Make Believe

Are you freaking kidding me?!? This book is a love letter to children's literature and is a MUST READ! It was funny, insightful, and so essential. Mac Barnett is a beloved children's book author and he decided to use his influence and platform to write a book for adults about the importance of making and reading GOOD books for children. No summary will do this book justice; Make Believe is a slim, 180 page rallying cry for authors, librarians, editors, educators, and adults who read to children. Mac talks about why kids are so amazing and why we need to make the books they WANT not the books we think they need. Kid's books are worthy and not just for kids. Kids deserve the same appreciation and care that give to adult books. Essential reading! I liked it so much, I bought my own copy after reading the library copy.  

Murder in an Irish Village

This was the cute start to an Irish cozy mystery series. I related to this book a fair bit. Not because I'm a gorgeous, talented red haired Irish beauty; but because Siobhán O’Sullivan is the oldest daughter, has six siblings, and has dead parents (I have one dead mom and that's enough, but you get the picture). Since her parent's unexpected death by a drunk driver, Siobhán has become guardian of the younger siblings, taken over running her parents cafe, and deferred her dream of going to Trinity College to stay home and make sure the family stays together. When they open up the bistro one morning and find a dead body (the brother of the drunk who killed their parents!), Siobhán knows she has to get to the bottom of it to clear her family's name and save them from financial ruin. It doesn't help that the town police has their eyes firmly set on James, the eldest brother because he was on a drinking bender the night of the murder. Full of twists and turns, figuring out who the murderer was, eluded me until the very end! I'll read more in the series for sure! 

The Daisy Chain Flower Shop

Dream Harbor is so cute and lovely and I love getting to read every new book in the series. The Daisy Chain Flower Shop features Daisy, flower shop owner and newcomer to town, Elliot. After the mayor has a vision of a storm cloud above Daisy's flower shop and three couples who used Daisy to make their wedding floral arrangements have split up, the town of Dream Harbor has decided that the Daisy Chain Flower Shop is cursed and business practically dries up. Desperate for newcomers, Daisy decides that a fake relationship might be the thing to turn her business around. They'll never actually develop feelings for each other... right? Fake dating is probably my least favorite romance trope, but whatever, it's fine. Not my favorite in the series, but it's cute, quick, and fun. I'm interested to see who the next couple will be, it's shaping up to be Elliot's brother and the town vet!

Dungeon Crawler Carl

I'm annoyed it took me so long to read this! Freaking obsessed. Hell of a great start to a series. I was hooked from the very beginning. Snarky, laugh out loud funny, adventurous, gory, and fun - this has something to appeal to most everyone. When Carl runs outside in the middle of the night to rescue his ex-girlfriend's cat he doesn't expect the world to essentially end. But while he's outside in his leather coat and frayed boxers coaxing Donut down from a tree every building in the world sinks into the earth's surface killing anyone and anything that was unfortunate to be inside at 2am. Immediately after that happens, thousands of portals open up and tempt surviving humans to enter within one hour if they want to survive. Inside the entrance is a series of levels filled with insane beasts and monsters. Carl and Donut will have to take them on in order to survive. And if they do well, they can get sponsors and be featured on intergalactic tv as trillions of beings around the galaxy are tuned into the games. How deep in the dungeon can he go? And did he just become best friend's with his exe's cat (who can also talk now). So much freaking fun!

The Potter's Field

It's been a long time since I watched this episode of the Brother Cadfael series on Masterpiece Theater so I was surprised at the end. Hoodwinked again! This whole series brings me so much joy. A body was found buried in a potter's field. There didn't appear to be any foul play, but it was clear she must have been murdered otherwise she would have been given a proper Christian funeral. Brother Cadfael and Hugh Berringer must figure out who the woman is and who killed her there. There are lots of men who look guilty, so the pair will have to use all their cunning to uncover their truth. Give me more!

Within the Black

A middle grade novel about grief and losing yourself to anger and pain. Will's mom died and everyone seems to be handling it better than him. His older sister isn't fighting his friends, his younger brother isn't hiding in his room, his dad isn't hiding things that remind him of her. Only Will. When nowhere comes for him, he embraces it. It's an escape from reality and in Nowhere, he can embrace the black, the cold nothingness of forgetfulness. But his family and friends keep trying to pull him back and make him remember. But Will just wants to forget, it hurts less. A good novel about grief, but the concept of Nowhere and the Keeper and the Caretaker needed a little finessing. As an adult reading this novel, I had trouble following the thread sometimes. 

St. Peter's Fair

Derek Jacobi could read a phone book for all I care and I will still love it. As a child I watched Brother Cadfael with my mother and I am so glad to finally be reading the books that the PBS masterpiece theater series was based off of. Brother Cadfael is a medieval monk who always seems to stumble upon a mystery, during the annual fair a merchant is found murdered in the river, his valuables abandoned. Is this just a random act of thievery or is there something more sinister afoot? Wonderfully narrated by Derek Jacobi, this medieval murder mystery is damn good and keeps you guessing. Give me more!