Rescued (Andy Carpenter, #17) by David Rosenfelt

Rescued by David Rosenfelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This audiobook was flawlessly narrated by Grover Gardner, with a truck carrying many dogs and a murdered driver. When Laurie's ex-boyfriend is accused of the murder; cowardly Andy is jealous and does not want to help Dave Kramer. I loved this audiobook as I love all the books and audiobooks of the Andy Carpenter series!!!

View all my reviews

Vanished! (Framed #2) by James Ponti

Vanished! by James Ponti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again, I loved and could not stop reading the adventures of Margaret and Florian Bates as they continued to be kids in middle school but also working with the FBI and Marcus (using TOAST) to uncover who is pulling pranks at the elite Chatam School. Ponti keeps the thrill pulsing with this latest mystery and I enjoyed seeing Florian and Margaret at a rival school, making new friends (well really spying, even the President's daughter!), involving gangster Nic the Knife to help and try to find master cellist Yin as he vanishes during a concert! Highly recommended!

View all my reviews

Mosquitoland by David Arnold

Mosquitoland by David Arnold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The saga of Mim ( known as Mary Iris Malone) as she travels by Greyhound bus from Mississippi (Mosquitoland) to Cleveland is hilarious, sad, and daunting. As an immature 16 year old, Mim captivated me with her words, thoughts, feelings and wacky ideas as she makes her way back to a mother she loves (and maybe back to herself too). The cast of characters she meets (Arlene, Walt Beck are a few of the good people) will make your reader heart happy while the villains (Poncho Man specifically) will scare and horrify. I have not met a character like Mim before and I did not want to stop reading her opinions, fantasies, ironies and notions of romance. Hers is a slice of life teens will love. I am looking forward to more David Arnold books! Highly recommended, to teens and adults!!!

View all my reviews

Curtsies and Conspiraces by Gail Carriger

Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a great book to listen to!!! While I did not read the first book in this series, The Finishing School. I picked up quickly the finishing school for girls takeing place on a dirigible (floating boat with all kinds of bells and whistles) and being educated in all things having to do with espionage, spies and etiquette. I howled with laughter at the crazy names of professors, the mechanical dog, Bumbersnoot, and Sophronia's schemes. This was an adventurous romp and I particularly enjoyed Gail Carriger's steampunk--I will definitely read all the others and now I understand why my students LOVED all her books!

View all my reviews

The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielsen

The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The second book in the Trilogy was awesome!!! Sage/Jaron has been accepted as the long lost prince and has become the King of Carthya. Jaron is not out of the woods yet because there are still those (the pirates, Devlin and even some of the regents in his court) who want him out and replaced with a steward until he reaches the proper age. As we all know what Jaron is capable of; he listens to no one and sets out to kill the pirates so that there will be no war in his kingdom. Jaron will not listen to Mott, Imogen, or Tobias. He is convinced he must do it alone. Once again Nielsen's plot is filled with suspense, deceit, and Jaron's wit, mind, and heart realize too late he will not be able to accomplish this on his own. He fools the pirates into making him a pirate and he is branded with a hot iron. Jaron's anger and hatred continually push him forward with his agenda but with catastrophic effects when the pirates find out who he really is. Hold onto your heart; it is going to be palpating overtime with the Runaway King. New characters are introduced and where the pirates live, no one ever leaves!I can't wait for Book 3!!!

View all my reviews

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is more middle school but oh is it GOOD! I think my high school boys (and girls) would love Sage's story. Imagine you are an orphan, busy trying to make ends meet and you are purchased away from the orphanage and you are told by this noble, Conner, you will compete with 3 other orphans to impersonate the supposedly dead prince of Carthya who really was not dead? Nielsen's descriptions of Sage, the other orphans, and Conner grip the reader from the first page and you are in Sage's head and heart as this wild ride of a story unfolds. As I read it I was reminded of The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman and I really enjoyed that book too. Sage was so real as an orphan who is prickly, nasty, honest, the best pickpocket, a faker, a thief but he is also compassionate and will do anything to help someone who is being taken advantage of. The events in the book hurtle along and I was quite content to be surprised, happy, then anguished, then filled with horror. Readers will want to read the next book in the series, The Runaway King.

View all my reviews