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Showing posts from January, 2020

Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...
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Book Review: The Witches by Roald Dahl

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The Witches by Roald Dahl: Honest Book Review, Themes, and Movie Comparison If you grew up loving spooky stories, there’s a good chance you remember the 1990 film The Witches . Recently, I found myself thinking about that movie again, and it led me down a nostalgic rabbit hole that ended with me finally reading the book for the first time. The first time I watched this movie was in middle school after renting it from a video store for a slumber party. I remember being completely terrified. So terrified, in fact, that I made my dad sit down and watch it with me and my friends. That reaction was unusual for me, especially since I’ve been watching horror movies since I was seven years old, starting with Poltergeist . For years, I thought The Witches was just a movie. I had no idea it was based on a novel by Roald Dahl. Somehow, I missed his books entirely as a child ... something I still find surprising. So reading The Witches as an adult felt both nostalgic and eye-opening. Quick ...
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Book Review: The Institute by Stephen King

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To say I was excited about Stephen King's newest book, The Institute , coming out last year is an understatement. However, I wasn't sure I wanted to pay full price for a brand new book, but while shopping at BJ's Wholesale Club, they were selling The Institute for under $16.00, so it was an easy decision that I should buy a copy. Although I was super excited about this book, I needed to wait a bit to read it because I was reading another of King's books. There were a few things that I loved right off about The Institute . Since most of Stephen King's books take place in the Northeast, at least that is the impression I've gotten from the books I've read by him so far, I was extremely surprised that several cities in the Southeast were mentioned. The one I loved the most was the mention of Marietta, Georgia, which is where I grew up. It's in the Metropolitan Atlanta area, so it isn't some small town, but unless you live in Georgia, you've ...
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Book Review: The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, #1) by Carolyn Keene

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The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene is a book series that my mom introduced to me in middle school. I remember falling in love with it immediately, so as part of my quest to read my way through my childhood, I had to reread it again. Of course, I started with the first book in the series, The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, #1) . There were a few things that ran through my mind reading it as an adult that I know I didn't think of as a child.  Most importantly, this book was originally published in May 1930, and I didn't give it a second thought that cars were still relatively new in the United States and that it was highly unlikely that an eighteen year old would have their own car let alone a convertible. What surprised me the most is that at least the first book had been rewritten since its original publication date. So, I have purchased a copy of what is supposed to be the original story through ThriftBooks.com. I am hopeful that it re...
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Book Review: There's A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar

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A while ago, I was browsing books on ThriftBooks.com and came across the children's book There's A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar. Seeing this book brought back a flood of memories from middle school. This book was originally recommended to me by a friend when we were in the sixth grade and remember absolutely loving it. So, it went without saying that I had to buy this book and reread it. Not remembering much of anything, it was like reading There's A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom for the first time. The main character, Bradley Chalkers, is the kid that no one likes, including teachers. Other students think he's weird and a bully; teachers think he's unruly and destructive. It's actually a very heartbreaking story about a boy that is misunderstood and has distanced himself from his peers and has given up on life in general. There are so many life lessons that can be learned in this book that both children and adults can benefit from learni...
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52-Week Book Challenge: A More Difficult 2020 Reading Challenge by The Running Bibliophile

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Do you want a book challenge that will help you read 52 books within 52 weeks? This is the book challenge that will help you with that goal. There is no order in which you need to complete this challenge as long as you finish within the 52 week time period. Good luck with our 52-Week Book Challenge: A More Difficult 2020 Reading Challenge, and Happy New Year!   52 Week Book Challenge Topics A Book Based on a Television Series A Book Turned into a Television Series A Book Turned into a Movie A Book Written by someone you've met A Book that you picked because you liked the cover A Book that makes you laugh A Book about books, bookstores, or libraries A 2019 Goodreads Nominee A 2019 Goodreads Winner Read the First Book in a series Read Book 1 in a trilogy Read Book 2 in a trilogy Read Book 3 in a trilogy A Book that starts with the letter A A Book that starts with the letter Z A Book that has a color in the title A Book that has a number in the title ...
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2020 Reading Challenge by The Running Bibliophile

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The Running Bibliophile's  2020 Reading Challenge Looking to challenge yourself in the New Year or get out of your comfort zone when it comes to books? Here are twenty ways to challenge yourself this year when it comes to reading.    A book that has been reviewed or recommended on TheRunningBibliophile.com A book published in 1920 A book published in 2020 A book published the year you were born A book that has been translated into your native language A biography or autobiography for a past or current political figure A classic that you've never read A book written by an author you've never read before  A book turned into a television show or movie  A book that is the first book in a series A book you were supposed to read in high school but didn't A book that contains one of the seasons in the title A book that contains one of the twelve months in the title Reread a favorite book A book on your "To Be Read" list A book on your "Did ...
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