IQ by Joe Ide

by Carol4 Comments
Isaiah Quintabe - IQ - is Sherlock, if Sherlock was a young black man (at least I think he's black) in modern-day LA who actually cares about the people in his community. He's brilliant, uncorruptible, and determined. He understands people and their feelings and motives. He does his research and plans ahead as well as he can. He finds people and things, deals with cases the police can't or won't. Problem is, he will only take what people can afford in payment, so sometimes it's money, but more often it's muffins or a chicken. Isaiah's side-kick, Dodson, is an interesting guy. He's cocky and more likely to play the angles than Isaiah. Not exactly a Watson, but help nonetheless.He's take the case of a rapper in order to make some money. I though the mystery was well-done. There were several suspects and the hit man was a nasty piece of work. I didn't guess who the would-be killer was, but the...
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Newspaper Hats by Phil Cummings

by Carol2 Comments
Newspaper Hats is a touching story. Georgie's grandfather is losing his memory and sometimes doesn't even remember her. She and her father go to visit him in the nursing home and Georgie asks her grandpa if he remembers her. Grandpa looks at the photos in his room and tells her some of the things he does remember. Finally she picks up a photo of Grandpa, Georgie and her dad where Georgie is wearing a paper hat. Grandpa does remember how to make paper hats and it provides a connecting point for the family. It's a gentle story that I think would be nice to read with kids who are dealing with a similar situation as Georgie, where someone in their family can't remember as well as they used to, whether it be to due to Alzheimer's or something else. It can be tough for adults to see someone losing their memory, but it's difficult for kids to and they have less...
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The Bay – The Tenderloin by Trent Kennedy Johnson

by Carol2 Comments
At least "The Tenderloin" is short. I actually expected to like it; the blurb sounded good: decent cop who may end up charged with murder. Turns out the affair was a couple of years ago and Cole's still obsessing over her. He's also got a major inferiority complex thanks to his dead father and we have to hear over and over how he imagines his dad giving him a B- or exhorting him to more or less be a man. We've got bad guys and worse guys, cops who just don't care about their jobs and are more worried about today's dinner order - Italian in case you wondered. There's a casino in a church, torture, rioting, a dangerous, overwrought lover (other than Cole). Actually, it was almost okay, if a little confusing, until the end, when we get the orgy and the "to be continued." I know this is just episode one, but absolutely nothing was wrapped up. I...
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Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon

by Carol2 Comments
Murder in G Major drew me in because of the mix of mystery and music, set in Ireland to boot. I did have a problem with the whole set up of how Gethsemane at the school and cottage; it just seemed a bit of a stretch, but it's certainly not the first cozy mystery to force its heroine into the spot she needs to be. It's not surprising really that the Irish town is full of an odd mix of people, some good, some bad, some amusing, some crazy. Actually, even the cottage being haunted fits. I did love the interactions between Gethsemane  and her ghost, the composer Eamon McCarthy. She's feisty, he's a hot head, together they're perfect. I liked the school kids too, even if they weren't really given much screen time. The mystery itself was good, just the right amount of clues and suspects. and there was one bit of the ending that I just loved. This is the first in the series and...
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Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

by Carol5 Comments
Ever feel like you are just missing the piece that makes everyone love a book? That's how I feel about Dark Matter. People love it. I thought it was okay, but not outstanding and the ending annoyed me a bit. And, since I had high expectations, just "okay" was really a let down. At heart, Dark Matter is a love story with a bit of philosophy thrown in. It does make you think about how choices affect who you are, the life you lead, how far you would go to hold onto the life you have, how big the universe(s) can be. It's also a thriller, complete with guns and violence and blood. It was fast-paced and a quick read, but I've read a lot of thrillers. I'll grant the twist was interesting, but couldn't carry the book for me. It was the only part that felt really unique, though. But I was expecting sci-fi. I don't read a lot of sci-fi, only...
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Armstrong by Torben Kuhlmann

by Carol3 Comments
I loved Armstrong!! The little mouse's story is exciting and fascinating. It's filled with perfect little details that mirror human thoughts about space but from a mouse's perspective. For example, none of his mouse friends believe the moon is made of stone - they of course think it's cheese. Armstrong is a clever mouse who keeps working, even after disappointments and disasters. Honestly, if you have a child in the 4-8 age range, pick this one up. It's a bit longer than most picture books, but worth it. It's a perfect story for dreamers and future inventors and space enthusiasts. The art is fabulous. We get details of Armstrong's plans and illustrations of New York City that are amazing. The cover and trailer below will give you an idea of the style. Don't worry, though, the English version has English headlines for the newspapers. It was originally published in German, I believe....
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