Book Review: Murder is Binding

Book: Murder is Binding (Booktown Mysteries book #1) by Lorna Barrett

Cover Art by Teresa Fasolino
Cover Design by Diana Kolsky
Interior Text Design by Laura K. Corless

Edition: Paperback

Description:

The streets of Stoneham, New Hampshire are lined with bookstores...and paved with murder.

When she moved to Stoneham, city slicker Tricia Miles met nothing but friendly faces. And when she opened her mystery bookstore, she met friendly competition. But when she finds Doris Gleason dead in her own cookbook store, killed by a carving knife, the atmosphere seems more cutthroat than cordial. Someone wanted to get their hands on the rare cookbook that Doris had recently purchased-and the locals think that someone is Tricia. To clear her name, Tricia will have to take a page out of one of her own mysteries-and hunt down someone who isn't killing by the book.

Book Review: The Fever Code

Book: The Fever Code (The Maze Runner book #5) by James Dashner

Cover Art by Philip Straub
Typography by Stuart Wade

Edition: Hardcover

Description:

All your questions are answered in the fifth book in James Dashner’s #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series. The story that fans all over the world have been waiting for — the story of how Thomas and WICKED built the Maze — is finally here. You do not want to miss it.

Once there was a world’s end.

The forests burned, the lakes and rivers dried up, and the oceans swelled.

Then came a plague, and fever spread across the globe. Families died, violence reigned, and man killed man.

Next came WICKED, who were looking for an answer. And then they found the perfect boy.

The boy’s name was Thomas, and Thomas built a maze.

Now there are secrets.

There are lies.

And there are loyalties history could never have foreseen.

This is the story of that boy, Thomas, and how he built a maze that only he could tear down.

All will be revealed.

A prequel to the worldwide Maze Runner phenomenon, The Fever Code is the book that holds all the answers. How did WICKED find the Gladers? Who are Group B? And what side are Thomas and Teresa really on? Lies will be exposed. Secrets will be uncovered. Loyalties will be proven. Fans will never see the truth coming. Before there was the Maze, there was The Fever Code.

Book Review: Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls

Book: Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls (Lulu Dark book #1) by Bennett Madison

Cover Design by Lauren Monchik
Cover Illustration by Lulu

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Lulu Dark is not like other girl detectives. She doesn't speak Arabic, she doesn't have a helicopter pilot's license, and she has never used a nail file for anything other than its intended purpose.

so when someone nabs Lulu's favorite purse—a one-of-a-kind, and stunningly tacky, knock-off—she isn't exactly pleased about being thrust headfirst into a mystery. After all, she's already got her hands full with her outrageous best friends: karate-chopping space cadet Daisy and sweet-but-oblivious Charlie.

But Lulu refuses to let some purse-snatching fink take what's hers, so she dives deep into the fray.

There Lulu finds herself grappling with some complicated questions and a number of sketchy characters, including a rock star, a rich socialite, a loony landlord, and a serious case of mistaken identity.

Book Review for The Book Girl's Book Club for September: Supernatural: Nevermore

Book: Supernatural: Nevermore (Supernatural book #1) by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Twenty-two years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a mysterious and demonic supernatural force. In the years after, their father, John, taught them about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America...and he taught them how to kill it.

Sam and Dean have hit New York City to check out a local rocker's haunted house. But before they can figure out why a lovesick banshee in an '80s heavy-metal T-shirt is wailing in the bedroom, a far more macabre crime catches their attention. Not far from the house, two university students were beaten to death by a strange assailant. A murder that's bizarre even by New York City standards, it's the latest in a line of killings that the brothers soon suspect are based on the creepy stories of legendary writer Edgar Allan Poe.

Their investigation leads them to the center of one of Poe's horror classics, face-to-face with their most terrifying foe yet. And if Sam and Dean don't rewrite the ending of this chilling tale, a grisly serial killer will end their lives forevermore.

Book Review: Nancy Drew: The Triple Hoax

Book: The Triple Hoax (Nancy Drew #57) by Carolyn Keene

Cover Design: Bob Silverman
Cover Illustration: Garin Baker

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Aunt Eloise invites Nancy, Bess, and George to New York to help a friend who has been swindled out of a sizable sum of money. There, the girls see a performance of a magicians' group who stun their audiences with clever sleight-of-hand tricks. Because the magicians temporarily remove people's wallets and handbags, Nancy feels the actors aren't above suspicion. Her hunch is borne out and a whirlwind chase ensues.

Book Review: The Best of Josie and the Pussycats

Book: The Best of Josie and the Pussycats by various writers and artists

Compilation Editor: Paul Castiglia

Cover Art by Rex W. Lindsay and Color by Rosario "Tito" Peña

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Josie! Melody! Valerie!

Grab yourself a backstage pass, and rock around the globe with the greatest all-girl band the world has ever known! Witness the group's formation and the first time they wore their catsuits! Get to know their hunky roadie Alan M., their shifty manager Alex and his conniving sister, Alexandra! Travel to Tinseltown as the girls shoot their first movie! Help them solve intriguing mysteries, and relieve the antics that have made them the most popular fictional band in comic and cartoon history! From Josie's very first appearance to the day she almost quit the band, this collection of "greatest hits" will be music to your ears!

Book Review: Tarnished and Torn

Book: Tarnished and Torn (A Witchcraft Mystery book #5) by Juliet Blackwell

Edition: Paperback

Description:

As the owner of a popular vintage clothing store, Lily Ivory can enjoy a day of antique jewelry shopping and still call it work. But as one of San Francisco’s resident witches, searching for hidden treasures can sometimes lead to dangerous discoveries…

When Lily arrives at an antique jewelry fair, her bargain sensors go off left and right—but she also picks up a faint vibration of magic. Could the hard-bargaining merchant Griselda be a fellow practitioner? It certainly seems that way when a sudden fire sends panic through the crowd, and Lily discovers Griselda murdered in a way that nods to an old-fashioned witch hunt…

A crime that hits close to home turns into an unwelcome flash from the past when the police bring in their lead suspect—Lily’s estranged father. Though he may not deserve her help, Lily is determined to clear her father’s name and solve a murder that’s anything but crystal clear.

Book Review: The Death Cure

Book: The Death Cure (The Maze Runner book #3) by James Dashner

Cover Art by Philip Straub
Typography by Joel Tippie

Edition: Paperback

Description:

It’s the end of the line.

WICKED has taken everything from Thomas: his life, his memories, and now his only friends—the Gladers. But it’s finally over. The trials are complete, after one final test.

Will anyone survive?

What WICKED doesn’t know is that Thomas remembers far more than they think. And it’s enough to prove that he can’t believe a word of what they say.

The truth will be terrifying.

Thomas beat the Maze. He survived the Scorch. He’ll risk anything to save his friends. But the truth might be what ends it all.

The time for lies is over.

Book Review: Nancy Drew: The Haunted Bridge

Book: The Haunted Bridge (Nancy Drew book #15) by Carolyn Keene

Edition: Hardcover

Description:

Mr. Drew is on the trail of an international ring of jewel thieves and asks Nancy to assist him. The trail leads to a summer resort area. Before Nancy has a chance to start work on her father’s case, a golf caddy tells her a frightening tale—in the dense woods nearby is an old wooden footbridge guarded by a ghost! Intrigued by the caddy’s story, Nancy decides to investigate. Several riddles confront the young detective as she attempts to solve the mystery of the haunted bridge and track down a woman suspected of being a key member of the gang of jewel thieves.

Book Review: The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman

Book: The Secret Life of Ms. Finkleman by Ben H. Winters

Cover Art by Sam Nielson
Cover Design by Alison Klapthor

Edition: Hardcover

Description:

Ms. Finkleman is just our boring old music teacher. Or is she?

It all started with a Special Project: Solve a mystery in your own life.

For seventh grader Bethesda Fielding, one mystery is too tempting to ignore. She’s convinced that her mousy Music Fundamentals teacher is hiding a secret life. But no one is prepared for what she discovers. Ms. Finkleman used to be . . . a rock star? Soon the whole school goes rock crazy, and a giant concert is in the works, led by none other than timid Ms. Finkleman!

But is the case really closed or could there be even more to the story of Ms. Finkleman? With the help of her rock-obsessed classmate, Tenny Boyer, Bethesda won’t stop until she solves this mystery once and for all!

Book Review: The Nancy Drew Files: Secrets Can Kill

Book: Secrets Can Kill (The Nancy Drew Files case #1) by Carolyn Keene

Edition: Hardcover

Description:

Nancy poses as a student and goes undercover to investigate a series of thefts at Bedford High.

Book Review: The Cabin in the Woods

Book: The Cabin in the Woods Novelization by Tim Lebbon

Edition: Paperback

Description:

YOU THINK YOU KNOW THE STORY

Five friends go to a remote cabin in the woods.
Bad things happen.
If you think you know the story, think again.

Book Review: The Secret of Gumbo Grove

Book: The Secret of Gumbo Grove by Eleanora E. Tate

Cover Art by Nigel Chamberlain

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Raisin Stackhouse doesn't mind doing odd jobs for old Miss Effie Pfluggins, but when Miss Effie talks her into cleaning up the old church cemetery, she has no idea what trouble she might dig up. Mama says Miss Effie talks much too much, but Raisin loves hearing her remember the old days—especially when one of her stories puts Raisin smack in the middle of a real-life mystery.

When Raisin is grounded for sneaking a night out, she not only misses her chance to compete in the Miss Ebony Pageant, but her efforts to uncover the famous person buried in the cemetery are brought to a halt, too. Somehow Raisin's got to solve the big mystery no one in town wants to talk about. Will her discovery bring her glory, or is the past better off left buried?

Book Review: The Scorch Trials

Book: The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner book #2) by James Dashner

Cover Art by Philip Straub
Typography by Joel Tippie

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn't done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.

The Gladers have two weeks to cross the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has been sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.

There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers' destruction—and they're determined to survive.

Book Review for the Comic Book Club for January: Batman: Year One

Book: Batman: Year One (issues #404-407) by Frank Miller with illustrations by David Mazzucchelli, color by Richmond Lewis and lettering by Todd Klein

Edition: Trade Paperback

Description:

In his first year on the job, Batman feels his way around a Gotham City far darker than the one he left. His solemn vow to extinguish the town’s criminal element is only half the battle; along with Lieutenant James Gordon, the Dark Knight must also fight a police force more corrupt than the scum in the streets.

Batman: Year One stands next to Batman: The Dark Knight Returns on the mantle of greatest Batman graphic novels of all time. Timeless in its appeal, Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s masterpiece would stand apart from the crowded comics field even today.

Book Review for The Book Girl's Book Club for January: Brownies and Broomsticks

Book: Brownies and Broomsticks (A Magical Bakery Mystery book #1) by Bailey Cates

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Katie Lightfoot's tired of loafing around as the assistant manager of an Ohio bakery. So when her aunt Lucy and uncle Ben open a bakery in Savannah's quaint downtown district and ask Katie to join them, she enthusiastically agrees.

While working at the Honeybee Bakery—named after Lucy's cat—Katie notices that her aunt is adding mysterious herbs to her recipes. Turns out these herbal enhancements aren't just tasty—Aunt Lucy is a witch and her recipes are actually spells!

When a curmudgeonly customer is murdered outside the Honeybee Bakery, Uncle Ben becomes the prime suspect. With the help of handsome journalist Steve Dawes, charming firefighter Declan McCarthy, and a few spells, Katie and Aunt Lucy stir up some toil and trouble to clear Ben's name and find the real killer.

Book Review: The Witches

Book: The Witches by Roald Dahl with illustrations by Quentin Blake

Cover Art by Quentin Blake

Edition: Paperback

Description:

This is not a fairy tale.

This is about real witches

Grandmamma loves to tell about witches. Real witches are the most dangerous of all living creatures on earth. There's nothing they hate so much as children, and they work all kinds of terrifying spells to get rid of them. Her grandson listens closely to Grandmamma's stories—but nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face-to-face with The Grand High Witch herself!

Book Review: Aliens/Vampirella

Book: Aliens/Vampirella (issues #1-6) by Corinna Bechko with illustrations and inks by Javier Garcia-Miranda, color by Inlight Studios and letters by Simon Bowland

Cover art by Gabriel Hardman and color by Jordan Boyd

Edition: Digital

Description:

Two iconic horror franchises collide, as Vampirella - the fan-favorite supernatural heroine - faces the most nightmarish creatures ever to appear in cinema: the Xenomorphs from Alien! As the first human colony on Mars digs deeper into the crimson soil, they discover the catacombs of a hibernating civilization, tens of thousands of years old. The evidence suggests that they are Nosferatu, an ancient and sinister species that Vampirella is all too familiar with. Called to the Red Planet to investigate, the monster hunter and her human allies find a chamber with hundreds of ellipsoidal, leathery eggs... and after they hatch, the true horror begins. In space, no one can hear Vampirella scream!

Book Review: The Maze Runner

Book: The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner book #1) by James Dashner

Cover Art by Philip Straub
Typography by Joel Tippie

Edition: Paperback

Description:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround them is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.

Book Review: Micro

Book: Micro by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston

Cover Design and Illustration by Will Staehle

Edition: Hardcover

Description:

In a locked Honolulu office building, three men are found dead with no sign of struggle except for the ultrafine, razor-sharp cuts covering their bodies. The only clue left behind is a tiny bladed robot, nearly invisible to the human eye.

In the lush forest of Oahu, groundbreaking technology has ushered in a revolutionary era of biological prospecting. Trillions of microorganisms, tens of thousands of bacteria species, are being discovered; they are feeding a search for priceless drugs and applications on a scale beyond anything previously imagined.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, seven graduate students at the forefront of their fields are recruited by a pioneering microbiology start-up. Nanigen MicroTechnologies dispatches the group to a mysterious lab in Hawaii, where they are promised access to tools that will open a whole new scientific frontier.

But once in the Oahu rain forest, the scientists are thrust into a hostile wilderness that reveals profound and surprising dangers at every turn. Armed only with their knowledge of the natural world, they find themselves prey to a technology of radical and unbridled power. To survive, the must harness the inherent forces of nature itself.