The Running Bibliophile

The Photographer II: The Dark Room  by Barbara Steiner is a sequel that picks up where the last book left off, and Derrick is living in a new town under an assumed name. He has opened up a photography studio and has some new tricks up his sleeve. Will he get away with murder? Typically, I find myself let down by sequels, but I have to say that Barbara Steiner out did herself because I actually ended up liking it better than the first book. It had some V.C. Andrews vibes going on, which gave it some extra oomph. Along with those vibes, it carried over some of the sci-fi elements from the original story.  I enjoyed the characters a lot better this time around and disliked Derrick even more, if that's even possible. The story was a bit more believable with the exception of the obvious sci-fi elements. If you know, you know. Five out of five stars is what I gave The Photographer II:  The Dark Room by Barbara Steiner.  Follow Us On Social Media

The Photographer by Barbara Steiner is a Young Adult (YA) Horror Novel that was originally published in 1989 and is about a new kid named Derrick joining the photography club and student newspaper. Megan, who also belongs to both clubs, has been having strange dreams since he has arrived. When Derrick starts taking photos of the prettiest girls in school for the newspaper, Megan's dreams start coming true. She must prove that Derrick has something to do with it. On Friday, September 13, 2024, I was looking for a short spooky book to read. I came across The Photographer  while researching what books the author had written and decided to read it. And, it definitely fit the bill for a spooky read. The more I read of the book, the more the book sounded familiar, so I think I had read The Photographer before. It does have some sci-fi elements to it to go along with the horror elements. This is one of those books that is the epitomy of YA Horror in the 1980's.   With that bein...

Crazy for You  by Marnie Vinge is a story about a former pop star named Victoria London who gave up her celebrity status when her friend Nikki dies and is blamed for her death. Victoria now owns a wolf rescue charity that needs a lot of monetary donations to stay open, so she agrees to be interviewed because she has a fundraiser coming up. However, Victoria's stalker from her pop days starts threatening her again. I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Crazy for You  by Marnie Vinge. I was thrilled to be approved to read this novel and received a copy of it for free in exchange for my honest review. The story is told from alternating perspectives and alternate timelines to keep the reader guessing. I know a lot of readers don't like these type of books. However, I actually enjoy books that have this type of format if it's done well, and the author did an exceptional job with it. Unfortunately, I did figure out part of the plot twist because o...

The Light from my Menorah, Celebrating Holidays Around the World  by Robin Heald and Andrea Blinck is a children's book about a boy being taken around the world via the light from his menorah. In his travels, he visits different holiday festivals. Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book. I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I think it's important for children to learn about other holidays around the world in a fun way. However, I expected a little more description during the actual story to correspond with the illustrations instead of it being included in the author's note. I feel like the adults will have to explain the point of the book to children. With that being said, the writing was absolutely beautiful, and the illustrations are fantastic. Four out of five stars is what I gave The Light from my Menorah, Celebrating Holidays Around the World by Robin Heald and Andrea Blinck for taking the initiative to...

A Murderous Plot (The Bookstore Mystery, #6)   by Sue Minix opens with a man covered in blood, stumbling towards the running track where Jen and Eric are running. The man doesn't know who he is or what happened to him. After the unknown man is rushed to the hospital, Eric and the Riddleton Police Department start their investigation, and of course, Jen sticks her nose into it as she wants to find out who the mystery man is and what happened. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was absolutely thrilled to be approved for this book as Sue Minix has become one of my favorite authors. This latest installment was intriguing. I had trouble putting it down because I had no idea who the murderer could be and thought there had to be more than one. There were lots of motives! Sue Minix definitely had me stumped on this book. With that being said, I felt like the ending was a little rushed, which was the reason I ga...

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret  by Judy Blume is told from the perspective of Margaret, who has recently moved to New Jersey and is dealing with a lot of things a girl at this age typically deals with. Margaret has to deal with making new friends and is questioning religion. Additionally, she and her new friends are entering the sixth grade and are juggling the trials and tribulations of being a tween and going through puberty, including school dances, boy/girl parties, getting their first bra, etc. Judy Blume does a great job of what a child might experience in these situations and additionally does a great job dealing with how a child might question religion. I thought the story was well written and was handled delicately. I do suggest that parents have a conversation with their child after they read the book to answer any questions they may have. There were some situations that I could relate to, but there were others that I didn't relate to at all. I remem...

Sentenced To Murder (The Bookstore Mystery,  #5)  by Sue Minix opens with Jen trying to solve another mystery where a young man named Jaylon is in jail for murdering his brother Ewon, but the body has never been found. Additionally, Jaylon needs a kidney transplant, but he can't receive it while in jail. Can Jen find new evidence to exonerate Jaylon? So far, I'd have to say that this installment is my absolute favorite in the series. There were lots of red herrings throughout the story. One of the people I suspected was Madame Crystal and thought she might be the biological mother of Ewon. Other people I suspected were Ewon's adoptive parents, Detective Conway, Penelope, and even possibly Ewon's third friend. At one point, I even wondered if Ewon was still alive. I finally narrowed it down to one of two people but wasn't sure who was the murderer. You'll have to read the book to find out if one of my suspicions was correct! There was one scene in the book that h...