Lucas the Spy Cat (Jake the Growling Dog) by Samantha Shannon

 

Lucas the Spy Cat by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Do you have a cat and ever wondered where it goes in the middle of the night while you are sleeping away? Well, Lucas's family wondered the same thing so they made a spy cam for him to wear. They are thinking he's got to be out solving all the world's problems, helping those who can't help themselves, or just having some fun. Once he returns home in the morning and while he's sleeping, the family uploads the video to see what he's been up to all night long.

This is such a fun book but what really caught my eye was the absolutely gorgeous and vivid illustrations!! These really make this book! There are many brilliant colors and lots of different textures captured within these pictures. This book can be used for so many great things...pointing out/teaching colors as well as animals, learning new words, learning about technology, as well as how using imagination can take you many places! The ending of this book has multiple suggestions for creative thinking whether at home, school, or elsewhere.

A beautiful book that would make a great gift for young (and even not-so-young!) minds!

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Operation Blackbird (Brass Compass Series Book 2) by Ellen Butler

 

Operation Blackbird by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a riveting follow up to The Brass Compass in which CIA operative Miriam Becker is doing all she can to prevent WWIII. The setting is East Berlin and the KGB is crawling all over the place. It's her job to rescue a rocket scientist and get out of East Berlin without being detected. She knows that one wrong move can change the outcome of this mission and possibly history itself.

This is another great read with very historically accurate references! I enjoy this author's writing style and how she chooses strong female leads in her stories. This is a true page turner filled with a lot of action, some romance, and a story for the ages.

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The Brass Compass by Ellen Butler

 

The Brass Compass by Ellen Butler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoy a good WWII novel and this one did not disappoint. Ellen Butler is a new-to-me author and I look forward to more of her work!

Lily Saint James has lived a life of privilege being able to attend the best schools and receive proper training in how to be a lady. Her father's job has allowed much of this to happen. It's Lily's senior year and she's excited to be able to finish school and be back home with her parents and possibly start searching for a proper suitor. When her mother becomes very ill after an extended stay in Africa, Lily travels to reach her but she's too late. This absolutely crushes Lily and has her desiring to enter into service to her country, but in a more back door way.

Lily becomes an OSS agent and finds herself in the middle Germany, which she needs to escape, but not before gathering as much intel as possible.

This book is exciting, full of action, a little bit of romance, and great historically accurate references. I found this book very enjoyable and will be reading book 2 next!

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Better Gnomes & Gardens (Mysty Haven Mystery Book 1) by Casey Cardel

 

Better Gnomes & Gardens by Casey Cardel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bob McLarney is having a bad day. He was just fired from his journalism position after a measly two weeks. The editor wanted a gripping story and Bob chose to write about the existence of Big Foot. Boss man wasn't happy so Bob is looking for another source of income. He's just moved to Mysty Haven and has a few months of free rent so he's wanting to stay where he is.

Bob frequents the local coffee shop gathering any gossip that's going on. He's approached by an elderly man who's looking for someone to help him find his newest gnome that's gone missing from his garden. Bob agrees to help out but learns pretty quickly that Mysty Haven isn't quite the place that he though it might be. He also learns that he's not who he thought he was.

This was a fun little novella to read on a rainy afternoon. It includes all sorts of paranormal characters, most of which have some comical elements. This was an enjoyable short read.

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Yesterday's Over (Philly Heat Series Book 3) by Becky Flade

 

Yesterday's Over by Becky Flade
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am loving this series and I'm so glad that Trudy gets her own story! I've been following her through this series and she's one of my favorite characters.

Trudy is the medical examiner and some bones are located the likes that she's never seen. It's up to her to find out who this is and to help identify who did this to them. Her services are invaluable to the police department but can her kind spirit endure the emotional toil that it's taking on her?

Ms. Flade does it again with another great novel full of mystery, suspense, and romance. I found myself on the edge of my seat as I read this thrilling, fast-paced novel. I'll be looking forward to more great reads by this author!

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Fall to Pieces (Philly Heat Series Book 2) by Becky Flade

 

Fall to Pieces by Becky Flade
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lexi Danvers is still trying to come to grips with the horrible and untimely death of her husband, Robert. On top of that, she's given a new partner in the homicide division. As a detective, she's dedicated to her job, sometimes too much. As a friend and lover, she's not as dedicated and uses people, although it's not always purposeful.

Xavier Knight is the new detective assigned as Lexi's partner. He's not without some skeletons in his closet either, although he keeps that door pretty closed. What he's not happy about is that he's been hired to keep an eye on Lexi. She's a loose cannon and could become a liability to the division. Xavier isn't sure he can defy the trust of his partner.

There is a child killer on the loose and Lexi is pretty sure she knows who's committing these crimes. How can she solve these murders when her shield is in question?

I love this author and this is only the second book I've read of hers. This story is gritty and covers some very difficult themes that are unfortunately happening far too often in our country. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Flade's work!

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Borrowed Time by Lane Cohen

 

Borrowed Time by Lane Cohen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever wanted to travel back in time? If so, what would you want to see or do? I'd love to go back to the Bible times and see Jesus and his disciples. I would also love to go back to the time of Abraham Lincoln and meet his former love, Anne Rutledge (who is a family member!).

Andy Case is a physics professor and well, physics can be a bit boring at times. I personally enjoyed my physics classes and loved seeing this topic featured in this book. His students are losing interest but come up with an idea to create a time machine. Andy isn't quite sure about this idea but, why not give it a try?

There are many accurately described historical events which makes this book intriguing and fun! I was a little surprised about some of the events that were not changed by the group, but then again, maybe they didn't need to be. Changing on small little feature of an event can change an entire course of history!!

Finally, this book cover is beautiful! It's very attractive to the eye and is one of the things that attracted me to this book.

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