Fact of the day

Source: http://www.bestfunfacts.com/literature.html
The news of an original copy of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales made it to the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998. The original copies of Canterbury Tales were printed in 1477 by William Caxton, the first printer to introduce the printing press in England. Only one of these first copies is still in private hands and was sold in an auction on July 8, 1998, for £4,621,500, making it the most expensive book ever sold.

Double Dip by Gretchen Archer-5 stars

Archer, Gretchen. Double Dip.  8:41 hrs. $13.96. Audible Download. 2014

Life in Biloxi, Mississippi has been a little rocky for Davis Way. Her live-in boyfriend, Bradley Cole is on a big case and is hardly ever home, juggling her security job and her doppleganger job for her employer’s wife has kept her extremely busy, she’s pregnant, and someone is out to get her boyfriend. When an underground senior citizen retirement center is discovered in the heart of the Bellisimo, Davis  finds herself having to draw on her family and friend ties to bring the perpetrators to justice. Will she succeed in saving her jobs, getting her boyfriend back safe and sound, and keeping her sanity?

Although, narrator, Amber Benson wasn’t quite as entertaining as the first book’s narrator, her unique intonations and smooth transitions did a great job of bringing Archer’s characters and the world of Biloxi to life. The plot is well-developed and engaging. Unlike the first one, this book has no plot dragging issues and moves at a steady pace. The narrative and writing styles are clear, easy to follow, and complement each other well.  The humor and light-hearted nature of the book was masterfully mixed with the suspense and danger the main character and her boyfriend faced. Overall, I give it 5 out of 5 stars. A must read for fans who liked the first one or for people who like mystery novels. 

5 stars, ADULT

The Dragon Turn by Shane Peacock-4.5 stars

Peacock, Shane, The Dragon Turn. pgs. 220. Tundra Books, 2011.

Back for his fifth mystery, Young Sherlock Holmes has his work cut out for him. When a magician called Hemsworth is arrested for the murder of another magician and the disappearance of Mrs. Nottingham, Hemsworth’s ex and the murdered magician’s current wife , Sherlock decides to investigate. The police aren’t too thrilled with him poking his nose where it doesn’t belong.  With little to no evidence to support the police’s murder theory and a near impossible laboratory that holds all the information, Sherlock may be over his head. Will he succeed?

The characters are likable and Sherlock seems pretty true to the original Doyle character. References  to the original Holmes author and some of his mysteries are entertaining and engaging. Although the plot was confusing in parts, it was well-developed and had lots of twist and turns that will keep the reader guessing the true ending to the mystery. Overall, I give it 4.5 stars. Readers who like adventure, historical fiction, and mystery will enjoy reading this book.

Grades 5 to 9, 4.5 stars

Reviews

All books and audiobooks reviewed on this site were either purchase through audible.com or were given to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. I review all age levels of interest. In addition to this blog, I also post on kissthebook.blogspot.com, onlinebookclub.org, and School Library Journal. Due to copyright issues, those reviews do not appear on this site.

Reviews are typically 250 to 300 words, but may be longer. Upon request, reviews may also be posted to such sites as Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com. If you wish to contact me about reviewing your item, please feel free to email me at kmoody@slcolibrary.org

Fact of the day

Double Whammy by Gretchen Archer-4 stars

Archer, Gretchen. Double Whammy.  9:58 hrs. $13.96. Audible Download. 2013

When a job opportunity pops up for Davis Way to get out of Pine Apple, Alabama, she jumps at the chance to become plain clothes security for Bellismo Hotel and Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Her first job: to uncover a corruption regarding the slot machine: Double Whammy, Deuces Wild. Everything is going great until her ex-ex husband, Eddie Crawford and her employer’s wife, Bianca Sanders turn out to be in the heart of the problem. To make matters worse, Davis is a double for Bianca and her immediate supervisor, Natalie, seems to be behind it all. When a case of mistaken identity and an attempted murder get pinned on her, Davis finds herself in the slammer with no way to get help from her family. With no one else to turn to but her landlord lawyer, Bradley Cole, Davis must figure out a way to clear her name or wind up going to prison for something she didn’t do for a very long time. Will she succeed?

Narrator, Dina Pearlman has an entertaining, southern drawl that brings a unique dimension to Archer’s characters. The plot is well-developed and draws the reader into Davis Way’s world easily. Although the story drags in a few places, the book moves at a steady pace. The narrative style is clear with smooth transitions.  Although it’s hard to believe that a former cop would touch a suspicious gun without gloves on is hard to believe, but the humor and light-hearted nature of the book makes up for this oversight. Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The story had a few holes and part that weren’t very believable, but the plot was easy to follow and entertaining.

4 stars, ADULT

Fact of the Day

I'm a closet fact junkie, so I've decided I'm going to start posting one a day in addition to reviews I write and such. I'm hoping to make most of them book-related Here's today's fact: