A Bookworm's Book Reviews

Hope and Glory Trilogy – Elizabeth Camden

Titles: Book 1 – The Spice King, Book 2 – A Gilded Lady, Book 3 – The Prince of Spies

Author: Elizabeth Camden

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Book 1 – Annabelle Larkin works a junior botanist at the Smithsonian. She’s just moved to DC from Kansas. Her boss wants her to find a way to gain access to Gray Delacroix’s unique, worldwide plant collection. But Gray is fiercely protective of his plants and his business. Annabelle’s boss promises her a permanent, and better paying, position if she can get information about Gray’s plant collection. As they get to know each other, they learn they have much in common. But will Annabelle’s boss ask too much of her? Can she betray the man who’s stealing her heart? Or will her duty to her country overrule her heart?

Book 2 – Caroline Delacroix is First Lady Ida McKinley’s personal secretary. Despite her outward confidence and glamorous outfits, she’s worried about her twin brother Luke. Luke’s in a Cuban prison for treason. Then Nathaniel Trask is assigned to the White House to overhaul security and the secret service. He and Caroline butt heads over how things are handled. When President McKinley’s reelected, he takes a train tour of the US. Nathaniel’s asked to be in charge of security on the train and cities they stop in. Caroline’s brought aboard to take care of the First Lady. Caroline and Nathaniel must find a way to work together to keep their respective charges safe. Then Caroline receives some letter from Luke. They warn of a possible danger. Can Caroline and Nathaniel find a way to figure out Luke’s clues? Or will the danger come to harm the people around them?

Book 3 – Luke Delacroix is a free man. He’s settling back into his normal life and picking up where he left off with his newspaper business. Then he meets Marian Magruder while trying to help save her family’s dog. But they don’t learn their family names at first. Their families have been feuding for years. When their families find out, they demand Luke and Marian to stop seeing each other. Luke’s passion put him at odds with Marian’s family. He’s helping pass stricter laws for food processing, which is what Marian’s family business. Marian’s sure her family follows the rules. Luke’s research says otherwise. Can the two families find some common ground? Or will their families tear each other apart?

Rating: 4.0 – a great historical fiction and sappy romance

Opinion: This was a great trilogy. It’s been interesting learning about early 1900’s political life. You don’t learn much about between life between the Civil War and the Roaring 20’s. So it was interesting to learn more. The author did her research when writing the book. I like the author’s writing style. It’s descriptive, but not too descriptive. It’s easy to relate to the characters. The endings were wrapped up nicely but felt a little rushed. I found it interesting that all of the couples ended up being part of the opposites attract trope. It was nice that all of the characters still found ways to work together and use their talents for the common good. Overall this was a great trilogy. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves historical fiction.

Holes – Louis Sachar

Title: Holes

Author: Louis Sachar

Genre: Kid’s Book

Plot: Stanley Yelnats IV is a kid whose family is cursed with bad luck. He blames the family curse on the fact that he was blamed for stealing shoes he didn’t actually steal. His punishment for this ‘crime,’ Stanley is sent to Camp Greenlake for troubled teens. At the camp, Stanley digs one hole every day during the summer. Stanley learns there’s something strange about the camp. The other boys tell him the warden’s looking for something. But what’s worth searching for in the desert?

Rating: 3.8 – an engaging book about overcoming obstacles

Opinion: This was a fun book. I’d read it for an education class a long time ago and forgot about it until I saw something about the movie. This was one of the most accurate book to movie adaptations I’ve seen. There was only one thing that changed but I was okay with it because the director took the main character’s health into consideration. I remember enjoying the characters. Everyone is well written and the plot was entertaining. This is a great book for any upper elementary school. I hope it’s still in a lot of classrooms.

The Lost Story – Meg Shaffer

Title: The Lost Story

Author: Meg Shaffer

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: Jeremy Cox has a knack for finding missing people. When Emilie Wendell asks him to find her missing sister, Jeremy hesitates. He needs to find a way to convince his old friend, Ralph Howell, to help. The other thing Jeremy’s hesitant about is going back to Red Crow Forest. That forest is where Jeremy and Ralph disappeared in 15 years earlier. They were lost for 6 months and can’t say where they were. Once Ralph is convinced to go back, Emilie is surprised that Ralph seems to know where he’s going. He leads Jeremy and Emilie into a new and magical world. One where they all must confront hurts from the past and find second chances. Will they accept forgiveness? Or will the past be too much to forgive?

Rating: 3.8 – a good story about forgiveness

Opinion: This was an interesting story. The back said it had Narnia vibes, which I kind of agreed with. The magical world had a secret entrance but it was the same every time, but a limited time you could enter the world. I liked how the magical world came about in the book. I haven’t seen that done much recently. I found it interesting how the author had the characters protect the magic world. Everyone who left forgot a part of what happened but not the whole thing. I liked how the author wove the idea of second chances and forgiveness into the book. The characters were good at talking things through. The few things I wish that was done better was the world building and more character development. While there was a decent amount, I feel like the author could’ve done more. It could’ve made everything more relatable. I found it a little funny that the author mentioned her other book in a very subtle nod as this is her second book. I recommend this book for anyone who wants a hidden magical world fantasy.

Part of Your World – Abby Jimenez

Title: Part of Your World

Author: Abby Jimenez

Genre: Romance

Plot: Alexis Montgomery’s life has been planned out since she was born. Her family’s worked at the same hospital as doctors for over a hundred years. Now it’s her turn. Alexis is an ER doctor at the hospital. Even with her success at the hospital, it’s never been enough for her parents. Her relationship with Neil, the chief of surgery, has fallen apart because he cheated. On the way home from a funeral, Alexis gets stuck in a ditch and a local man, Daniel, helps her out. She runs into him again at a nearby restaurant. He’s a working man running a B&B and a carpenter. They start what they think will be a summer fling. But soon they start to form a relationship. But they are complete opposite from opposite worlds. Can they make their relationship work? Or will it fall apart over their differences?

Rating: 4.0 – a sappy romance about self love and relationship love

Opinion: This was such a sappy book. I needed a break from serious books and wanted a simple, predictable, sappy romance. It almost reminded me of a Hallmark movie in book form. I predicted a couple things but I was okay with it because of the style of book. I liked how the book also focused on self love and therapy. The put both in such a positive light. The author put a therapy skeptic in the book and made them change their mind. I enjoyed that people found a way to get the best of both worlds. Though I expected that I’m glad that’s what happened. I’m glad this book had a happy ending. This was a great book. I had a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed the writing style and characters. It made me smile that they quoted movies throughout. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a sappy romance that also promotes self love and doing what makes you happy instead of people pleasing.

The Secret Life of Sunflowers – Marta Molnar

Title: The Secret Life of Sunflowers

Author: Marta Molnar

Genre: Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Plot: Emsley Wilson is an auctioneer for the rich and famous in Hollywood. When her grandma Violet has a stroke, Emsley flies out to New York City to take of things. Violet gives Emsley some family heirlooms, including a diary from a distant relative from the Netherlands. Emsley learns about Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh’s sister-in-law. Through the diary, Emsley connects with Johanna. It helps her navigate through a death in the family, a failing business, and relationship troubles. Emsley slowly starts healing. Then she figures out plan for the business, but will it be enough?

Rating: 3.5 – a good story about finding yourself and overcoming obstacles

Opinion: This was a great book. I enjoyed learning more about Vincent Van Gogh. I didn’t know anything about his family. I did a little research about the book and it’s very accurate. It made me happy to see that the author did her research. I liked how the characters were strong and independent and knew what they wanted after a struggle. But they supported each other, at least the not slimy characters supported each other. They didn’t give up once they knew what they wanted. It’s a great story about overcoming obstacles and finding support and love. I liked that it took hard work and determination to achieve their dreams. Overall, this was a really good book. It’s a great book for anyone who loves history and duel timelines.

Ordinary Grace – William Kent Krueger

Title: Ordinary Grace

Author: William Kent Krueger

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Plot: Frank is the son of a pastor in the 60’s. He enjoys running around town with his brother. One summer everything changes. Their sister disappears and is found and is found dead. Frank learns how people deal with sudden changes and develops a deeper understanding of consequences. Franks wants to help those who search for his sister and whomever killed her, but can he? What will happen to his family after all of this tragedy? What really happened to Ariel?

Rating: 3.5 – a good coming of age story

Opinion: This was a good book. It was a good change of pace. It was a well written book. It was easy to see how quick people are to make assumptions based on the information presented. Then how quick those same people turn on others when the information changes. I felt bad for Frank because he was a kid who kept finding all of these things out about what happened to his sister. But a little bit not because he was a pretty typical nosy kid. This was a good coming of age book. It made you feel for the characters and understand where they’re coming from. This is a good book for anyone who needs a slow and steady coming of age book.

The Road to Paradise – Karen Barnett

Title: The Road to Paradise

Author: Karen Barnett

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Margie has just arrived at Mount Rainer National Park. She’s been assigned to work under Park Ranger Ford Brayden. He’s hesitant to work with Margie because she’s got only book knowledge. But Margie is a quick learner and a good tour guide. But complications arrives when Philip Carmichael arrives. He’s bound and determined to make everyone’s lives harder. Can anyone find a way to halt Charmichael’s plans? Can Margie and Ford work past their differences?

Rating: 4.0 – a cute, sappy historical fiction book

Opinion: This was a good book. I didn’t know that Mount Rainer was/is a National Park. I enjoyed learning about the park’s history and the locals fighting to preserve the mountain. I liked the book’s theme of overcoming fears and obstacles in your life. It’s good to do those, and other things in life, together and with faith and courage. I enjoyed the way the characters worked together to defeat the antagonist. It was a very clever way to do it. I liked how the author wrote the romance. It was built slowly and sappy. The author did a good job weaving faith into the book and a strong part of the characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a very cute, sappy, historical fiction book that recommend to anyone who loves this genre.

The Violin Conspiracy – Brendan Slocumb

Title: The Violin Consipiracy

Author: Brendan Slocumb

Genre: Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction

Plot: Ray MacMillian grew up in poor in rural North Carolina. He found a talent a dream when he learned how to play the violin. Despite his mother’s dismissal of his learning violin, Ray continues to learn and grow. One Christmas, his grandma gave Ray her PopPop’s violin. Ray finally has his own violin. After entering a competition, Ray catches the eye of a music professor at a nearby university. He’s given a full ride scholarship. Then Ray’s career as a soloist gets going. Then Ray gets his violin fully refurbished and learns he’s got a 10 million violin. And Ray’s thrust into stardom. Everyone wants a piece of his violin, or money. Ray decides to enter the Tchaikovsky Competition. It’s the most the prestigious classical violin competition in the world. He’s one of the few Americans to be accepted into the competition. Then someone does get their hands on Ray’s violin and leave a ransom note for $5 million before a month and he gets the violin back. Can Ray get his violin back? Can he get the money to ransom it back? How will Ray do in the Competition without his violin? Can he still play in it?

Rating: 4.0 – a good look at the world through another’s eyes

Opinion: This was an interesting book. It’s been on my bookshelf for a while. I started thinking I’d never read it, but I’m glad I did. The author did a good job making me relate to the main character. He also did a good job making me angry with some of the people Ray interacted with. I wanted to smack some sense into them, but there’s no seeing sense for some people. This was a different style of mystery. It started with the theft and went back and gave the history behind the story. I’m was kinda sad that I figured out parts of the story long before the ending. But overall, this was a good story with good characters. I recommend this book for anyone who needs an easy read and good mystery and realistic fiction.

A Talent for Murder – Peter Swanson

Title: A Talent for Murder

Author: Peter Swanson

Genre: Mystery

Plot: Martha’s new husband, Alan, is a traveling salesmen. He sells nerdy merchandise for teachers and does well. Martha notices some blood on Alan’s shirt after a trip. She mentions it to him but he brushes it off. Still, something about it seems suspicious. Martha searches unsolved murder from his recent trips and there’s a murder in every city at the time Alan was there. Martha goes to her friend Lily for help. Lily’s a private detectives and can keep a level head. Lily believes Martha’s story and promises to look into Alan. But then she finds Ethan Shultz, an ex-boyfriend of Martha who also seems to be looking into Alan. But why is Ethan looking into Alan? Is Alan hiding something? Is he behind the unsolved murders? Or is someone else behind everything?

Rating: 4.0 – a different take on a murder mystery

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I was expecting more of a slow build story, but the plot jumps right into the mystery. There are also some interesting plot twists in the book that I wasn’t expecting. It was one of those ‘well that was different’ and ‘I didn’t expect that’ kind of plot twists. Part of me thought the plot twist was for shock value. But it made the book a little more interesting. Another part of me thought the person behind everything could’ve been developed a little better. The plot was still well paced. It kept me interested and I wanted to see where the mystery went and how it was solved. But overall this was an interesting book. I enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who wants a different a different style of murder mystery.

The Midnight Library – Matt Haig

Title: The Midnight Library

Author: Matt Haig

Genre: Sci-Fi

Plot: Nora Seed isn’t happy with her life. Life didn’t turn out how she thought. She’s not sure she wants to continue on. Then Nora’s transported to the Midnight Library. The librarian is Mrs. Elm, her middle school librarian. She tells Nora that all the books in the Midnight Library are variations of her current life, if she’d made other choices. There are obvious choices but none of them are what Nora truly wants. Will Nora ever find the life she truly wants? Or will she stay in the Midnight Library forever?

Rating: 4.5 – a good book about living life

Opinion: This was a great book. I really need to read this book at this point in my life. I found it really relatable because it’s easy to not be happy with where you’re at in life and wish that you’d made different choices along the way. It makes it easy to relate to the characters, too. I liked the choice Nora made at the end of the book. It was different than what I was expecting, but in the end it was the right choice. It made sense in the end. Parts of the book felt similar to the movie Soul. Overall, I loved this book. I really needed this book right now. It’s one of the few books that spoke to me in this moment of my life. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs a reminder that you made the right choices.