Book: Snow In Love

 Book: Snow In Love

Author: Aimee Friedman

Pages: 222

This is my 45th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

What's better than one delicioiusly cozy, swoon-worthy holiday story?  4 of them, from some of today's bestselling authors.  From Kasie West, a snowy road trip takes an unexpected detour when secrets and cruses are reveals.  From Amiee Friedman, a Hanukkah miracle may just happen when a Jewish girl working as a department store elf finds love.  From Melissa De La Cruz, Christmas Eve gets a plot twist when a high school couple exchange surprising presents.  From Nic Stone, a scavenger hunt amid the holiday crowds at an airport turns totally romantic.

For people who read my reviews, you will find that I read some off the wall stuff to fill challenge categories on book challenges I am working on for the year with various people.  Sometimes I find some really good books that I would have not read otherwise.  Othertimes....I find these kind of books.  I needed a book with a fireplace that also took place in winter.  So - here we are.  The first story was actually pretty good.  Then they went downhill and the last one was remarkably bad.  Ah well.

Stars: 2.5

Book: An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good

 Book: An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good

Author: Helene Tursten

Pages: 184

This is my 44th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Maud is an irascible 88 year old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and no qualsm about a little murder.  Ever since her dralig father's untimely death when she was only eighteen, Maud has lived in the family's spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract.  That has how maud learned that good things can come from tragedy.  Now in her late 80s, Maud contents herself with traveling the worlds and surfing the net from the comfort of her father's ancient armchair.  It's a solitary existence, and she likes it that way.  Over the course of her adventures - or misadventures - this little bold lady will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud's apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors.  But when the local authorities are called to investigate a dead body found in Maud's apartment, will Maud finally becoem a suspect?

This was an interesting book.  I found it when looking for a book for a reading challenge.  This one was very short - and I finished it within a few hours.  It is a wild story.  Fun read with an 88 year old woman who has the whole town fooled with her "poor little old me" story.  Meanwhile, she is quite the killer.  Glad I found this one.

Stars: 4 

Book: Black Panther Vol: 1 A Nation Under Our Feet

 Book: Black Panther Vol 1: A Nation Under Our Feet

Author: Ta-Nehisi Coates

Pages: 132

This is my 43rd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

A new era begins for the Black Panther.  This graphic novel confronts T'Challa with a dramatic upheaval in Wakanda that will make leading the African nation toughter than ever before.  When a superhuman terroist group calling itself The People sparks a violent uprising, the land famed for its incredible technology and proud warrior traditions will be thrown into turmoil.  As suicide bombers terrorize the population, T'Challa struggles to unite his citizens, and a familiar villain steps out of the shadows.  If Wakanda is to survive, it must adapt- but can its monarch, one in a long line of Black Panthers, survive the necessary change?  Heavy lies the head that wears the cowl.

I read this to fullfill a reading challenge category, but I enjoyed it.  Big Marvel fan - have seen all the Black Panther movies.  I know this is a newer series for Black Panther, but it was well written and a quick read.

Stars: 4

Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 2

 Book: Dungeon Crawler Carl - Carl's Doomsday Scenario

Author: Matt Dinniman

Pages: 384

This is my 42nd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

The aliens have come, and they've transformed Earth into a multilevel, video game - like dungeon.  It's the newest season of the galaxy's most watched game show, Dungeon Crawler World.  Now on the 3rd floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever.  They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever feline royalty are an almost unstoppable team.  Their ratings are off the charts.  Viewers can't get enough.  But the dungeon gets more dangerous each day, and now there's a whole new problem to deal with: Quests.  They call it the Over City.  A sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity.  But these streets are far from abandoned.  An undead circus trawls the ruins.  Murdered women rain from the sky.  An ancient spell is finally ready to reveal its dark purpose.  Can Carl and Donut solve the mystery in time?  And can Carl finally find some pants?

This was another great installment of the Dungeon Crawler series.  As always - to those who want to get into this series and like audiobooks - this is a fantastic listen.  The voices and characters are brought alive with the readers, and it has made it all that must more enjoyable to delve into this world.  However - my husband is reading them and they are quickly becoming a favorite series.  This book is well written, and the story line and characters are really wonderful.  There is good world building, and the story moves along and a good clip.  If you have not tried this series yet, and like sci-fi/fantasy - don't miss this.

Stars: 5

Book: The Invisible Library

 Book: The Invisible Library

Author: Genevieve Cogman

Pages: 352

This is my 41st read for the year

What Amazon Says:

One thing any Librarian will tell you: the truth is much stranger than fiction.  Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, a shadowy organization that collects important works of fiction from all of the different realities.  Most recently, she and her enigmatic assistant Kai have been sent to an alternative London.  Their mission: Retrieve a particularly dangerous book.  The problem: By the time they arrive, it's already been stolen.  London's underground factions are prepared to fight to the death to find the tome before Irene and Kai do, a problem compounded by the fact that this world is chaos-infected-the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic to run rampant.  To make matters worse, Kai is hiding something - secrets that could be just as volatile as the chaos-filled world itself.  Now Irene is caughtin a puzzling web of deadly danger, conflicting clues, and sinister secret societies.  And failure is not an option - becasue it isn't just Iren'es reputation at stake, it's the nature of reality itself.

Stars: 3

Book: You weren't meant to be Human

 Book: You weren't meant to be Human

Author: Andrew Joseph White

Pages: 336

This is my 40th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Festering masses of worms and flies have taken root in dark corners across Appalachia.  In exchange for unwavering loyalty and fresh corpses, these hives offer a few struggling humans salvation.  A fresh start.  It's an offer that none refuse.  Crane is grateful.  Among his hive's followers, Crane has found a chance to transition, to never speak again, to live a life that won't destroy him.  He even met Levi: a handsome ex-Marine and brutal killer who treats him like a real man, mostly.  But when Levi gets Crane pregnant - and the hive demands the child's birth, no matter the cost - Crane's desperation to make it stop will drive the community that saved him into a devastating spiral that can only end in blood.

Stars: 2

Book: The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder

 Book: The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder

Author: CL Miller

Pages: 304

This is my 39th read for the year

What Amazon Says:

What antique would you kill for?  Freya Lockwood is shocked when she learns that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and her estranged mentor, has died under mysterious circumstances.  She has spent the last 20 years avoiding her quaint English hometown, but when she receives a letter from Arthur asking her to investigate - sent just days before his death - Freya has no choice but to return to a life she had sworn to leave behind.  Joining forces with her eccentric Aunt Carole, Freya follows clues to an old manor house for an advertised antiques enthusiast's weekend.  But not all is as it seems.  It's clear to Freya that the antiques are all just poor reproductions, and her fellow guests are secretive and menacing.  What is going on at this estate and how was Arthur involved?  More importantly, can Freya and Carole discover the truth before the killer strikes again?

This books wasn't great.  I had picked it up (and its sequel) at a used book store after reading the inside cover.  Sounded interesting, but it really was a bit dull and convoluded.  Not well written.  Story was choppy and with no flow.  I am not sure I will pick up the sequel, but I do have a problem not finishing things I bought, so we shall see.

Stars: 2.5