Aru Shah and the End of Time (Pandava Quartet #1) by Roshani Chokshi

Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

My Rating: ★★★★★

Aru Shah has never fit in with her classmates. She makes up elaborate stories about her family and their extravagant trips in an attempt to fit in with all the rich kids at her school. One day, those stories finally catch up with Aru when three classmates corner her at home, which just happens to be the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture. Dared to prove that her stories are real, she gets pushed into lighting the cursed Lamp of Bharata unless she wants her lies to be exposed for all to see. To everyone’s surprise, the lamp really is cursed, and Aru has to race to save everyone from the evil man, the Sleeper, that she just released into the world.

I absolutely love this book. It’s a hilarious and heartwarming story that had me glued from start to finish. The book ties Hindu mythology into the plot, which is wonderful. I knew a little bit about Hindu mythology before I started the book, but I learned a lot more as the story continued and I googled anything I didn’t know beforehand. There’s also a glossary at the end for anyone who needs it as they read.

The story follows two 12-year-old girls, Aru and Mini. Aru is a self-conscious kid who wants to fit in but has always found herself on the outside. Even at home, her mom seems to always have her mind on something else. In fact, her mom never even told her about her destiny. When Aru accidentally releases the Sleeper, she discovers that she’s one of the legendary Pandava brothers who have been reincarnated to save the world from the Sleeper in this lifetime. While she’s self-conscious, she has a heart of gold and she’s got a sense of humor that can make anyone laugh until they cry. Aru is friendly, witty, and strong, but she doesn’t realize it yet because she’s a pre-teen on the cusp of figuring out who she is.

On the flip side, we have Mini, who is Aru’s soul sister and also one of the Pandava brothers reincarnated. Mini is self-conscious, but she’s smart, kind, and worries a lot. She grew up believing that she’d never be a heroine while aware of the secret world that most people have no idea really exists. Mini is ready to embrace her destiny as soon as she becomes aware of who she is and what she’s meant to do, but she’s also hilarious and worried about all the mundane things that might kill her. One of my favorite lines is from Mini shortly after she meets Aru:

“I hope you don’t have a bee allergy. I only have one EpiPen. But I guess we could share? I’ll stab you, you stab me?”

Mini means well, but she might spook you with the different ailments that one can contract. I love how much she and Aru grow to support each other in the short amount of time they are together on their first big adventure. They quickly embrace each other and become fast friends in addition to soul family.

I also loved the pacing of the story. I felt like I was in the story with the characters and was just as surprised when a day or two passed without Aru and Mini realizing it. My only complaint is that there are moments where Aru and Mini seem like they’re at least 16-years-old rather than two 12-year-olds, but I’ll live. I’ll chalk that up to them being a little ahead of their time at various moments thanks to their first great adventure. I will definitely be back for the second book!

P.S. I Miss You by Jen Petro-Roy

P.S. I Miss You by Jen Petro-Roy

My Rating: ★★★★

Evie’s parents are strict Catholics and they find it highly embarrassing that their oldest daughter, Cilla, is pregnant out of wedlock. After several fights, Cilla finally agrees to move out, put the baby up for adoption once they’re born, and enter an all girls Catholic private school. Upset that she didn’t even get to say goodbye, Evie starts writing her big sister letters every day and doesn’t get a single letter in return. As the new school year starts, Evie begins to wish that Cilla was around more than ever as she tries to figure out her sexuality and what it means for her family. If her parents rejected Cilla as a sinner for getting pregnant, she can only imagine how her parents will react when they find out that she’s a lesbian.

This is an absolutely wonderful story that’s told through a series of letters that Evie writes to her older sister. We watch Evie struggle with loneliness after her biggest confidant and sister is sent away. Evie has friends, but there’s a hole in her life now that her sister is gone. She can’t visit or talk to her on the phone, but she can write letters, so that’s what she does. Petro-Roy truly captures how close siblings can be, and how it feels when they’re suddenly apart. Even when Evie was mad at Cilla, I could tell that she loved her far more than she was angry with her. I love that Evie also saw her sister as this cool person who is a bit of a role model because it’s so common for one to view an older sibling as really smart and cool.

As the book continues, Evie begins to realize that she’s never had a crush on a boy and that she feels something more than a friendship toward her new friend, June. I’m glad that this book exists because I think it’ll help kids realizing that they’re not straight become aware that there are others going through the same things that they are. As readers, we like to see bits of ourselves appear in what we read because it’s relatable, so it’s important that LGBT characters are brought to life in books geared toward middle schoolers and young adults. It’s wonderful to see Evie go from concerned that there’s something wrong with her to realizing that there’s nothing wrong with her and that being a lesbian is normal. We also see her become afraid of what her parents might say or do if they knew based on how they reacted to Cilla’s pregnancy and how they respond to seeing gay couples. Whether or not they will accept her or send her away weighs on her mind, and she hopes to get advice from Cilla about what to do.

There are so many important themes and topics covered in a realistic way that I cannot praise it enough. Guilt and grief is present throughout the book. We see how several of the characters deal with guilt and grief in different ways as well as how their reactions affect one another. Secrets are a huge theme that becomes more apparent as the story continues. It’s really interesting to see why each character chose to keep their secrets. In Evie’s case, she’s afraid of how people will react when she tells them that she’s a lesbian, so it’s understandable as well as important that she share this part of herself on her own terms. Her parents keep secrets in an attempt to protect her, which appears to be a choice made out of grief and denial. Cilla kept secrets because she knew her parents would react badly about her pregnancy let alone her decision to have premarital sex.

This is such a wonderful book. I highly recommend it and I will definitely keep an eye out for future books by this author.

Catch Me if Yukon (Passport to Peril #12) by Maddy Hunter

Catch Me if Yukon by Maddy Hunter
My Rating: ★★★★

I received a copy from Midnight Ink through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emily and her husband have taken their group of world traveling seniors and a small book club to Alaska where they’re sure everyone will survive the trip. After whale watching goes well, the trip quickly takes a turn when a tour member is murdered on a hiking trail. Once it appears that Emily’s father caught the legendary Big Foot on film, everyone questions whether or not it was Big Foot or a member of the tour that murdered their fellow traveler. Emily believes that Big Foot is just a legend, but is it possible that he really exists and attacked a poor unsuspecting hiker? Watch Emily slowly unravel the mystery in the latest installment of this hilarious series!

I am so excited about this installment. Big Foot? Sign me up! Being introduced to this series is probably one of the best things that’s happened because it’s such a fun and heartfelt series that’s also unbelievably hilarious. Just when you think Maddy Hunter has done it all, she brings us another entertaining installment that will leave you in stitches.

This time around, Emily’s parents are traveling with her and her group of regulars as well as the new characters that are a part of a book club. Emily’s mom, Margaret, is usually a bit irritating but she wasn’t so bad this time around. She also has one of the best lines in the novel:

“It’s Bob’s creature. It’s gone on a killing spree!” – Chapter 8

I always love Emily’s father, Bob, and that didn’t change this time around. In fact, he’s a man of little words, but this is probably the most he’s spoken during the series. The regulars are back and continuing their shenanigans with taking pictures and trying to get the most social media hits. I love that something always happens to Bernice. This time around, she gets ignored and has one of her social media posts mistaken as something that Bob posted.

I also love that Big Foot is a mysterious addition to the book. Bob accidentally caught what appears to be Big Foot, or a funny looking tree, in one of his photos, which causes a media frenzy. No one knows if Big Foot is really in the photo, especially because Big Foot has never been confirmed to exist. So many people are questioning their existence, if they killed a member of their tour, and if it was really just a funny looking tree or a wild animal caught in the photo. Funnily enough, who or what Bob caught on camera is confirmed at some point during the book and I love it.

While many of the books in the series can be read in any order, I think this one might be a little harder for people new to the series to follow because of the amount of characters. There are the regulars that are in each book, Emily’s parents, the book club, a tour guide, a bus driver, two detectives, and the unseen spouses of two members of the book club. Plus, there’s Jackie via phone and the members of her tour. I think that it’s easier for fans of the series to follow because we already know the characters that have appeared in past installments, so the new characters are easier to recognize and put a name to. If this was the first book that I ever read from the series, I would’ve had a hard time following along because of the amount of characters. As someone who occasionally starts a series by picking up a random installment, I think that anyone who chooses to start with this book will have a hard time following along.

That said, I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s fun, heartwarming, and bound to make you laugh several times. Emily didn’t do as much investigating as she usually does, but it was still fun to see her come to her own conclusions, which are always wrong. I didn’t figure out who the killer was until it was right in my face, just like Emily. The signs were there but I didn’t put two and two together! Instead, I developed a crack theory of sorts toward the end that was totally wrong. Emily and I were in the same boat on that front! As always, I can’t wait until the next installment.

Engaged in Danger (Jamie Quinn Mystery #4) by Barbara Venkataraman

Engaged in Danger by Barbara Venkataraman

My Rating: ★★★★

Jamie Quinn is just getting comfortable when life decides to kick up some dust. Her loving boyfriend, Kip, is taking off to Australia to save and preserve northern hairy-nosed wombats for three months. Plus, she gets in a fight with her best friend right as they team up on a huge and difficult divorce case. To top things off, someone is trying to sabotage her, a small case she took as a favor is blowing up, and someone just tried to frame her for murder. Just when she thinks that things can’t get any crazier, she falls straight into a trap when all she wants to do is get to the bottom of her two biggest cases and make up with her bestie.

One of the things that I love about this series is that there are multiple mysteries occurring at once. This time around, Jamie is working on a major divorce case involving a threatening man. Plus, she’s helping her neighbors find the info they need so that they can start a case against whoever is at fault for a plane crash, which soon becomes a much bigger case than anyone realized. These books always involve her work mysteries and personal mysteries, first with Jamie’s father and now with her lovely neighbors. It’s an extra touch that I love. I look forward to seeing how these dual mysteries continue to present themselves as the series continues. 

Plus, it was fun seeing this great cast of characters return for another installment. Jamie is such a fun character. She doesn’t like conflict, which makes her a reluctant lawyer, and she’s got a big heart that she wears on her sleeve. Jamie can also be a bit lippy about dating, which gets her in trouble with her best friend, Grace. I also enjoyed seeing Duke again. Not only is hilarious, but he has a great name. Marmaduke! I always enjoy the banter that goes on between him and Jamie and seeing what kind of shenanigans he will get up to. I also love Jamie’s cousin, Adam. He’s such a wonderful character and I love seeing him again.

While I love Kip, we didn’t see him much this time around as he was in Australia for majority of the book. Maybe next time, Kip! I also love Grace, but I’ve come to realize that she’s a bit immature in regards to her romantic relationships. Between Grace viewing her boyfriends through rose tinted shades and Jamie’s strong opinions on said boyfriends, the two are always at odds about dating. I couldn’t believe how immature Grace was this time around. She was working on a huge case with Jamie all while refusing to communicate with her unless by e-mail through her assistant. While Jamie could zip it up a little, even about Grace’s exes, I think Grace has some growing to do.

I haven’t covered all of the characters, but all of them, including the new ones, were fun to see as the story unfolded. I’m excited to see where Jamie and the rest of the characters will go from here. I’m hoping that we can see Jamie’s father in the near future. My fingers are crossed for the two of them!

Woven in Wire: Dimensional Wire Weaving in Fine Art Jewelry by Sarah Thompson

Woven in Wire: Dimensional Wire Weaving in Fine Art Jewelry by Sarah Thompson

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from F+W Media through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been making jewelry since I was a kid and I got into wire weaving after taking a class on wire weaving rings with my mom. I jump back into wire weaving on and off and mainly make rings and pendants, so I got excited when I saw this book. The cover is beautiful and I could tell that Sarah Thompson is very talented at what she does. Naturally, I was interested in what she has to say and what kind of wisdom she is sharing with everyone.

This book is more of a guide than a step by step book for beginners, which is cool because there are step by step instructions that slowly become more in depth as the projects and techniques become more complex. Thompson intends for this book to be a guide to help people new and old to wire weaving to learn or develop new techniques. In the process, we also get wonderful pictures of the beautiful pieces that she has created, which gives readers an idea of the kind of things that they can make as they become more experienced.

While the projects are not marked as beginner, intermediate, and advanced, it’s pretty easy to tell based on looking at the project and the graph that accompanies it. I think it’ll be pretty neat for people new to wire weaving to see and experience how simple it is to create items that appear a lot more complex than they are. This book is also great because Thompson covers all of the tools and other supplies that she uses, what they are for, and the pros and cons of the different types of wire that one can craft with. Not all of the tools are a must, but she explains what she recommends and what one might buy based on what they plan on making. I want to dig out my wire weaving supplies and get crafting after reading this book. I’ve never made a bracelet and I want to give it a go!

Tough Mothers: Amazing Stories of History’s Mightiest Matriarchs by Jason Porath

Tough Mothers: Amazing Stories of History’s Mightiest Matriarchs by Jason Porath

My Rating: ★★★★

When I heard that Jason Porath had another book coming out, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Tough Mothers, which focuses on badass mothers in history, is a bit different because it only includes women who were mothers and it does not include anyone whose existence cannot be confirmed. Like Rejected Princesses, Tough Mothers has color coded trigger warnings at the beginning of each chapter so readers can decide if they will be reading the chapter. Each chapter also lets you know if it has mature content in it so that people who are reading the book with their children can skip chapters based on their kid’s age groups.

Starting each chapter with beautiful artwork, Porath has done it again and provided a wonderful book that also serves as a starting for anyone looking to learn about badass women in history that they have not heard of. From there, one can do their own research and learn about these badass ladies. He also notes when there’s conflicting stories about the person in question and urges readers to continue their own research after putting down his book. As a history buff, I enjoy when he notes some of the reasons why rumors were spread about each person and why some may have been selected to record in history.

Porath’s is skilled at mixing history, humor, and imagery, which is a clever way to catch reader’s interest. I also like that he talks a bit about the inspiration behind the artwork at the very end of almost every chapter. As a former art major, it’s always interesting to read about what an artist drew from, and in this case, what artistic liberties he took and why.

The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang

The Impossible Girl by Lydia Kang

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cora Lee is one of the top resurrectionists in New York. Anatomists are desperate for cadavers and are willing to pay a pretty penny for the newly dead. Living a double life, she scouts her latest specimens as Cora by day and digs their bodies up by night as her identical twin brother, Jacob. There’s more to her profitable job than just money. Cora has a secret: she was born with two hearts. She wants to make sure that her finger is on the latest gossip among the resurrectionists so that she knows when they’re looking for her. Sadly, that time has come. Someone is murdering people with medical anomalies and Cora’s now a wanted woman.

This is my second book from Lydia Kang and she is absolutely brilliant. One of the things that I liked about A Beautiful Poison is that it’s well researched, and The Impossible Girl is no different. It’s clear that Kang did a lot of research into the era and the history of resurrectionists, or grave robbers, early on. It really set the tone and helped me feel like I was right beside Cora as the story unfolded. There’s even an extra bit of info about the era and the inspiration behind the story at the end of the book, which I love.

The story and its characters are extremely compelling, which left me wishing that I could binge it every time I had to put the book down. Cora is such a complex character who is fun to follow. Born with two hearts, she was raised as Jacob until her caretakers decided it was time for her family to believe he died. Once they made the move, she took on a new life as a resurrectionist until she made enough money to retire, move, and start over. Living a double life, Cora is able to move through society as a man and a woman. I thought it was interesting that Cora preferred to live as Jacob, but I understood her reasons. As a woman, she’s expected to be light of heart, not have complex interests, and eventually settle down. As a man, she can express herself however she wants, is free to have complex interests, and freely move through town until there’s a price on her head. In the mid-1800s, I don’t blame her for preferring to move among society as Jacob.

There are many fascinating characters throughout the story. Dr. Blackwell is a character that I wish we saw more of because she’s a doctor in this era, which is frowned upon. I love how her relationship with Cora unfolds and how she eventually became immersed in her predicament. Cora’s cousin, Suzette Cutter, surprised me once we got to know her. Cora’s team of resurrectionists are a fun bunch who truly care for her as much as she cares for them. Then there’s Cora’s self-made family, Charlotte, Leah, and Alexander, who seemingly love her both too much and not enough in their own ways. There isn’t a single character that doesn’t leave an impression.

I cannot praise this book enough. It has fascinating characters, a compelling mystery, and an overall wonderful story that has left me a big fan. I’m a mystery buff and I love the way that Kang writes her mysteries. She stunned me with a major reveal yet again! I called some things and figured out some plot elements before they were fully revealed, but I definitely did not see the big twist coming. One of my favorite things to do is reread a story that left me blindsided, so I’m excited to reread this in the future.