Review: The Moth Keeper

The Moth Keeper by Kay O'Neill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Moth Keeper is such a great story. It is a beautiful graphic novel about a child name Anya who becomes the new moth keeper for her night village. It’s a huge responsibility for anyone, let alone someone Anya’s age, and requires a lot of time spent alone through the night making her wonder about the sun village. This story talks about some deep and important topics such as burnout, loneliness, and differences in other communities and people. This was done with fantastic art throughout with unique original characters. It displays the importance of a community, how love and friendship can be healing, and how we don’t have to carry our burdens alone.

I would have given it five stars, however, there were a few times that I got lost and didn’t quite understand what was going on, but that sometimes happens in graphic novels, at least for me.

But overall, this was beautifully done from the graphics to the storyline and I would highly recommend this one for all ages.

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Review: The Friendship Breakup

The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don’t know whether I loved or hated it (I really did love it

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Review: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: The House Party

The House Party by Rita Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Outside Nowhere

Outside Nowhere by Adam Borba
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The Kaya Girl

The Kaya Girl by Mamle Wolo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Never Coming Home

Never Coming Home by Kate Williams
My rating: 2 of 5 stars



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Review: Go Hunt Me

Go Hunt Me by Kelly deVos
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Cookies & Milk

Cookies & Milk by Shawn Amos
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The Wolves Are Waiting

The Wolves Are Waiting by Natasha Friend
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: How to Draw Super Cute Things: Learn to Draw Incredibly Cute Stuff - People, Animals, Magical Creatures, Food, and More - Easy Step By Step Drawing Book for Kids and Teens

How to Draw Super Cute Things: Learn to Draw Incredibly Cute Stuff - People, Animals, Magical Creatures, Food, and More - Easy Step By Step Drawing Book for Kids and Teens by Emmie Poppins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Dead End Girls

Dead End Girls by Wendy Heard
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to tell you, in the beginning I had a hard time putting this book down! I was up ‘til 1am one night & only stopped because my kindle hit me in the head.

The story line is good & was well played out. To fake your own death, take on a new identity, & survive on your own as a teen is mind blowing to me. The details & what Maude knew to do is crazy to me. As a mother of teen girls their age reading this, first, it breaks my heart that they feel that their parents don’t love them. And secondly, I kept hoping that they remained safe & out of harms way. The trouble they got into was perfect in the beginning but seemed to get a little far fetched the more the story went along.

Overall, I did enjoy this one. The story was unique & you are definitely taken on a wild ride, but it got lost in there when it got a little too over the top for me. I do recommend giving it a try and I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Review: The Decoy Girlfriend

The Decoy Girlfriend by Lillie Vale
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Moonstones and Murder

Moonstones and Murder by Michael Lynes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: The Silver Spurs Home for Aging Cowgirls

The Silver Spurs Home for Aging Cowgirls by Laura Hesse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Honestly, with a synopsis like that, who needs a review! I could not have said it better myself!

This book has it all: war heroes, tragedy, love, family, money, horses, horny grandmas, a drug smuggler, a killer cougar, adultery, murder, and…. Wait for it….. Puppies!

It is lighthearted and fun, yet touches on some deep topics. Honestly, I needed a good laugh, and this one had me laughing out loud quite a few times, and totally eye-rolling at other times.

Definitely pick this one up for a fun, quick, easy read.


I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Ellen Outside the Lines

Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is such a sweet read that shines a light on topics that we need to understand better and accept. The writing was beautifully done and really gives a voice to those with autism as well as gender identification. Ellen, sweet Ellen, she really has relied on her bestie for so long, and now has to learn how to stand on her own, and use her own voice. This book really touched me as both of these topics are highly supported in our household.


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Review: The Impossible Us

The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK. This book! This one had me flipping pages like no other! I was reading this on our way home from Florida and I found the concept so good that I was sharing it with my husband. He then kept interrupting my reading just to find out what was happening!

The writing is fluid and easy with a mix of email correspondence making it an interesting style. The concept was incredible and left you scratching your head as to if this could really be true; parallel universe with doppelgängers? This is easily one of my fave reads of the year so far! (Which goes to show that you can enjoy books outside of your go-to genre!!)

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Review: The Best Liars in Riverview

The Best Liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a good book that can be quite nerve racking to read as a parent: one kid goes missing, another takes off to look for him, and oh the anxiety I felt while reading this.

There are so many topics talked about in this book, and although I get the fact that Aubrey was trying to protect herself as well as her friend, I wanted to shake her and tell her to just tell the truth already (that mother thing again!!). I wanted to hug her and tell her to be true to herself and then punish her for lying!

This is a middle grade novel and so well done for audiences of all ages! It flows nicely, kept me guessing and page flipping to figure out where Joel is!

And keep in mind, a lie of omission is still a lie!!

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Review: Troublemaker

Troublemaker by John Cho
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What a powerful book packed full of love, hardships, family, and truths. I remember the LA riots and the events leading up to them, so this book touches my heart, and I love being able to see it through a different lens.

And do you know who the author is? 🤩 I kinda fan-girled when I saw who it was! And then when I saw a blurb on the TV about him and the book last night, my family thought something was wrong when I screamed! 😂

Good writing, great details on important historical events, but just to make note that it is about a young boy, taking a gun from his father’s closet to take to him at his store for protection. It is not loaded, but he does walk all over at night with it in his backpack.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

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Book Info:

The Best Liars in Riverview by Lin Thompson

Genre: Middle Grade Novel

Publishing Date: March 8, 2022

 Synopsis:

Aubrey and Joel are like two tomato vines that grew along the same crooked fence—weird, yet the same kind of weird. But lately, even their shared weirdness seems weird. Then Joel disappears. Vanishes. Poof. The whole town is looking for him, and Aubrey was the last person to see Joel. Aubrey can’t say much, but since lies of omission are still lies, here’s what they know for sure: 
For the last two weeks of the school year, when sixth grade became too much, Aubrey and Joel have been building a raft in the woods. 

The raft was supposed to be just another part of their running away game.

The raft is gone now, too.

Aubrey doesn’t know where Joel is, but they might know how to find him. As Aubrey, their friend Mari, and sister Teagan search along the river, Aubrey has to fess up to who they really are, all the things they never said, and the word that bully Rudy Thomas used that set all this into motion. 

 

So as you are reading this blog post of mine, I am probably sitting our car driving to sunny Florida for spring break.  And in doing so, my nose is most likely in this book!!  I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts when I come back.  

Book Links:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58275991-the-best-liars-in-riverview?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_27&fbclid=IwAR0xj2gU6iJE17cojQqYiWE3IZk9rplCH__DnJYy_XMO3pdL6FSFG-_pnks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Liars-Riverview-Lin-Thompson-ebook/dp/B0976WK3D9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3V7K07FQFHCDI&keywords=the+best+liars+in+riverview&qid=1642275472&sprefix=the+best+liars+in+%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-best-liars-in-riverview-lin-thompson/1139653635?ean=9780316276726

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Best-Liars-Riverview-Lin-Thompson/9781922458452?ref=grid-view&qid=1642276271093&sr=1-2

Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-best-liars-in-riverview/9780316276726-item.html?ikwid=best+liars+in+riverview&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0#algoliaQueryId=a8d076ad0a05db7131a1070afdd1c855

IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316276726

 

About the Author:

Lin Thompson (they/them) is a Lambda Literary Fellow of 2018. The Best Liars in Riverview is their debut novel. Lin grew up in Kentucky but now lives in Iowa with their
wife and cat.

Author Links:

Website: https://linthompson.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lin__thompson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20871196.Lin_Thompson

 

Tour Schedule:

https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/01/25/tour-schedule-the-best-liars-in-riverview-by-lin-thompson/

Thanks for stopping!  Come back and see me again real soon!!

Anneliese

@justa.gal.andherbooks