Here at Chapter Break, we don’t always write a full review of every book we read. Well, now we decided to do these monthly wrap-up posts with roundups of our reviews this month and mini-reviews to fill in the gaps. Enjoy!
Absolute Zero is the next book in the series after Negative Zero. While I generally liked the book, I was more frustrated that the pace was slow and most of the book was hanging out or partying, and not dealing with the actual situations. Evika’s duties as Soldier of Light were completely glossed over. I would have liked to see some scenes showing us more of her actual job. The romance between Evika and Hayden and ultimately leading to Hayden’s decision was enjoyable, but the bigger issues at play introduced only briefly were frustrating. But I’m definitely curious to see how it all plays out, especially the plotline with Alysto. I did enjoy the audio narration. The pacing and voices were great. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Kona and His Hard Shell. Gorgeously illustrated book about a Hawaiian crab who gets scared after he gets injured. Mama crab teaches Kona to overcome fears through mindfulness and deep breaths. Great book to teach kids how to manage their emotions and learn about Hawaii at the same time!
The Last Wish: Introducing the Witcher I read this with a local book club, because The Witcher TV show is so popular. The book was basically an intro and rather than being a full novel, was made up of stories introducing all the characters. I found it kind of tedious and hard to keep up with who was who. The general consensus of the group was MEH.
Beard Science(Winston Brothers #3): Oh, Cletus. My favorite of the Winston Brothers! Smart, scientific, clinical, diabolical, and yes, a little blackmail-y and scary. I knew it would take someone special to win Cletus’s heart and we found her in Jenn. She watches and listens. And does some blackmailing of her own! I don’t know what kind of romance you might be interested in, but this series has it all. And I’m so in for Penny Reid’s new series Handcrafted Mystery with Cletus and Jenn solving mysteries!
Daisy Jones & The Six: I think the full cast audio is really suited to the interview format of this book. If you are deciding between formats, go with the audio! This is a 70’s set book, full of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Reminded me somewhat of Almost Famous and all the stories you’ve ever heard about Fleetwood Mac. The characters are not ones I would want to hang out with. I did enjoy the ending, though. We find out who the ‘author’ of the book is and get a quick where are they now with the members of the band. Overall, I’m going with ok, not great. 3 1/2 Stars.
Emma: Witty and clever as Austen does best. I listened to this version from Audible. Emma Thompson is a great narrator. And the full cast of voices for the characters makes for an enjoyable listen. Though, I did find myself at the end wondering about the Knightly\Emma match. They have known each other for years, including the time when Emma was probably young. In all that time, no one else has sparked Knightly’s interest and he all of the sudden is in love with Emma? That’s weird. I can see how she would admire him, certainly. Maybe that age difference works for the pair? Let’s say 5 stars for the narration and production. Three stars for the romance.
Books we reviewed this month:
