Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

by Carol6 Comments
Meddling Kids was my "scary" read for October and I have to say I loved it. In full disclosure, we are huge fans of Scooby-Doo; we own all the original episodes on DVD and some of the newer ones; we read tons of the paperback kids books when Amber was younger. Also, Amber and I have read a fair amount of Lovecraft and we play at least two Lovecraft themed board games occasionally; she even did a report in school on him. So, I feel like I am this book's target audience. I have not read any of Edith Blyton's Famous Five stories, but I feel like I should. This book is fabulous on its own, but it's also a kind of tribute and it knows it, if that makes sense. It doesn't take itself too seriously. Yes, it's fan fic, but the best kind. You can read the blurb. The Blyton Summer Detective Club "solved" their last mystery back in 1977,...
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Santa, Please Bring Me a Gnome by An Swerts

by Carol6 Comments
Santa, Please Bring Me a Gnome is a sweet little Christmas story. I love how Tess' grandparents play along, building furniture and making a blanket for the gnome that Santa will surely bring. Of course, Santa doesn't bring a gnome, but he does bring a darling little hamster who needs a home. And the becomes her best friend of course. The illustrations are sweet and gentle, like the cover. It would be a nice read to book to share with kids. But I'm not a big fan of animals as Christmas presents. It made for a heart-warming ending here, but animals, even hamsters, are a big commitment not something to buy on impulse because your daughter is expecting a gnome on Christmas. But kids won't look at it that way, they'll just enjoy the story and maybe ask for a gnome or hamster of their own....
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The Case of the Cursed Dodo by Jake G. Panda

by Carol4 Comments
I listened to the full cast audio of The Case of the Cursed Dodo. I am not used to listening to books with more than one, or at most two, narrators, so it did take me a chapter or two to get into the groove of it. It was an interesting set-up though. The book is written in kind of a screen play style, so on audio it felt like you were listening to an old-style radio show, which was pretty neat. I liked the characters, all endangered species, and the hotel that serves as the base of operations. Jake is a good semi-hard-boiled detective, gruff and tough, but also loyal. We've even got a dame, although condors are not really my idea of sexy birds. My one complaint is that there are a few too many bad guys, it got a bit confusing who was on which side and why. I also expected to learn a bit more about the...
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Slade House by David Mitchell

by Carol8 Comments
Maybe I should have read The Bone Clocks first. Maybe I just don't get what makes people love David Mitchell. (Do people love David Mitchell?) Maybe it's just not my typical genre? I read Slade House for the RIP XII Group Read. I don't know if I expected it to be spookier or more interesting or what. It was fine, but when I wasn't listening to it, I didn't think about it. I didn't feel the need to share bits of it with anyone or tell my daughter she needs to read it - she's a horror fan. Slade House is a type of haunted house story. Basically, every 9 years a victim is lured into the house. Each time we get to know the victim; they each have a distinct personality, their own quirks, tragedies, or fears that make them relatable. We get some standard spooky house fare, portraits, creeky stairs, mysterious women looking out the windows, warning disembodied voices. But...
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Scared to Death by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards

by Carol2 Comments
Scared to Death was my first visit to Cherringham, but I'm sure it won't be my last. It's a novella, as are most of this series and I really enjoyed it. Sarah and Jack are well-known for solving local mysteries, so when someone is "playing pranks" on Basil Coates, an elderly man who was once the horror film star, his still enchanting wife, a former star herself, calls on the duo to find out what's going on. It's a quick story, but self-contained. We get a good feel for who Sarah and Jack are, although I'm not sure if they're just friends or if there's a potential for more there. I'm hoping the former. The authors also do a good job at fully developing the secondary characters, the Coates househould. There are a couple plausible suspects and Sarah and Jack do a good job at following upon the clues. There was one choice Sarah made that I wish she hadn't, but women amateur...
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Death at Breakfast by Beth Gutcheon

by Carol8 Comments
I expected to enjoy Death at Breakfast. It seemed right up my alley. Recently retired Maggie Detweiler and her old friend, Hope Babbin, are staying at an inn in Maine and attending a week-long (I think) cooking class held by the chef. A great setting, two intelligent but quirky amateur detectives and food - a promising set-up. Quick review: Fine, but not outstanding. It's not exactly a waste of time, but if you have something you're dying to read, skip this and pick that one up instead. On the other hand, the choice of murder weapons is semi-unique. I guess my main problem with the book is that the character I found most interesting is the one who ends up dead. And he was interesting because of his thoughts, his way of seeing the world, things that we no longer see once he's dead. Maggie and Hope are nice and smart, but I didn't connect with either of them. There are a lot of...
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