Mini Reviews (20) – More Books of Summer

The challenge runs June 1 – September 5, and is hosted by Cathy @ 746 Books. For my complete list, see my sign up post. For my first 7 reviews, click here.

1. Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine
   ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
   Paper and Fire doesn’t quite live up to Ink and Bone, but, man, it’s still an action packed, wild ride of a book. The world building is still amazing (although, naturally, there’s less of it in this 2nd book), and the ensemble cast are lovable (is it wrong that I like many of the secondary characters better than Jess & Morgan?). I’ll be buying the 3rd book for sure!
2. Mrs. McGinty’s Dead by Agatha Christie
   ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2
   Yet another of Christie’s nursery rhyme murders, although this time it’s a rhyme that was infamy to me. Poirot is front and center (a relief after Taken at the Flood) and Ariadne Oliver (aka Christie’s parody of herself) is along for the ride. Also, there’s a metric ton of red herring!
3. After the Funeral by Agatha Christie
   ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
   Ooh, excellent! Plenty of Poirot, some lines that made me LOL, and I didn’t figure out whodunnit until right before Poirot told me. I can’t wait to watch the Suchet version (with Michael Fassbender as one of the suspects!).
4. Hickory Dickory Dock by Agatha Christie
   ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
   A large, diverse (if stereotyped) cast of young people provide an interesting puzzle for Poirot. There’s so much going on that it surpasses “red herrings” and just becomes muddled. Still, it’s a quick, enjoyable read – a great way to spend a holiday weekend.
5. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins
   ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
   In this installment particularly, I can see the parallels with The Hunger Games. Both series deal with the same moral issues, some of the characters have distinct similarities (most notably Ripred = Haymitch), and even some of the physical surroundings suggest the arenas. It’s cool.
6. Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins
   ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
   This installment is a little different as Gregor and Luxa defy the adults and strike out on their own. Needless to say, it doesn’t go well. Exceptionally powerful and difficult themes for a MG book.
7.  Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins
   ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
   I’m a little torn about rating this book. On the one hand, it’s not a wholly satisfying ending to the series (mainly because I didn’t want it to end!), but, on the other hand, the character development in amazing, and the story is exciting, thought-provoking, sad, and wonderful.
8. Stiletto by Daniel O’Malley
   ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
   Stiletto doesn’t quite live up to The Rook, mainly because Myfanwy isn’t the MC anymore. It’s still full of great characters, intrigue, gross outs, and awesomeness, we just don’t get Myfanwy’s snarky take on most of it.
9. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
   ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
   The illustrations are lovely! It’s also nice to have the original British text (except the title) instead of the “Americanized” version. We were actually listening to Jim Dale’s narration while looking at the illustrations, and it quickly became a game of spot the text differences. 🙂 Now, off to rewatch the movie!