Cicely Loves Books

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him? We went on a trip to see my in-laws so my husband and I decided to list...

Just when it looks like Jacky Faber and her beloved Jaimy will finally find their romance, Jacky is accused of treason and must flee Boston while her friends attempt to clear her name. Of course that means wild adventures for our fun-loving heroine, who manages to secure a job as a governess…and run away with the circus. The highly anticipated grand finale of the Bloody Jack Adventures The saddest thing is that this is only the last book because L.A. Meyer died last year. It's a small blessing to those who loved this series that he wrote the conclusion for Jacky. It also makes the ending sadder than you'd think. Jacky is almost reunited with Jaimy when she is set up for charges of treason by an old enemy. So instead she is on the run first as a governess and then to the circus. Jacky, of course, is excellent at both as she always seems to be. I did enjoy the part where she was the governess and had to deal with a very spoiled little boy.  I like the ending that Jacky got....

Jacky Faber has a habit of making waves--even when docked in her adopted city of Boston, where she is attending to the business of Faber Shipping Worldwide. With big dreams and perhaps a bit too much exuberance for the very Puritan populace, she purchases the Pig and Whistle Inn, determined to revive her old stomping grounds and establish a musical theater. But Jacky quickly finds herself at odds with the Women's Temperance Union and a town roiling with tension over the arrival of hundreds of Irish laborers--brought in by her very own Lorelei Lee . As things heat up, both literally and figuratively, she's soon back in Judge Thwackham's courtroom facing the dozen lashes promised the last time she stood before the judge. Thwarted at every turn by her enemies, Jacky is finally forced to confront her shortcomings--and possibly lose her beloved Jaimy Fletcher in the process. It doesn't seem right to not finish out my reviews on the Jacky Faber series. The penult...

Floors The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake . . . and so is Leo's own future! 3 Below (Floors #2) Now that Leo has uncovered a few secrets behind the wacky Whippet Hotel, he'll have to save it! Leo has explored the zany, wonderful Whippet Hotel from basement to top floor, with trains, flying goats, and mazes (among other things) in between. But even Leo doesn't know every secret of the Whippet - and when he discovers that there's more beneath the hotel than he'd thought, it doesn't take long for more adventures to unfold! ...

Enola Homes, younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft, is living on her own and evading her brothers in an attempt to stay out of boarding school and keep her independence. When her landlady is mysterious kidnapped and her house ransacked, Enola sets out to find her and figure who and why someone would want her sweet old landlady. This was a very fun mystery. I enjoyed the character of Enola and how clever she is. Her brothers very much underestimate her but I think Sherlock is beginning to see the truth of his little sister. Enola is a very independent and she knows more about the ways of the world especially a lady's world than her brothers can understand. She is also very good at riddles and coded messages and those skills certainly come in handy for this case. I also like the history of this era like Florence Nightingale and how London was at this time. That was very interesting.  Katharine Kellgren, one of my favorite narrators, is the reader of this book and I can't say eno...

In Chipping Cleghorn an advertisement is placed in the social pages of the local newspaper announcing the date and time of a murder. When several townsfolk show up thinking it is a game they soon see that it is not. For a murder does take place and the police begin to focus on the suspects. But soon Miss Jane Marple becomes involved and the murderer begins to become more desperate. Continuing with my mystery kick, I checked out A Murder is Announced. It seems that there are a quite a few Miss Marple audios but less Poirot or at least at my library anyway. But that's okay. I enjoy Miss Marple and how she is constantly underestimated because she is a little old lady. Underestimated, of course, by those who do not know her because once they do they never make that mistake again.  This is one of those mysteries, like most of Christie's, that looks one way at the beginning but has a completely different outcome. All the little clues are there but it takes a mind like Jane Marple...

The second book of the Chronicles of the Red King finds Timoken still looking a home and then, when he finds it, dealing with his enemies and supernatural forces that wish to stop him. (Some SPOILERS ) If I'm being honest I'm not entirely sure what I want to say about Ravenglass . It was a good book, for sure. Timoken finds a place to call home and tries to build a castle for himself and his friends but meets with supernatural resistant. Also he is hunted by some enemies and in the end defeats them, is found by all of his friends and they make a home together in the castle that he builds. I didn't really connect with Timoken that much so his story didn't grab me like, for example, Charlie Bone's did. But still it was a good story and I am definitely going to get the third one and hear more about Timoken and his children. John Keating was once again the narrator and I enjoyed his reading. The audio book was very well done. 5 hours, 46 minutes. Chronicles of the Red K...

Poirot finds himself on a train with a murdered man next door and too many suspects. As he methodically makes his way through the passengers, he finds a connection to an old kidnapping case lies at the heart of the murder. This is probably my 4th reading of Orient Express . I can't remember when I first read it but it was one of my favorites as a teenager. It's a joy to get to listen to the audio book version especially as it is read by David Suchet, the quintessential Hercule Poirot. He does an excellent job, as expected, of bringing to life one of Christie's most famous mysteries. The mystery itself, though now a classic mystery ending, is surprising at the end with its complexity. There are a number of clues, misdirections, and red herrings but once all the pertinent information has been gathered Poirot uses his little grey cells to solve the case. 6 hours, 53 minutes.

A prequel of sorts to the Children of the Red King series featuring Charlie Bone, this series explores the mysterious Red King, Timoken, and his adventures that lead to the story we later see in the Charlie Bone books. Timoken and his sister, Zobayda, under the protection of a forest jinni but pursued by evil viridees, straddle the world of men and the world of enchantments, seeking a home while remaining young by drinking a potion called Alixir.  You know, I enjoyed the Charlie Bone books though I never did finish the series. I plan to though. I think I'm going to finish out the Chronicles of the Red King series and then go back to Charlie Bone from the beginning. I've forgotten quite a bit of the lore and history from those books so it's like I'm learning it all over again. I think this will make the Charlie Bone books pretty fun. But I also think that is what made this book a little bit boring for me because I'm suppose to know some back story of all this all ...

When  Colonel Protheroe is found dead at the vicarage, it causes quite the stir in St. Mary Mead. Even after there are two confessions, the police and the townsfolk are wondering how it happened. But little old Miss Marple is the one who solves the case. I read a lot of Agatha Christie as a teenager, like a lot . But it's been a while so when SYNC offered up The Murder at the Vicarage I knew I had to give it a listen. And I'm glad I did. I love a good murder mystery especially one that features Miss Marple who is clearly one of the best detectives ever conceived. It's interesting that everyone views her as a nosy old lady even the vicar at the start of the book. But by the end he comes to respect her keen observation powers and skills at deduction. Miss Marple is an example to us all. I don't remember reading this book though I'm sure I did so I couldn't remember the solution. It was simple yet not at all obvious like most of Christie's mysteries. I didn...

Tandy Angel is a member of the elite Angel family, known for their perfectionism and lack of emotion. Some people call them sociopaths, she just thinks of them as family. When her parents are found dead in their room, the police suspect foul play and everyone including the Angel kids are under suspicion. Confession: I found Tandy Angel extremely hard to relate to, but then she is almost the exact opposite of me. Her parents have encouraged, beyond encouraged, made her into a emotionless, laser focus practically automaton. So much so I expect the big reveal to be that Tandy and her brothers were created in a lab of some kind. Not quite it turns out, but close (unless that comes up in the next book).  She methodically tries to find out who killed her parents believing she has a better shot than the police and in the midst of her investigation, without her parents' influence, she beings to develop emotions as more and more of the Angel parents' secrets come to light. In the end I ...

Riley, a teen orphan boy living in Victorian London, has had the misfortune of being apprenticed to Albert Garrick, an illusionist who has fallen on difficult times and now uses his unique conjuring skills to gain access to victims’ dwellings. On one such escapade, Garrick brings his reluctant apprentice along and urges him to commit his first killing. Riley is saved from having to commit the grisly act when the intended victim turns out to be a scientist from the future, part of the FBI’s Witness Anonymous Relocation Program (WARP). Riley is unwittingly transported via wormhole to modern day London, followed closely by Garrick. In modern London, Riley is helped by Chevron Savano, a nineteen-year-old FBI agent sent to London as punishment after a disastrous undercover, anti-terrorist operation in Los Angeles. Together Riley and Chevie must evade Garrick, who has been fundamentally altered by his trip through the wormhole. Garrick is now not only evil, but he also possesse...

Lemony Snicket and his chaperone are still in Stain'd-by-the-Sea and now they are onto a case of a missing girl who happens to be the daughter of the wealthiest people in town. All of the adults seems to feel that the girl has run away to the circus. But Snicket sees things that the grownups don't notice and it leads me on a strange path to find the missing girl and one step closer to the evil plan of the villain Hangfire. It's interesting to listen to a Snicket book after reading a Handler book. It shows how versatile a reading he is. Not everyone could do a contemporary YA from a female POV and a gothic childrens from a male POV and do it so well. This series isn't nearly as depressing as ASoUE, at least so far. There is the barest mention of VFD and Snicket's associates though there is a visit from one at the end. I do like a good mystery series and this one is a mystery per book. There are the craziest characters in a Snicket book and this one is no exception. ...

After her breakup with Ed, Min is going through the box of mementos from their short but emotional relationship. There she finds the reasons she loved him but also the reasons they broke up. I really loved Min. Her voice is exactly right for a high school student though I was less keen on all of her movie references although it shows just which girl she is in high school. If I had to classify Min and her friends, the word "hipster" comes to mind though they don't seem obnoxious about it mostly. She is a smart and sassy girl but doesn't quite know how to handle falling in love so quickly with someone so different from her. As far Ed, I don't know about him. He seems like a typical high school jock, though he does try very hard for her. But, of course, something goes wrong and the reader learns just what as Min revisits the mementos of their relationship and the eventual reason why they broke up. 6 hours, 30 minutes Khristine Hvam is the narrator and she did a great...

September finds herself back in Fairyland, of sorts. She has landed on the moon and there finds her faithful friends, A-L and Saturday and learns that she must save the moon from a Yeti. “There is no such thing as a people who are all wicked or even all good. Everyone chooses. But even they, even they looked at people and saw only tools. No one is a cup for another to drink from.”  How beautifully written are these books? So lovely and musical and lyrical.  And infinitely quotable. There are so many passages that I wanted to mark and highlight but you can't really do that with an audio book. I'm going to have to buy them just for that purpose. Though I will admit that there were a few times I felt like the characters said 100 words when 10 would do. I was happy to have the real A-L and Saturday and not just their shadows like in the last book. It was nice to have the gang all back together. It's once again a simple quest story with September encountering all manner of q...

I'm pretty excited for the new SYNC schedule. I found a lot of great audio books there last year and I'm looking forward to this year's selection.  If you don't know, "SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for young adults. From May 15 th  to August 13 th , SYNC gives away two complete audiobook downloads a week – a current young adult title along with a thematically paired classic or required summer reading title. Sign up for email and text alerts and be first to know when new titles are available to download at  www.audiobooksync.com ." If you love audio books or if you are interested in trying them, this is a good way to start!

Annabeth and  Percy are stuck in Tartarus, making their way to the Doors of Death. Meanwhile, the rest of the group are going to find the doors in the mortal world to save them. I always enjoy the Olympus books even if the action can be predictable. Predictable is fine as long as it isn't formulaic. And if the characters are good, then predictable is less predictable and more comfortable. Because we've been with Annabeth and Percy through one series and now partway through another we know how they will react to situations with Annabeth trying to talk her way out and Percy trying to fight his way out. So it's easy to see that they are going to get out of Tartarus using their skills. On the other side of the Doors are the rest of  the demigods who are making their way to mortal side in order to rescue Annabeth and Percy and then close them on their side therefore making Gaia unable to summon more monsters and making her weaker. I feel like we get more of Leo and Hazel than an...

This time Jacky has landed herself in Spain once again a spy for the crown. When things once again don't go to plan, she finds herself working as a model for a famous painter gaining access to the royal family that way. But things never run smoothly for Jacky Faber and she finds herself in band of gypsies. As always Jacky is a treat. I really enjoy her character and the situations that she finds herself in are always ridiculous and interesting and you know that somehow she will always come out ahead. So in that respect the books never change. Just the location and the boy who has caught her eye. She doesn't seem to mind her lads though Jamie is always first in her mind. And it's probably good for them to enjoy the company of others because I am sure they will ultimately end up together and sowing the wild seeds now is a good idea for Jacky. She's a lusty sort of girl and I love it. This adventure lands her in Spain around 1793 when Napoleon's brother is put on the t...

In this sequel to Of Poseidon, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death. As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known So here is the second half of  Of Poseidon and it clears up what will happen to Emma if she is ever found out and about her mother , the lost princess of Poseidon. Galen is such an alpha male and he borders much more on controlling in this book than he did in the first or maybe I don't remember. And Emma comes out muc...

Weezie Foley is trying to get her shop together for the historical district's annual decorating contest. But standing in her way are her competitors across the street, a crazy holiday schedule, and a little old lady who gets stealing and returning Weezie's stuff. I didn't realize that this was the third in a series. But it didn't matter. There was enough background given to get me up to speed with the characters. I think I missed out on some background relationships but not so much that I was confused. This was a cute book along the lines of the other Mary Kay Andrews books I've read. I enjoyed it though I started it before Christmas and then put it on hold to listen to Fangirl and then The Ocean at the End of the Lane . I liked Weezie and Bebe and their friendship. They always have each others' backs and that is nice. Everyone should have a friend like that. I enjoyed the quirky, funny aspects of the book like Weezie's kooky family and her auction buying tr...