Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Last Olympian

The Last Olympian

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Year: 2009
Genre: Mythology
Age: Juv 10+
Page Count: 257

Rating:

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This is book #5 in the Percy Jackson series.

On Christmas 9 years ago I got my first ereader. I have always had a Barnes & Noble NOOK. As long as they are in business I will be faithful to them! I have since traded in my first ereader, it finally died a few years ago. I'm on my second one now, it's a NOOK Simple Touch Reader. I'd like to upgrade to the newest bigger version of mine but that will have to wait until Christmas next year. Percy Jackson was one of the first books I bought & I still have them today. I read the first 3 books in the series when they came out for sure. Book #4 when I reread it I didn't remember much so I'm not sure if I ever read that one. I for sure didn't read book #5 until yesterday...10 years later! I'm pretty sure that book has been on my TBR list the longest. Isn't that crazy!

I'm very happy to have finally finished the series. I didn't expect it to end the way it did. I was pretty sure Percy & his friends were going to win the battle, but I didn't see the ending to the prophecy with Luke, what happened to Rachel, or Percy & Annabeth finally getting together coming at all. There was also a new prophecy given that will take us into the next series, The Heroes of Olympus. I have the first book on hold because I couldn't get it immediately on ebook & I am holding off on buying it for now. it's about a week overdue right now & the waiting list on the ebook is 3 weeks or longer.

It's also amazing to me that these books are still so popular after all these years. Riordan has new books coming out each year it seems like & he has many different series now including a viking series. I feel like the end of Percy's story was both happy & sad. There was quite a few causalities along the way to victory against Kronos. But all the "major" characters made it to the end. Someone told me that Annabeth & Percy are kind of in the next series, that makes me happy. I hope they have a long & happy life together! One of the things that I like most about this series is that a lot happens in a short period of time during the story but it doesn't feel rushed. I also feel like it exemplifies traditional qualities we like to see in children's stories like friendship & good vs evil. I would highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a good, clean action adventure series perfect for kids of all ages & adults! Look for more reviews of Riordan's books to come hopefully this next year. 

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth

The Battle of the Labyrinth

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Year: 2008
Genre: Mythology
Age: Juv 10+
Page Count: 240

Audio Publisher & Year: Penguin Random House (Listening Library)/ 2008
Audio Reader: Jesse Bernstein
Audio Length: 10 hours & 33 mins

Rating:

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This is book #4 in the Percy Jackson series.This was also my final book for my Goodreads reading challenge this year! I did it! Plus there still a little over a week left in 2019 & I plan on reading at least 2 more books. I think I'm gonna try & read 100 books next year, do you think I can do it? How many books did you read this year? Let me know down in the comments.

I think this book was my favorite of the series so far. I thought the last one was, but this one is when the fighting really started & I feel like the ending is going to be a happy one, I think they can beat Kronos. I have to keep telling myself that this is a kids book so the ending has to be ok, right? Not like no one dies, that has already happened. But as far as the whole good vs evil thing goes. Good meaning Percy & his friends are going to win! I think I might stay up & read book #5 tonight actually. I have tomorrow off & I'm not going anywhere or doing anything so I think I can finish it. Then I seriously have to read the book club book, the meeting is on Monday! I'm such a slacker. We even had an extra week to read it because of the holiday. Anyway...back to Percy.

I try to keep my reviews as spoiler free as possible but some crazy stuff has happened in this book  & I have thoughts so if you do not want to read spoilers TURN BACK NOW!

I have previously read the first 4 books in this series. Or I think I did. When I started reading this one I didn't really remember anything about it like I had with the previous books which is making me think maybe I only got to book #3??? So this book was the first book in the series that truly surprised me & I'll tell you why. First off Grover gets another chance to go looking for Pan with his searchers license that is almost taken away from him at the beginning of the story. I'm happy he gets to keep it because they do find Pan. Unfortunately it's not the magical reckoning I had pictured. Pan hid himself on purpose because the wild was disappearing. Then people forgot about him, except for the satyrs of course, they made it their life's mission to find Pan. We learn in this book that of people forget about you whether your a god or not you"fade" that's what they call a god's death. Pan has been hanging in for the past 2000 years so that someone would find him & he can give his essence to them to preserve the wild, or try to. So Percy, Tyson, Annabeth, Grover, & Rachel are the ones that finally find him. He fades along with some very special extinct creatures he was hiding & they can go & carry on the wild. I think it's kinda funny that the fate of the wild is in the hands of 2 demi-gods, a mortal, a satyr, & a cyclopes. How did that happen???!!! It was kinda sad to know that the mortal world just forgot about nature but it's also true in a way.

Then we have Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth. He has been thought long dead but he actually was able to create an autonomous body for himself & live forever. He is hiding in the camp with his hell hound pet Mrs. O'Leary & he comes to save the day after fighting his own eternal enemy. I didn't know that his son was Icarus, the one that flew too close to the sun & perished. He is also a child of Athena like Annabeth, very small world. *Side note-I need like a Greek dictionary or something to remember & spell all these names!* You think he is the bad guy but he comes through for them in the end which is always nice to see, too many bad guys in the world is not a good thing!

Finally we have Kronos. He finally rises in this book but it's not how you think & it's not like in the movie either. He has somehow gotten into Luke's body. But Percy & them saw who they thought was Luke in the Labyrinth. So either Kronos isn't really in Luke's body or the other Luke they saw is some kind of copy or trick. I'm hoping to get more clarification in the final book. Of course Annabeth was crushed. She loved Luke & now he's gone, maybe? I think Kronos being part mortal, if that's the case, culd be a good thing? We'll see what happens in book #5. I'm so excited to finally know how Percy's story ends after all these years!

 I am hoping to read some more books by this author next year. I'm having a hard time getting a hold of them. My library has some in book, some audio, some in ebook, & some in eaudio. We'll see what I can get my hands on. I honestly would just buy them to make it simple but I am trying to save money & not buy as many books in general because I have some many, that's actual books & ebooks. I also cancelled my Audible account in an effort to save money & I also have a backlog if audiobooks that I own as well to get through. That's part of what I want to do next year, we'll see how far I get.

I'm planning on doing a best books of the year list as well as a best books of the decade list if I get to them soon. I'll also be working on my reading resolutions & get those out as well. Look for more reviews in 2020!

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Year: 2007
Genre: Mythology
Age: Juv 10+
Page Count: 214

Audio Publisher & Year: Penguin Random House Audio (Listening Library)/ 2007
Audio Reader: Jesse Bernstein
Audio Length: 8 hours & 50 mins

Rating:

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Before I get into the review I've got a few other things to put here...

#1 This is my 300th post on this blog!!!!!!! I started this blog in 2015 after I moved here. I originally started it as a way to keep in touch with friends from back home & show people all my library adventures. Then I started doing reviews & posting book trailers & other things. It's mostly about books now but so is my life so it's fitting. I'm so happy to be able to bring these reviews to all of you reading. I'm not exactly sure who is reading this but if you are out there let me know down in the comments below!

Side note: While I'm writing this I'm making dinner & watching FernGully! I remember watching this movie when I was a kid & it's so good. Very funny but also kinda sad. It's also very 90's as far as the cast. Tim Curry, Robin Williams, Christian Slater, Ton Loc, & Cheech & Chong...need I say more?

#2 I finally got my hands on The Sea of Monsters movie. The first movie came out in 2010 after the books were done. Then this second movie came out 3 years later. I think they only ever made 2 movies because they waited too long & the kids were grown by the end. It's really a shame. They are good movies. But in comparison to the books it's not good. They added some new characters in this movie that were supposed to also be in the last one. Maybe people were upset? Dionysus & Clarisse are in this movie but Chiron is played by a different actor, I liked Pierce Brosnan better personally. This second movie much like the first makes sense as a far as the movie plot. Because the first one was different it would have been hard to follow the books more closely. The basic plot still exists which I think saves it. They need to fleece to save Thalia's tree, Luke is still on a rampage, & Percy has to save the world with his friends Grover & Annabeth. At the end of the movie though we get to see Kronos rise. There's a big fight & of course Percy defeats Kronos. That is another reason I think this was the "last" movie. I just finished book #3 & Kronos is still in his coffin in pieces. The bottom line on the movies is that they are good but do not compare then to the books. I hope they make more movies or maybe a TV show in the future. I'd definitely watch either.

#3 I recently decided to try & put ads on my blog through AdSense. So if you are seeing them for the first time that's why. I wanted to try it & see how it goes. It might not be permanent, we'll see what happens.

Ok now for the review...
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This is book #3 in the Percy Jackson series. I have 2 more books to go before I'm done & I am so excited! I was originally reading these books when they came out about 10 years ago. I never read book #5 for sure. But as I'm reading them I'm remembering less & less. The first 2 books I remembered some of the details. Then in this book #3 I was a little lost. So we'll see what happens with book #4. I also can't believe I never finished the series! It is getting really crazy! How could I have not finished!?

In this book we see Luke's army growing & Kronos is becoming a real threat. Monsters from eons ago are coming back & the gods have decided to intervene finally. I think with them & the half bloods teaming up...kinda...they can save themselves, & defeat Kronos. I'm worried about Percy & the prophecy. He's 14 in this story so that means by the end he will be 16. But will he turn on Olympus? I don't think so, I hope not at least, he seems like a good kid.

I also just noticed while reading/listening to these books that the covers all blend together. Like the edge of the previous cover & the following cover can be seen on the current one. If you look at this one on the left you can see a rock from the Sea of Monsters & on thr right you can see the beginning of the Labyrinth.

I'm hoping in book #4 Grover finally gets what he's always wanted & he can find Pan. That's kinda like a continuing side quest throughout all the books so far, can he do it? This book in particular has some hard elements to it that are making the story progress but also showing how serious the fight will be at the end. There is several loses that are tough but necessary I think. It reminds me a lot of book #4 in the Harry Potter series. That was the book that I remember reading & thinking ok it's getting serious now, there's no going back. That's where we are right now in book #3 with Percy.

I haven't talked much about the audio version of these books. I really like the reader. It's the same reader as the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series. I like the reader, I'd listen to more of his books. They are quick listens. I like having both the book & the audio so I can go back & forth depending on the situation. I have to admit though that I mostly read this book because I was freaking out about the story & didn't want to wait. I already have book #4 on audio. I couldn't find book #5 on digital audio but my library has the CD if I want. The CD's & the books are very well loved to say the least so they might not be manageable. I want to continue reading more books by Rick Riordan in the future after I finish this series.

More review to come! Thanks for being with me through 300 posts!

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters

The Sea of Monsters

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Year: 2006
Genre: Mythology
Age: JUV 10+
Page Count: 196

Audio Publisher & Year: Penguin Random House Audio/2006
Audio Reader: Jesse Bernstein
Audio Length: 7 hours & 57 mins

Rating:

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This is book #2 in the Percy Jackson series. I originally read the first 4 books in this series back in high school when they were coming out. I'm now rereading them & hope to finish the series with book #5. I'm making really good progress through them. I forgot how good they were! I'm hoping to be through all of them by the end of the month, we'll see what happens. I did a short book to movie comparison of the first one & I plan on doing the same with this one but I haven't gotten the movie yet, it's on hold for me. I'll include that in the #3 review. I've seen it before but it's been years so I need to rewatch it. The one thing that I really like about this series is there is a lot of action so it keeps the story progressing at a nice pace. They don't seem rushed or forced through. Plus the characters are developing nicely. I feel like the pressure of what might come to pass in the end is starting to get serious. There's also a lot of little things that I forgot for instance when I was listening last night I had completely forgotten that Kronos is Chiron's dad! That complicates the situation a lot. We also see a long lost character come back to us so that adds another layer to the story where Percy & the prophecy is concerned. I'm excited to see how it all ends! My goal from there will be to read some of his other stories since I like these so much. I'm gonna try & listen on audio but I'd be open to reading them as well. I probably won't buy all the others. I have had the Percy Jackson series on ebook since they came out.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Year: 2005
Genre: Mythology (I think this is it's own  "fantasy" genre)
Age: JUV 10+
Page Count: 252

Audio Publisher & Year: Penguin Random House/ 2005
Audio Reader: Jesse Bernstein
Audio Length: 10 hours & 2 minutes

Rating:

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This is book #1 in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. Some spoilers may be present in this review.

I originally read these books back in high school when they were first coming out. I never did read book #5 though. It came out around the time I graduated & I'm sure there just wasn't enough time. But since I own them all I decided to reread the first four & finally finish number 5! I'm hoping I can do that before the end of the year. Then I can read some of the other books that he has come out with since this first series debut. After reading this book I also watched the movie. I had seen the movie before back when it came out. I never really realized just how different it really is from the book. I'll talk more about that at the end of this review. I think it's amazing that a series I read as a kid is still popular today more than 10 years later, & the author is still continuing with these books. Rick Riordan has several new series including one about a young Apollo & series he started about Viking gods. Maybe I'll make it my goal to read some of these series next year. I have so many books I want to read that I own & are at my library it's a little overwhelming. My plan is to get a lot of them down next year. New decade, new reading goal! It might take me until the next decade to read everything I want & that's if I don't buy anything new...too late! We'll see what happens.

Here is a little synopsis for you about this story to refresh our memories. In this first installment we meet young Percy Jackson who is a demigod. That means he is half mortal & half god. His father is the god Poseidon, god of the sea & brother of Zeus. Percy has a pretty normal life until things start to change. A war is brewing between the gods because someone has stolen his master lightning bolt. They think it was Percy but it turns out it was actually one of Percy's new fiends from Camp Half Blood. Percy, Annabeth (daughter of Athena), & Grover (Percy's protector) travel all over the US to get to the Underworld. Percy thinks Hades has the bolt. Along the way they battle furies, meet Medusa, avoid getting killed by the Chimera, & run into Ares, the god of war. Finally the survive the Underworld & make it to Mount Olympus. It seems like a happy ending but it is just the start of another problem.

If I remember correctly the big problem that starts brewing in this book & I'm assuming concludes in the last book is Kronos. He is the king of the titans & was defeated by Zeus. He was cut up into little pieces & thrown in Tartarus. Percy & his friends encounter him in Tartarus when they are in the Underworld but he isn't fully back yet, he isn't strong enough. Kronos is using his power to control Ares & Luke to make them start the war between the gods. Percy has helped that not come to pass yet but he needs to be ready for a fight. I think I might need a little review on Greek history & the gods because I had to do some googling while I was reading this book. Back when I read them in high school we were learning about Greek history at one point but it's been a while for me..obviously!

I'm excited to continue the series. Rereading it has reminded me why I really liked it in the first place. It has a lot of action but also with the history thrown in along side some humor it's a great series, I remember being excited about it as a kid & now I'm once again excited as an adult. Not many books aside from Harry Potter can do that I think.

I listened to this book on audio & read it as well on ebook. I've had the ebooks since they came out & I was very excited to hear the reader. It's the same reader as the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series by Chris Grabenstein, which I loved! The audiobooks were not previously available on audio through my library. Since I cancelled my audible account I was very happy to see them! I'm hoping they are all on there & his other series as well, I have to look around a little bit more to see though.  

Let's talk a little bit about the movie. I remember seeing the movie when it first came out in 2010. All the books had come out at that point & I think they were taking advantage of that by making the movie. When the movie first starts it is following the general outline of the book. But after a while it takes a turn into something different. There are little differences that you will notice right away like Percy is older in the movie & he lives at home. There hasn't been any prior incidents in his life that would seem out of place until the first appearance of Mrs. Dodds, the fury. The movie is set up to where Percy, Annabeth, & Grover are using a map to look for Persephone's pearls. This will lead them to the Underworld. I think the set up makes sense in the movie because you don't get all the backstory that is present in the book. The real shift in the movie where it starts veering drastically from the book is after the kill Medusa & go to Nashville. I think they might have to fight a Hydra at some point in one of the other books but I can't remember for sure. From there the story kinda goes off on it's own. It seems like by the end the movie was set up to possibly be a standalone. I have also seen the second movie but I don't remember it that much. By that point our main cast was too old to continue & they had deviated too far from the original plot so I think that's why they never made any more movies. I'm planning on watching the second movie again just to see what it's like because I can't remember. This series would be perfect for a TV series, maybe that will happen in the future. Overall it's not a bad movie if you don't compare it too much to the book.

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

The Queen of Nothing

Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Little Brown & Company (Hachette Book Group)
Year: 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Age: YA 13+
Page Count: 305

Rating:

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This is book #3 in the Folk of Air Trilogy.

I was genuinely shocked by this book! The first 2 books in the series were very good but there was a slow build up each time until a big cliffhanger right at the end. So I was expecting something similar with this last book but...NOPE! The first big shock came about 5 chapters in, it was like being slapped in the face. Then things just kept escalating until the big finale. It was insane! Just when you think you know whats going on something else happens. I did feel like the last few chapters were a little rushed which was kinda disappointing. Although I feel like the ending was left open enough that there could possibly be more books in the future, like a spin-off series. Some of the best things this series has going for it other than the endings are the diverse range of characters & the world building. In these fantasy novels you get to see the mortal world & the land of the Fae. So that means different people, creatures, scenery, & experiences. These books had a good blend of both mortal elements like pizza places & also amazing Fae landscapes like an underwater city. I kinda wish there was more info or details about the underwater world, maybe that could be turned into it's own book. Having read several other books by this author & now these I definitely want to continue to explore some of her other books. I'll be adding them to my infinite TBR list LOL! This series is also a love story on top of the sort of war that starts at the end of book #1. Cardan & Jude have a love hate relationship that grows into something stronger throughout the story. Sometimes Cardan is blowing hot & sometimes Jude is blowing cold. But in the end they finally come together & make it work. I am under the assumption that Jude will not grow old in Faerie & with her becoming High Queen that doesn't make her Fae but gives her some power. I was hoping maybe there would be a way to make her Fae but it never happened so maybe there isn't in this particular world (that scenario has happened in other books I've read about the Fae). In case you are wondering this book has the shortest most non de-script sex scene I've ever read in any fantasy book. This series would make a great TV show or even a movie. Overall I would highly recommend this series for YA fantasy lovers!

December 2019 TBR

Since it's the 6th day of the month & I've read 1 book already I feel good about my chances of reading everything I have in the plan this month but we'll see what happens. I managed to make it at least 1 whole month without checking anything out but I broke my streak this month, we'll see if it pays off. Then next year I can focus on getting my TBR down. I have a crazy idea that I might be able to read 3 books this weekend, do you think I can do it? 

Raspberry Danish Murder, Christmas Cake Murder, & Chocolate Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Goodreads
I'm super close to catching up on this series. After I finish these 3 I am going to be done with it except for the new releases, the next of which comes out in February. I'm hoping to read Raspberry Danish Murder & Christmas Cake Murder this weekend. Christmas Cake Murder isn't technically part of the series it's like Christmas Caramel Murder, just a little holiday side story but that one was pretty good so I'm gonna read this one too. 

In Peppermint Peril by Joy Avon
Goodreads
This is our Cook the Books book club pick for this month. We'll be having a tea party. 

Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
Goodreads
I actually already finished this book last night & I can't even! I was so shocked compared to the others. Very happy with this series, would highly recommend. Look for my review of this one this weekend.

After by Anna Todd
Goodreads
I saw this movie on Netflix & I was hooked! Then in the credits I saw that is was based on a book & naturally I had to get it. It's sooooo long, like 600 pages I think. I'm hoping to get to it this month since I had to borrow it from another library. 

The Binding by Bridget Collins
Goodreads
I asked for our library to order this book & it's had a few checkouts so I decided it was my turn to try it. I hope it's as good as it sounds. 

Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Goodreads
I own all these books in ebook format. I read the first 4 years ago when they were first coming out but I never read #5. I'm rereading them now so I can finish the series & read some of his other ones. 

Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber
Goodreads
I started reading her Christmas books last year, I think I've read 3 others so I decided to try this one this year. They are short & light hearted so perfect for lazy day reading. 

November 2019 Wrap-Up

I read 5 books in November!!! I'm so happy! Most of them were audio or a combination of audio & actual books but still, 5! I'm hoping to read at least that many this month, end the year...excuse me...the decade (WTF) on a good note. Can you even believe it's going to be a new decade in a few weeks because I sure can't at all. My internet is being very stupid & slow (like that's new) right now so I'm gonna try & get this up ASAP. So these are the books I read last month. 

Wedding Cake Murder, Christmas Caramel Murder, & Banana Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Wedding Cake Murder review 

Christmas Caramel Murder review 

Banana Cream Pie Murder review 

Goodreads
I'm so close to being caught up on this series. The plan is to read the rest of them by the end of the year. I think I'm 3 away from that. The newest one comes out in February. 

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

My review is here.

Goodreads 
This was our book club pick for this month & I really liked it. I'd read the author's other books. Which BTW I figured out the author is a man. I spent the entire book thinking it was a woman. 

The Wicked King by Holly Black

 My review is here.

 Goodreads
This is book #2 in the Folk of Air trilogy. I just finished book #3 so wait for the review. This is a must read series, so awesome!

The Wicked King by Holly Black

The Wicked King

Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Little Brown & Company (Hachette Book Group)
Year: 2019
Genre: Fantasy
Age: YA 13+
Page Count: 322

Audio Publisher & Year: Blackstone HBG/ 2019
Audio Reader: Caitlin Kelly
Audio Length: 10 hours & 22 minutes

Rating:

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This is book #2 in The Folk of Air trilogy.

I now proudly own all of these books because I was super impatient. I remember reading about this series a few years back. Having read several of Holly Black's other books I was excited. But I waited for my library to get the first book. Long story short there was a delay & I didn't read book #1 until the second was almost out. I wasn't thrilled with the first half of The Cruel Prince but then BAM!!! I absolutely could not believe the ending. Well my friends this second book was the same way.

Our story picks up exactly where it left off in book #1. I'm gonna try not to give away any spoilers so bear with me! Jude is living the high life next to her beautiful & cruel prince who has now risen in power. But I'm sure much like in real life with monarchies Jude is the real power behind the crown.

I have to say when I started this book because book #3 was set to come out very soon (it's now been published) based on the title of book #3 I sorta knew what was going to happen at the the end of this book. Then as the story progressed I picked up on a few things that I thought would also happen in the end. I was not surprised by what happened to Prince Balekin, I was very pleased by it. I was also not surprised by Cardan & Jude's bold choice. I was however surprised by 2 things...#1 who betrayed Jude to the Undersea, I'm just so disappointed by that turn of events. It was very cool though that we got to see more of the kingdom in this story. #2 THAT TWIST ENDING! I guess with a title like The Wicked King I should have seen something like that coming??? I purposely didn't read the info on The Queen of Nothing until after I finished book #2 because I didn't want any spoilers beyond what I had already kinda guessed at.

I'm surprised I was able to stick with this book until the end though. About half way in I felt a lot like I did with the first book. I was questioning why I was reading it, was it gonna get better, is it worth reading until the end. All the while in the back of my mind I kept thinking about the first book & how I was so shocked by the ending. I had to finish this book too so I can read #3 & learn how Jude's story ends, right? RIGHT! Now I'm really starting to wonder how Jude is going to come out the victor, she has to win, how could she not after all this?

I took a trip in the middle of reading this so I found it on audio through my library's audio streaming service, cloud library, & it was ok. I don't think I would listen to it on audio on purpose. Some of the voices the reader does are not appealing. The Bomb sounds like Luna Lovegood actually, & Cardan sounds drunk all the time. To each his own.  

If your a fan of fantasy, love a magical story, & can handle a very suspenseful ending this series should be next on your list!

Banana Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Banana Cream Pie Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Publisher: Kensington Books
Year: 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Age: 18+
Page Count: 355 (including recipes & an excerpt)

Audio Reader: Suzanne Toren
Audio Publisher & Year: Recorded Books, 2017
Audio Length: 10 hours & 20 minutes

Rating:

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This is book #21 in the Hannah Swensen series. I'm SOOOOOO close to finishing this series. I think I'm gonna make it by the end of the year. 

This book...let me tell you...CLIFFHANGER! I was shocked. Normally these books are fairly calm & predictable. But not this one! I immediately got the next book & I'm starting it today because I have to know what is going on. I won't give all the specific details because I don't want to ruin it, but let's just say I'm actually happy with how it ended even though it was crazy! I feel bad for Hannah because she has turned her life upside down for Ross & she is trying to get into the swing of things as his wife. She is struggling a little bit which is why I'm sticking by my opinion of she should have picked Norman! The murder in this book was interesting. I thought it was a bit of a stretch as far as the storyline goes including the murder, how it happened, & who done it. I had to remember who the person that died even was that's how far of a stretch it was. The recipes however were excellent as usual. I'll include a nice festive one down below. The next book takes place at Thanksgiving so it's the perfect time for me to read it.

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

Sourdough

Author: Robin Sloan
Publisher: Macmillan
Year: 2017
Genre: Fiction
Age:Adult 18+
Page Count: 215

Audio Publisher & Year: Macmillan Audio, 2017
Audio Reader: Therese Plummer
Audio Length: 6 hours & 47 mins

Rating:

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This book is our Cook the Books pick for the month of November. We are meeting a week earlier than normal because of the holiday. I am shocked I finished the book before the night before the meeting. Last month I didn't read the book because it was one I had already read. I'm doing pretty good I think, making some progress on my reading goals. I'd also like to point out that I have read 3 books in the first 10 days of the month. I don't know what makes these ups & downs happen. I guess it's just life. I think that's a good sign considering I only read I think 1 book last month.

I don't think I would have normally picked this book up if it wasn't for book club, I feel like a lot of the books we read are like that. I'm happy to find different books through this awesome group that I started a little over a year ago. This book in particular makes me want to read more books about food & not like the cozy mysteries.

This book was great! It was funny & the story was very charming. There was times when I was laughing out loud & just shaking me head at others. I find Lois very relatable. I think the ending was a little weird but maybe I need some more time to process it. Lois is a typical young girl out of college trying to find her way in the world, but also I feel like she's trying to discover what makes her happy. That can be a very hard task when you are just working constantly to keep food on the table & money in your pocket. So I guess in her own way she discovers what makes her happy & how to get a little money along the way.

I was also surprised by the "mysterious benefactor" Mr. Marrow, I guess I should have seen who it was all along but I was actually shocked in the end. Is there really places like this out there? I've been to little hometown farmers markets, but is there places that are so cut throat & stressful but also full of discovery & life? I hope to find a place like that one day if they exist.

I feel like the ending of this book brought us closure but also is open ended enough that maybe there is going to be another book? I'd love to read about Lois & her continuing adventures. I'm also interested in reading other books this author has written. The audio reader was also very good. Her slight accent was interesting. It's not a British accent but it's definitely there. She also did well with expressing the characters emotions when she was reading which I really like to hear. I'd listen to other books she has read as well. There is no recipes in this book like the ones we normally read but I wish there was! I've never made bread but this makes me want to try. I can't wait to see what our "host" bring to the meeting next week.

Christmas Caramal Murder by Joanne Fluke

Christmas Caramel Murder

Author: Joanne Fluke
Publisher: Kensington Books
Year: 2016
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Age: Adult 18+
Page Count: 204

Audio Publisher & Year: Recorded Books/ 2016
Audio Reader: Suzanne Toren
Audio Length: 4 hours & 30 mins

Rating:

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This is Hannah Swensen mystery #20. It's also the 2nd book I've read this month & it's only the 6th! That is insane considering I read like 1 book last month. Needless to say I think I'm for sure going to finish this series this year. There is one more book that is like this book out of 4 I think left in the series that I have ti finish. I was calling it a little fake Christmas book. I don't mean that in a bad way & I don't mean it's not a real book. I think Joanne Fluke is going to become like Debbie Macomber. She will have her regular series & other books, but then she'll also have her little Christmas stories, ya know? So even though this wasn't apart of the "regular" story line I still enjoyed it. I'm also happy I was able to get through it in 2 days! The ending of this book was a little sad because the killer gets murdered herself but I wasn't so sure about her being all there either.  It'll be interesting to see where our story picks up in the next book. If we continue where we left off Hannah & Ross should be going on their honeymoon, or maybe they will skip that part & they will be coming back. I still don't like him so I was happy to see he was pretty much absent in this book. Even though this book was much shorter than the usual ones there was still recipes & I will include one for you down below!