📚🗓September Reads So Far

Find my full reviews on Goodreads, B&N, Amazon, Fable, StoryGraph, Bookbub.

Riley Dares

4.5 Fun, great for a relaxed mystery read afternoon, not very complex, perfect to introduce the genre to young readers. Mixes magic with mystery/incestigation and it's set around an escape room. High stakes: a famous author disappears during the inauguration game, leaving a bloodied show behind. There is a young girl, a ghost, ready to join the trio of friends to solve the case. Already includes a peek into book 2 presenting a message from unexpected characters. (Not that unexpected eheh)

The cover artwork is gorgeous and with clues. Love the mao inside too.

Scythe

5 🌟

What an amazing brave story of a world that is dystopian but very relatable to our modern days.

A murder mystery, a balance of moral values.

The Christmas House

4.5 🌟

What an amazing brave story of a world that is dystopian but very relatable to our modern days.

A murder mystery, a balance of moral values.

On Fridays

5 🌟

4.5 This is a short literary fiction work for children that is not focused on a fast-paced action plot format to entertain, but more of a quiet, emotional (kinda sad and bleak isolation) and introspection of their lives. Both POVs (Caleb & Val) realize from their coming-of-age difficulties and how they have to grow quickly. It touches many hard subjects, such as divorce, difficulty adapting to a new school that doesn't put effort into understanding or listening to the students' point of view, communication, animal abuse, body shaming... and so much more that kids can relate to. It's told from a very mature perspective, taking these subjects seriously as trauma. I love the parallelism of Lyra's story (the dog) and how they save themselves (taking action to pick the right path for themselves) at the same time that they save Lyra. The chapters are very short, with scenes of thoughts that focus more on relevant moments of the story rather than detailing each step by step of their daily routine.

Caleb needs to make a choice thinking of what is best for his future.

It has a lot that teachers and educators can use to explore in the classroom.

I liked the cover art and size of the book very much.

O Caso Couto

5 🌟

<strong>Conto curto e bem estruturado </strong>

Um excelente conto, repleto de tensão. O autor explora a pressão do medo e da ansiedade na mente feminina diante de dúvidas e traições no casamento, sentimentos que distorcem a realidade e conferem à trama um toque gótico. Adorei a linguagem e os maneirismos dos personagens. Até mesmo pequenos gestos ajudam a construir suas personalidades e o universo da história. Daria uma ótima peça de teatro.

Best In Murder

5 🌟

A very satisfying end to the series where all volumes can be read as standalones, but for that extra layer of continuity that makes the characters friends we like to visit often, reading in order adds a crescendo of emotions.

Each volume has one or more murder mysteries to solve, sometimes very entangled with the characters' personal lives, sometimes because they stumble upon cases and can't let injustice remain unsolved. Not all volumes have themes that will please all readers, but I found that when the character stories weren't my favorite part, the mystery cases in that particular book made up for it.

I was team Mac all the way through (and the only character above him was Gnarly), but David also developed into a fun, responsible, and interesting POV.

I simply adored little Minerva in this book; among other children, she was my favorite with that big Wolfhound dog that she could actually ride eheh. The humor in this volume was contained and well balanced, giving us very fun imagery (in this dog show happening at the Spencer Inn, the most peculiar owners have the most hilarious dogs) and exasperated Jeff Ingles (manager at the Inn), who is no stranger to all sorts of unexpected scenarios that have passed through the Inn (during all volumes), will have to manage the dogs, but worse: their owners' absurd demands. Of course Mayor Gnarly is on top of what happens.

I loved when characters get upset by Gnarly's unblinking, analyzing stare, but they still respect him as the Mayor. Eheheh.

Plot twists, slow start but lots of action towards the end, great family, community values from the good guys vs the greed, addiction, money power and exploitation from the bad ones.

The good thing about this author is addiction, if we run out of books in one series we can jump into one of her other series and still get a crossover with some characters showing up, like Mac's daughter being the main character of her own series, or Mac making appearances in Chris Matheson books.

There are many elements for which I recommend this series but if you are a dog lover don't miss it. There was once Lassie in our childhood memories, now there is Gnarly.

Strange is the Light

No ranking

Tried 3 times and quit at 63% Such a missed opportunity. The blurb and the cover elements make a promise of D&D, Game this aspect ends being just a tiny more accessory, barely a grain of sand in a sea of repetitions. I felt cheated. Perhaps if the author would just have told her story and the publisher didn't try to marketed it in the "game" trend it would have found the right audience.

I couldn't no longer take or empathise with Daphne's addictions and thoughts towards the different friends. It's not just slow, but repetitive and full of dragging introspection I couldn't relate or care for.

Morte no Parque

5 🌟

Este foi o meu primeiro contato com os livros deste autor e gostei bastante. Adoro livros com muitas personagens (e bem diferentes) com enredos complexos que viram tudo de pernas pro ar quando menos esperamos. Aposto que a forma como o autor escreve esta série é sempre entusiasmante, dando-nos mais do que um crime por livro, uma corrida contra o tempo que faz ser difícil de largar o livro, para além disso tem um bom balanço entre drama, momentos tristes e terríveis, e investigação como um puzzle. O diálogo das personagens é bastante real e característico (divertem-me as expressões tugas, especialmente pra alguém que mora fora e está sempre a ouvir outra língua, este livro lido pelo autor foi divertido.) Tendo estes elementos em conta o que vai variar no gosto por leitor vai ser temas, localização e resolução do crime.

Neste caso: um dos meus temas favoritos: escritores. Escritores num parque lindo de Portugal.

King Sorrow

4.75 🌟

An amazing EPIC fantasy journey in our modern and urban times. Gwen was my favorite character, but Allie and Donna have really great scenes. Only after I read it did I realize the main ones were Arthur & Gwen with a sword... aww

Raw, gritty, sometimes smutty (this is where I am not a 100% fun, but it's a style) down-to-earth, as this family of authors has delivered many times. No-excuses kind of characters with all their flaws.

Ghoulia series (all good)

5 🌟

This is my first volume of this awesome Tim Burton-esque zombie family series. I was very impressed by the illustrations so I will be collecting all of these. A short, fun mystery. Amazing cover too that was what grabbed me first. Ahah the potion was all but not a life elixir. A discovery of some family secrets.

Awesome Friendly spooky stories

5+ 🌟

Not very scary perfect for Halloween spooky season if you want to keep the scary tone down. This author has already proven that we'll read relatable fun and relevant themes for example: wanting the parents to spend more time with the kids instead of overworking (in a way some of these stories are good for the parents too), and super fun silly vocabulary .

In one story the hospital says they have to take the pinkie, good thing the pinkie is not a very important finger ahah, but the pinkie is offended and he will journey back to his boy and it's a hard journey he wished he was a thumb. Ahah

I read /listened a copy on Librofm, but I bet the illustrations are awesome.

Game of Pets

5 🌟

Ok. First: this is a series so this volume is to introduce the plot and characters, don't expect an epic world invasion of pets dominating all to be resolved in episode 1. Kids will want volume 2 yesterday!! As for episode 1 it was hilarious. I can't wait to get more insight after that MAJOR plot twist at the end. I laughed out loud. I love animals talking and improbable heroes. I'm pretty sure my neighbor's cat is one of the "pets" from this story.

Mirrorwoven

5+ 🌟

5+

I give + to books I love and I know I will reread on my birthday, on Bilbo's Birthday,

All Hallow's Eve, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year's Day... St. Valentine's Day... We have one (of these fav celebrations) each year but we still celebrate them full of emotion. A hug we want to repeat to remember favorite memories. I have a few themed books that fit each, will add this one to my Christmas fantasy month and Valentine's recs.

This book has a lot of favorite moments. The main character has the most hilarious remarks and thoughts (I laughed and gasped aloud). The sapphic love/interest triangle is done in a way that makes me reconsider my usual opinion of the trope.

Court intrigue, magic, betrayal, ambition, invasion.

This novel is like a ballet, has the Christmas feel of a Nutcracker play with a magical world with sprinkles of fairy tale and D&D (this is a very personal opinion) Many times people think: this should be made into a movie, I would love to get tickets to see a high-production musical or ballet. It would be amazing: the ball scene, the humor, the mirror, the takeover of the evil side winning for a few chapters, the sacrifice, and the sad but promising ending.

Said the Dead

5+ 🌟

5+ So sad, I read it as a non fiction as the author researched and collected all the voices silenced, all the lives of the women neglected, abused and forgotten. An asylum turned into apartment buildings, so the reader investigating them gives these ghost voices a chance to live in our memories.

It's very powerful and we done.

I recommend both book and the audiobook.

The Bar at the End of the Road

5 🌟

This one would make a great show or movie. Hotel California and Lost have a horror kid. Great ending. Taking values and believes to the limit. They have their trauma, their crimes sins and second chances to live, but they get caught on a demonic loop to face all darkness of their mind and heart.

Just keep driving...

Magical Library

4.5 🌟

In this magixal world, with this characters, I felt seen. A place that believes all books have something to offer, shouldn't be banned, our tools of knowledge. And sometimes the most unordinary one can be the best kind of chosen one to save it all against kings who want to ban and destroy all.

Very sweet, great for fantasy readers who are transitioning from advance chapter books. Lots of fun characters humans and objects. A fun world, an inspiring main character. This is the first of a series can't wait for the next volume.

The hard cover has overly edges. Will please also magical academy style readers, and those who love a witch with a familiar doing good for the community.

As I Lay Dying

5 🌟

Great classic, right there with the Lonesome Dove. No classic is irrelevant, to be able to grab a classic is to read a moment in the past, a time traveling to what was life before. to look back and see how much some social injustice, the works in the hand of men and the quiet and ilent strength of women in the background are still or... not... a today's problem, like young women left alone ro deal with young pregnancies, sexual abuse... is it a thing just of the padt? no. so please read mkre, nktoce more, change the future more, the past teaches us, books are tools of knowledge. The more we read classics the more we understand that not much has changed. The wife, rotting in the coffin teaches the famoly one last lesson. with this bridal horrifying journey they show exactly their true nature, the good and the bad.

Love this author's writing style. Exploring different Povs, the dialogue is a workshop on fleshing out characters with distinct personality in a short number of pages, the word choices for the prose is effective. A great portal into the past.

Birth of a Witch

5 🌟

New series from this author: three witches, past lives, the iconic past dish that always makes me so hungry when the characters of this author decide to cook. Awesome, high, elegant, feel-good vibes. The first young witch was murdered at 13 years old; he didn't stop it bit now, in the present, they will gather the items, get together, make the visions come true, and the magic work. There is one with dark power, always tempting and destroying all.

Take me to Ireland, Boston, Yellowstone...

It always leaves me in a good mood, even with degenerative elements from previous novels or others with witches we love so much.

I will continue this series, and I have a few friends to whom I will gift a copy for Christmas.

Will include this one in my list of rereads once per year, for Spooky season.

Divine Oaths

3.5 🌟

New series from this author: three witches, past lives, the iconic past dish that always makes me so hungry when the characters of this author decide to cook. Awesome, high, elegant, feel-good vibes. The first young witch was murdered at 13 years old; he didn't stop it bit now, in the present, they will gather the items, get together, make the visions come true, and the magic work. There is one with dark power, always tempting and destroying all.

Take me to Ireland, Boston, Yellowstone...

It always leaves me in a good mood, even with degenerative elements from previous novels or others with witches we love so much.

I will continue this series, and I have a few friends to whom I will gift a copy for Christmas.

Will include this one in my list of rereads once per year, for Spooky season.

The Secret of Belonging

5+ 🌟

Amazing novel. Frontal, brutal truth and amazing strength to save yourself from a family that chooses to sink, ignore your needs, and drag you down. The strength and letting go of the guilt of a girl who can't save her brother from addiction or make her parents make different choices. Surviving is leaving and finding a place you belong.

Awesome in verse novel , short but powerful.

Lots of new foreign vocabulary we can actually learn some words and sentences. Pair it with audio for accent.

Crimes Past

5 🌟

Not all wedding stories in this series end well, some don't even start (I'm looking at you, David!) Kidding. This has such a sad beginning with a flashback to a wedding of a police couple with officers in the building, and they both end up dead. One of Mac's cold cases that still haunts him, so he offers the child from the past, to whom he promised to catch the murderer, a 5-star unforgettable wedding. As always this author is never satisfied in giving us 1 case, in one book with get about 3 books in one, 3 deaths, a wedding, and the success of Gnarly's book release filled with wisdom, that even Mac read. Eheheh. There is also a case with cats.

Ok. Big news and big twist, if you've been following this series this volume is a core one when it comes to family/Spencer/community lore. You... have... to... meet... Gabriel.

I'm not a 100% fan of David's actions I am totally Team Mac, but Gabriel had me laughing out loud.

The author gives us great mystery cases, more than one, cold case, humor, blunt dark themes when it comes to murder scenes, lots of red herrings (I didn't guess a single thing in this one, and sometimes neither did the characters). Fun read.

Shadow of Murder

3.5 🌟

This was a strange one, because the main characters and POVs are new characters. I would say this is a companion to the series rather than vol. 14, and I appreciate the author's choices. The author has many characters with different beliefs and to avoid making Mac, Archie or David judge others she brought other characters to address a different set of themes. While the Murder at Astaire Castle was a Halloween-ish haunting with pagan elements, and the Canceled Vows was more of a Christian-pleasing, this one brings a mix of the two, giving us, not werewolves but angels & demons, summoning dark forces, great for fans of Arturo Pérez-Reverte and Dan Brown. Although this was not at the top of my fav ones, the author always includes in one story information on the characters and their lives, while they are solving a crime.

I liked that it has been a year and some, David is married to Gabriel's mom and they're having a baby.

Dog Heist

4.5 This is a short literary fiction work for children that is not focused on a fast-paced action plot format to entertain, but more of a quiet, emotional (kinda sad and bleak isolation) and introspection of their lives. Both POVs (Caleb & Val) realize from their coming-of-age difficulties and how they have to grow quickly. It touches many hard subjects, such as divorce, difficulty adapting to a new school that doesn't put effort into understanding or listening to the students' point of view, communication, animal abuse, body shaming... and so much more that kids can relate to. It's told from a very mature perspective, taking these subjects seriously as trauma. I love the parallelism of Lyra's story (the dog) and how they save themselves (taking action to pick the right path for themselves) at the same time that they save Lyra. The chapters are very short, with scenes of thoughts that focus more on relevant moments of the story rather than detailing each step by step of their daily routine.

Caleb needs to make a choice thinking of what is best for his future.

It has a lot that teachers and educators can use to explore in the classroom.

I liked the cover art and size of the book very much.

Holiday at the Castle

3.5 🌟

I feel that I would have liked this companion short book if I had read the original series first, otherwise we don't really get the depth of their relationships and characters.

A fun Christmas decoration short episode but start with thr full novels.

Chloe Vega book 1

4.5 🌟

A Satisfying latinx magic academy the adults will find nostalgic and the kids with appreciate the contemporary relatable scenes. This is a good balance one with adults and kids acting. It don't just rely on kids to solve it all while the parents are oblivious (well, ironically some will be but against their will.) Lots of action, great take academy.