Wednesday Reading Meme
What I Just Finished Reading: Since last time I've read Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn, Doom and Broom by Annabel Chase, The Buzz Kill by Katherine Hayton, The Dough Must Go On by HY Hanna, and The Ghost Hunter Next Door by Danielle Garrett. Reviews below.
What I'm Reading Right Now: I'm about halfway through the next Oxford Tearoom Mysteries book, The Mousse Wonderful Time of the Year.
What I'm Planning To Read Next: I'm either going to finish off Oxford Tearoom with the last book in the series, Wrongfully Infused, or I'm going to read the library book that just came in, The Book of Koli by MR Carey.
106. Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn
The last book, at least to date, in the Chet & Bernie series is a great linear mystery that takes Bernie back to his high school days when he runs into an old classmate who is now homeless and traumatized. When Bernie investigates his disappearance, he discovers how much just went over his head in high school and digs up some old secrets. Chet is absolutely fantastic in this one. I love the way his brain works and how he takes everything literally - there was another laugh-out-loud moment for me about Bernie and squirrels - and there was also a hold-your-breath moment of danger in which Chet’s bravery and adoration for Bernie shone through. Great pacing and great emotion in this five-star read!
Dates Read: October 22 to 26, 2022
Page Count: 308
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 15 - read 15 books in a series (05/15)
Challenge Factory Finish What You Started - October pick
**
107. Doom and Broom by Annabel Chase
The second book in the Spellbound series finds Emma defending a younger Berzerker who vandalized a car, and getting caught up in the murder of a werewolf.. Emma’s also taking her broom riding test, which is not good for someone who’s afraid of heights and may just tend to vomit in midair. A lot. I love the developing relationship between ghostly Gareth and Emma, and I liked getting to know a little more about the citizens of Spellbound. It’s an engaging light read with a fun and feisty heroine.
Date read: October 27, 2022
Page Count: 294
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 14 - read 15 books in a series (06/15)
Challenge Factory Family Feud - Week 01 - book with double letters in authors name
Lost Challenges Read The Quote 2022 - K - Knee
**
108. The Buzz Kill by Katherine Hayton
Oh my. Where to start? The main character in this simplistic story is an autistic beekeeper. The author has never heard of the word subtlety, so she riddles this character with over-the-top mannerisms and thought patterns that reek of cliche. The dialogue and by-the-book plot points are just clunky, and the book abruptly ends with a subplot involving a dog still unresolved. On the plus side, I learned a little bit about bees.
Date Read: October 28, 2022
Page Count: 103
1 out of 5 stars
Four Moon Challenge 07 - with an insect on the cover
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 9 - read 9 books that have a cover you love (01/09)
**
109. The Dough Must Go on by HY Hanna
I’m normally pretty happy to spend a few hours with Gemma and the Old Biddles, but this one just sort of left a sour taste in my mouth. The premise is clunky: Gemma gets involved in catering a new British talent show, of which the Old Biddies “granny group” somehow isn’t one those deliberately bad ones that doesn’t get past the judges and instead makes it onto the show. The pacing is off, with a lot of jumping ahead. And this is the second book in a row where the author uses dialect in what feels like a less-than-PC / condescending manner that just rubbed me the wrong way. The mystery itself had a good range of suspects and was one of the better ones, but overall the book just didn’t work for me.
Dates Read: October 29 to 30, 2022
Page Count: 338
3 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 15 - read 15 books in a series (07/15)
Challenge Factory Finish What You Started - November pick
**
110. The Ghost Hunter Next Door by Danielle Garrett
Scarlet is a florist who can see and communicate with ghosts. She’s moved to a small town that conveniently also has a mentioned-but-not-seen vampire and witch population. I’m sorry to say that this is a cookie-cutter novel that’s a pale imitation of a paranormal cozy mystery. It’s like the author had a checklist and just ticked each item off one by one, but her town is just a facade and her characters are paper cut-outs. There’s just no depth to this world and no soul to the characters.
Dates Read: October 30 to 31, 2022
Page Count: 238
2 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Red the Quote 2022 - K - Knee (54/54 - Complete!)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 6 - Read 6 books by an author who is new to you (01/06)
Challenge Factory Dusty Bookshelf - November pick
.
What I'm Reading Right Now: I'm about halfway through the next Oxford Tearoom Mysteries book, The Mousse Wonderful Time of the Year.
What I'm Planning To Read Next: I'm either going to finish off Oxford Tearoom with the last book in the series, Wrongfully Infused, or I'm going to read the library book that just came in, The Book of Koli by MR Carey.
106. Bark to the Future by Spencer Quinn
The last book, at least to date, in the Chet & Bernie series is a great linear mystery that takes Bernie back to his high school days when he runs into an old classmate who is now homeless and traumatized. When Bernie investigates his disappearance, he discovers how much just went over his head in high school and digs up some old secrets. Chet is absolutely fantastic in this one. I love the way his brain works and how he takes everything literally - there was another laugh-out-loud moment for me about Bernie and squirrels - and there was also a hold-your-breath moment of danger in which Chet’s bravery and adoration for Bernie shone through. Great pacing and great emotion in this five-star read!
Dates Read: October 22 to 26, 2022
Page Count: 308
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 15 - read 15 books in a series (05/15)
Challenge Factory Finish What You Started - October pick
**
107. Doom and Broom by Annabel Chase
The second book in the Spellbound series finds Emma defending a younger Berzerker who vandalized a car, and getting caught up in the murder of a werewolf.. Emma’s also taking her broom riding test, which is not good for someone who’s afraid of heights and may just tend to vomit in midair. A lot. I love the developing relationship between ghostly Gareth and Emma, and I liked getting to know a little more about the citizens of Spellbound. It’s an engaging light read with a fun and feisty heroine.
Date read: October 27, 2022
Page Count: 294
5 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 14 - read 15 books in a series (06/15)
Challenge Factory Family Feud - Week 01 - book with double letters in authors name
Lost Challenges Read The Quote 2022 - K - Knee
**
108. The Buzz Kill by Katherine Hayton
Oh my. Where to start? The main character in this simplistic story is an autistic beekeeper. The author has never heard of the word subtlety, so she riddles this character with over-the-top mannerisms and thought patterns that reek of cliche. The dialogue and by-the-book plot points are just clunky, and the book abruptly ends with a subplot involving a dog still unresolved. On the plus side, I learned a little bit about bees.
Date Read: October 28, 2022
Page Count: 103
1 out of 5 stars
Four Moon Challenge 07 - with an insect on the cover
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 9 - read 9 books that have a cover you love (01/09)
**
109. The Dough Must Go on by HY Hanna
I’m normally pretty happy to spend a few hours with Gemma and the Old Biddles, but this one just sort of left a sour taste in my mouth. The premise is clunky: Gemma gets involved in catering a new British talent show, of which the Old Biddies “granny group” somehow isn’t one those deliberately bad ones that doesn’t get past the judges and instead makes it onto the show. The pacing is off, with a lot of jumping ahead. And this is the second book in a row where the author uses dialect in what feels like a less-than-PC / condescending manner that just rubbed me the wrong way. The mystery itself had a good range of suspects and was one of the better ones, but overall the book just didn’t work for me.
Dates Read: October 29 to 30, 2022
Page Count: 338
3 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 15 - read 15 books in a series (07/15)
Challenge Factory Finish What You Started - November pick
**
110. The Ghost Hunter Next Door by Danielle Garrett
Scarlet is a florist who can see and communicate with ghosts. She’s moved to a small town that conveniently also has a mentioned-but-not-seen vampire and witch population. I’m sorry to say that this is a cookie-cutter novel that’s a pale imitation of a paranormal cozy mystery. It’s like the author had a checklist and just ticked each item off one by one, but her town is just a facade and her characters are paper cut-outs. There’s just no depth to this world and no soul to the characters.
Dates Read: October 30 to 31, 2022
Page Count: 238
2 out of 5 stars
Lost Challenges Red the Quote 2022 - K - Knee (54/54 - Complete!)
Lost Challenges Pyramid of Books - Task 6 - Read 6 books by an author who is new to you (01/06)
Challenge Factory Dusty Bookshelf - November pick
.