls” is a quick cozy mystery with ample suspects and a strong, no-nonsense central character. 

Though resigned to her husband’s failings, Victoria Sedgewick was not expecting to be a widow so soon after the birth of their son. She becomes concerned after reflecting on her husband’s bizarre behavior right before he dropped dead in the nursery. Her suspicions grow as her father-in-law hires an inquiry agent to get to the truth of the matter. Not one to wait around, Victoria begins her own investigation. Will she solve the mystery or will the killer strike again?

I enjoy these shorter mysteries that have the flavor of a serial. I guess I get the same feeling as people who binge-watch TV shows. The pace is snappy and definitely episodic. Taken together, series such as this have a satisfying arc.

This story is great for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and historical mysteries.

Review: What Child Is This

 I managed to squeeze in one more book (well, a short story really) for 2022. Rhys Bowen’s “What Child Is This” was a nice way to end the reading year.

Maggie and Jack are struggling in London on Christmas Eve 1940. A loss in their own family, isolation, rationing, and nightly bombing raids are wearing on them. When their neighborhood is hit with incendiary bombs, they flee into the night with nothing but the clothes on their back. Maggie and Jack find shelter in a seemingly abandoned mansion in a posh neighborhood, but soon realize they are not alone.

The feel-good ending will leave you smiling and hopeful for the new year. This story is great for fans of Rhys Bowen and historical fiction.

My Year in Books: 2022