Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Books 151-175

Minnesota Mall Mannequins by: Johnathan Rand
Fiction: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Paranormal, Children's 224 pages
A school trip to the Mall of America ends up leading to being kidnapped by living mannequins, and from there things get weird.

Althea Rose Mystery #1
One Tequila- Althea Rose Mystery #1 By: Tricia O'Malley
Fiction: Mystery, Paranormal, E-book
Althea is a physic that lives on one of the smaller Florida keys.  She ends up having to solve a murder when she happens on the body scuba diving, and she can tell the police what to pin it on the 1st person that might have a motive to kill them, and that person is her best friend & co owner of their shop.  

Making Pentecost Your Story: 50 Days of Reflection and Prayer: A Devotional Companion for Pentecost: This Story is Our Story Inspired by the Church in China by: Robert P. Menzies
Non-fiction: Religion, E-book
A book on the Pentecostal/Charismatic unofficial churches in China.

North Dakota Night Dragons by: Johnathan Rand
Fiction: Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal, Children's 208 pages
A group of kids end up being sucked into the war between dragons, a war that could end the dragon's & human's worlds.

Creepy Condors of California by: Johnathan Rand
Fiction: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Children's 207 pages
A sister & brother are out camping in the California wilderness when they are attacked by condors; however, these condors are robots.

Meet Marie-Grace by: Sarah Masters Buckey
Fiction: History, Children's 120 pages
Meet Cécile by: Denise Lewis Patrick
Fiction: History, Children's 120 pages
Marie-Grace and the Orphans by: Sarah Masters Buckey
Fiction: History, Children's 91 pages
Troubles for Cécile by: Denise Lewis Patrick
Fiction: History, Children's 104 pages
Marie-Grace Makes a Difference by: Sarah Masters Buckey
Fiction: History, Children's 104 pages
Cécile's Gift by: Denise Lewis Patrick
Fiction: History, Children's 96 pages
These American girl books take place is 1853 in New Orleans.  Unlike other years these books go over, this story is told by 2 different girls, both of which are friends in the story & are happening at the same time.  Marie-Grace was born in New Orleans, but had been traveling with her doctor father for years, ever since her mother & baby brother died.  Cecile's family has lived in New Orleans for generations & they were well respected craftsmen who were free people of color.  This group of books cover the year that was an especially bad year for yellow fever so the last books in the group deal with that.

Mutant Mammoths of Montana by: Johnathan Rand
Fiction: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Children's 208 pages
Imagine mammoths, but they leave underground and can move like moles.

The Resurrectionist by: Paul T. Scheuring
Fiction: History, E-book
This book takes place in 1820's London and involves the interconnected stories of many people connected with the resurrectionist trade: resurrectionists, doctors, killers & the bodies of the dead. 
This book reads like a collection of high school essays.

101 Ways To Know If Your Cat Is Italian: How To Talk To Your Cat About Its Secret Life And Learn The Essence Of Being Italian, A Funny Cat Book And Perfect ... Who Love Italy By: Seamus Mullarkey
Non-fiction: Humor, Pop Culture, E-book
A short book on how cats are Italian.

Tasting History: Explore the Past through 4,000 Years of Recipes by: Max Miller
Non-fiction: Cooking, History, 256 pages
This book is the book version of the Tasting History YouTube channel.  It has the recipes divided up from where they are from. 

Always October by: Bruce Coville
Fiction: Fantasy, Mystery, Humor, Children's 384 pages
Always October is a location of Jake's grandfather's books, but after a baby is left on his doorstep, he, his best friend Lily, Lily's grandfather, & baby LD end up in Always October with the monsters from the books, needing to save both worlds.

The Men of Letters Bestiary: Winchester Family Edition By: Tim Waggoner
Fiction: Horror, Paranormal, Pop Culture, 112 pages
A book on all the creatures from the show Supernatural, as written by Sam & Dean.

Walking Your Octopus: A Guidebook to the Domesticated Cephalopod by:Brian Kesinger
Fiction: Graphic Novel, Art, History, Pop Culture, 64 pages
A book on the care of pet octopuses. (That being the plural that the book uses as the main octopus in the book prefers that one.) 

Traveling With Your Octopus by: Brian Kesinger
Fiction: Graphic Novel, Art, History, Pop Culture, 64 pages
A guide on how to travel with a pet octopus including the worldwide adventures the octopus went on. 

Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery by: Kurtis J. Wiebe art by: Roc Upchurch
Fiction: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Paranormal, Pop Culture, Humor, 128 pages
This series of books are much like if one was writing a dungeons and dragons game as a book.  There is the elven mage, dwarf fighter (who shaves her beard), halfling thief, & atheist cleric, who drink the tavern dry & then go on adventures for more gold.

 Hi book, I'm dad by: Brian Russel
Fiction: Humor, Graphic novel, 140 pages 
A book on the life of a dad.

 Klaw Vol. 1: The First Cycle by: Antoine Ozanam art by: Joël Jurion, Yoann Guillé
Fiction: Graphic Novel, YA, 144 pages
Angel was a normal teenaged boy, until he found out his dad was a mob boss, and he can turn into a tiger.

Klaw: The Second Cycle  by: Antoine Ozanam art by: Joël Jurion
Fiction: Graphic Novel, YA, 144 pages
The fight between people that turn into the animals of the Chinese zodiac is heating up.  As is the danger from outside forces in book 2.

Eat, Drink, and Be Scary by: Olivia Jaymes
Fiction: Mystery, Paranormal, E-book
This story that takes place in a sleepy town at Halloween.  Well it was sleepy before the murder, the ghosts acting up, finding out you know the grim reaper & the new cop in town.

 
 



Friday, June 09, 2023

Books 126-150

Who's Haunting the White House?: The President's Mansion and the Ghosts Who Live There By: Jeff Belanger
Non-fiction: History, Paranormal, Biography, Children's 64 pages
A short book on the different people that are thought to haunt the White House, details of their haunting and background info about their lives. 

Richard Revisited by: Els Launspach,  Translated by: Laura Vroomen
Fiction: History, Biography, E-book
A pro Richard III novel told with fictionized accounts of people relating to the original telling of his story & a present day person.

Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas by: Shea Ernshaw
Fiction: Pop Culture, Fantasy, Paranormal, YA
I read this having already seen a review of the book, so it wasn't a surprise what happened in it, but having seen the review I wanted to see if it was as crazy as the review said.

Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American by: Ian MacAllen
Non-fiction: History, Food, Pop Culture, 248 pages
A look into how a certain subset of Italian food became "Italian Food" in America.  It includes the history that caused it, things that were done to change it, and that Olive Garden doesn't salt their pasta water! (And why Americans know that is wrong.)

Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner, Vol. 1 by: Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Illustrated By: Gene Colan, Dean White, Wallace Wood, Jack Kirby, Bill Everett, Jerry Grandenetti
Fiction: Pop Culture, Sci-Fi, Comic Book 279 pages
A collection of classic Sub-Mariner comic books.

Aztec Gods: Powerful Gods In Aztec Mythology Such Tonatiuh, Tlaloc, Huitzilopochtli And Many Others By: Trident Books
Non-Fiction: History, Religion, E-book
A book of the gods of the Aztecs with what info we know about each one.

Alexander the Great: A Captivating Guide to the King Who Conquered the Persian Empire and Babylon, Including His Impact on Ancient Greece and Rome by: Captivating History
Non-fiction: History, Biography, E-book
A quick history of the life and legacy of Alexander the Great. 

Minoans: A Captivating Guide to an Essential Bronze Age Society in Ancient Greece Called the Minoan Civilization by: Captivating History
Non-fiction: History, E-book
A book on the history of the Minoan civilization.

A Mischief of Rats by: Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
Fiction: Mystery, E-book
This is book 3 in the Nell Ward Mystery series. In this book a race car driver in the event Nell's family is hosting is found in a car crash in a pond in a nature preserve that a friend of hers is working at.  But it wasn't an accident, it was murder.  Also her boyfriend's sister is missing and was the last person to see him alive, and of course her ex is a detective on the case.  

The Peloponnesian War: A Captivating Guide to the Ancient Greek War Between the Two Leading City-States in Ancient Greece — Athens and Sparta by: Captivating History
Non-fiction: History, E-book
A short history of the Peloponnesian War.

Vincent van Gogh: A Life From Beginning to End by: Hourly History
Non-fiction: Biography, History, E-book
A short biography on Vincent van Gogh.

Leonardo da Vinci: A Life From Beginning to End by: Hourly History
Non-fiction: Biography, History, E-book
A short biography on Leonardo da Vinci.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by: Kelly Barnhill
Fiction: Fantasy, YA, 388 pages
Each year the towns people of a town sacrifice the youngest baby to the witch in the woods.  And every year she takes the baby to a better life in the towns on the other side of the woods.  But one year she accidently feeds the baby moon light instead of star light on the trip, so the baby is full of magic & ends up living with the witch in the woods along with a very small dragon & a being that might be the Poet.

Next-Day Job Interview: Prepare Tonight and Get the Job Tomorrow by: Michael Farr & Dick Gaither
Non-fiction: business, 178 pages
A book of hints on job interviews.

Andy Warhol: A Life from Beginning to End by: Hourly History
Non-fiction: Biography, History, E-book
A short biography on Andy Warhol.

Pablo Picasso: A Life from Beginning to End by: Hourly History
Non-fiction: Biography, History, E-book
A short biography on Pablo Picasso

Frightmares: A Creepy Collection of Scary Stories by: Michael Dahl
Fiction: Horror, Paranormal, Short Stories, Children's, 224 pages
A collection of short scarry stories for kids.  At the end includes notes from the author about what inspired them to write the story.

Recipes of The Roaring Twenties: A Vintage Cookbook Taking You Back in Time to the 1920s by: Steven Masters
Non-fiction, Cooking, E-book
A collection of recipes that were popular in the 1920's.

The Boxcar Children: The Ghost-Hunting Special created by: Gertrude Chandler Warner
Fiction: Mystery, Children's, 352 pages
A collection of 3 books of the Boxcar Children that all do with mysteries that involve what people think was ghosts.

The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets by: Simon Singh
Non-fiction: Science, Math, Pop Culture, 253 pages
A book on all the unexpected math and math jokes/ Easter eggs in the show The Simpsons (with some on Futurama as well.)

Freaky Florida Mystery Adventures #6 : Scatman Dues by: Margaret Lashley
Fiction: Mystery, Paranormal, 316 pages
In book 6 Bobbie and Grayson deal with a doughnut cult/MLM that might involve a wormhole & aliens.

Frightmares 2: More Scary Stories for the Fearless Reader by: Michael Dahl
Fiction: Horror, Paranormal, Short Stories, Children's, 224 pages
A collection of short scarry stories for kids.  At the end includes notes from the author about what inspired them to write the story.

Frightmares 3: Even More Scary Stories to Read - If You Dare by: Michael Dahl
Fiction: Horror, Paranormal, Short Stories, Children's, 224 pages
A collection of short scarry stories for kids.  At the end includes notes from the author about what inspired them to write the story.

Catastrophe in Caseville (Michigan Chillers) by: Johnathan Rand
Fiction: Mystery, Paranormal, Children's, 204 pages
A family takes a trip to Caseville, for the Cheeseburger in Caseville festival & there is a giant evil cheeseburger attacking the city.

American Chillers #6 Invisible Iguanas of Illinois by: Johnathan Rand
Fiction: Mystery, Paranormal, Children's, 208 pages
Two iguanas get into some invisibility powder, from an ad at the back of a comic book, and not only does it work, but it causes them to become giant invisible monsters. 

Thursday, June 01, 2023

Books 101-125

OLD FASHIONED COOKING WITH MISS PIGG: RECIPES FROM 1858-1922, A COOKBOOK  By: Charlene Pigg
Non-fiction: Cooking, History, E-book
This book had recipes from 1858 to 1922 that takes advantage of the fact that recipes can not be copyrighted.  Basicly its an old time collection of recipes cut out of the newspaper & magazines.   

Bob Hope: A Life from Beginning to End by: Hourly History
Non-fiction: Biography, E-book
A short biography on the life of Bob Hope.

Ernest Shackleton: A Life from Beginning to End By: Hourly History
Non-fiction: Biography, E-book
A short biography on the life of Ernest Shackleton

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by:Mark Manson
Non-Fiction: Memoir, Self-Help, Pop Culture, E-book
A self-help book on not giving a F, by only giving a F on the really important things.

Blood Countess: The Unspeakable Crimes of Elizabeth Báthory By: Trident Books
Non-fiction: Biography, E-book
A short biography on the life Elizabeth Bathory, that includes the crimes she was accused of and thoughts on how likely/provable they were.

God Came In Power: International Revivals by: Bennie Mostert
Non-fiction: Religion, E-book
On one hand I should have expected a book on revivals from a South African to be about Reformed theology, on the other hand Reformed revivals sounds like an oxymoron given the 5 points of Calvinism. 

 Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: One Introvert's Year of Saying Yes by: Jessica Pan
Non-fiction: Memoir, humor, 238 pages
A story of a person's year of stepping out of their comfort zone, and what they liked, didn't like and learned along the way. 

Loch Ness Monster: Scotland's Sea Serpent by: Elizabeth Andrews
Non-Fiction: History, Pop Culture, Science, Children's, 32 pages
A short book about the history,& legends relating to the Loch Ness Monster.

Meet Josefina: An American Girl by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, 85 pages
Josefina Learns a Lesson: A School Story by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, 70 pages
Josefina's Surprise: A Christmas Story by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, 88 pages
Happy Birthday, Josefina!: A Springtime Story by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, 88 pages
Josefina Saves the Day: A Summer Story by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, 88 pages
Changes for Josefina: A Winter Story by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, 70 pages
The main books in the Josefina American Girl Series. 

Egyptian Gods: The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt by: Patrick Auerbach
Non-fiction: History, Religion, E-book
A short book on the major gods & goddesses of ancient Egypt

Cleopatra's Nose: Randomness in History by: Jakob Sjolander
Non-fiction: History, Science, Math, E-book
A book on the randomness of history, that deals more with explaining how history is random than interesting cases of randomness. 

Cecil & Bubba meet a Succubus By: Terry M. West
Fiction: Horror, Humor, Paranormal, Short Story, E-book
Two guys that do odd jobs end up dealing with a succubus in a haunted house the day before Halloween.

Stairway to Heaven: Chinese Alchemists, Jewish Kabbalists, and the Art of Spiritual Transformation by: Peter Levenda
Non-Fiction: Religion, Philosophy, 272 pages
A book on similar ideas and concepts around the world in various religions and philosophies. 

Josefina's Song By: Valerie Tripp 
Fiction: History, Children's, Short Story, 45 pages
Josefina goes with her Papa to see their shepherd up in the mountains.

Again, Josefina! by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, Short Story, 39 pages
Josefina wants to learn to play the piano, but it is harder than she expects. 

Thanks to Josefina by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, Short Story, 48 pages
A book on Josefina & her sister's weaving of the blankets.

A Reward for Josefina by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, Short Story, 39 pages
The family is collecting pine nuts, but Josefina has to watch her nephew.

Just Josefina by: Valerie Tripp
Fiction: History, Children's, Short Story, 56 pages
Josefina wants to make her grandmother proud, but she is not just like her mother, even if her grandmother thinks she is.

What Moves the Dead by: T. Kingfisher
Fiction: Horror, Paranormal, Mystery, Classic (retelling), 165 pages
This book is a retelling of Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher" with more fungus.  I would have liked it even if the dedication wasn't pandering to a group I am a member of. (But that didn't hurt.) 

Scooby-Doo and the Aliens of Area 49 by: Scott Gross
Fiction: Graphic Novel, Children's,  24 pages
Scooby-Doo runs into some "aliens" when out camping.