The One and Only Family. Katherine Applegate. 2024. 272 pages. [Source: Library] First sentence: I am Ivan. I'm about to become a dad. I'm hoping it's as easy as it looks. Premise/plot: The One and Only Ivan is the fourth book in Katherine Applegate's series. Previous titles--as I'm sure many know--include The One and Only Ivan, The One and Only Bob, and The One and Only Ruby. Ivan and his gorilla partner, Kinyani, are going to be parents. This book--written in verse--chronicles Ivan's adventures/misadventures as a dad as "Big Daddy." My thoughts: I LOVED this one. Is it for kids? May ..read more

Unhappy  Camper (Graphic Novel) Lily LaMotte. Illustrated by Ann Xu. 2024. 208 pages. [Source: Library] [Middle grade graphic novel] First sentence: Claire and I had many daring adventures with our dolls. Premise/plot: Michelle (our narrator) and Claire (her older sister) are at odds in Unhappy Camper. Michelle wants to blend in--fit in, be liked, be popular--with her friend group and peers. Claire wants to be true to herself and express her most true self--which in this case means embracing her Taiwanese culture a thousand percent. Claire has gone many years to a Taiwanese-American sum ..read more

Fifty-Four Pigs (Dr. Bannerman Vet Mystery #1) Philipp Schott. 2022. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [adult mystery] First sentence: Peter heard it before he saw it. A deep, percussive thud from somewhere ahead and to the left. Premise/plot: Dr Peter Bannerman is a veterinarian and an amateur detective--much to his brother-in-law's dismay. (His brother-in-law is an actual cop/detective.) This one opens with a bang--literally. An explosion in a pig barn killing fifty-four pigs. Was it an accident? Was it a crime? Well, all chances of it being an accident are put to rest when a body is found in t ..read more

IN April I read thirty-two books.  Books reviewed at Becky's Book Reviews 37. Uprising. Jennifer A. Nielsen. 2024. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy] [J Historical Fiction; MG Historical Fiction] 38. Snowglobe. (Snowglobe Duology #1) Soyoung Park. Translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort. 2024. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Dystopian; New Adult]  39. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Suzanne Collins. 2020. [May] 439 pages. [Source: Library]  40. How To Solve Your Own Murder (Castle Knoll Files #1) Kristen Perrin. 2024. 368 pages. [Source: Library]  41.&nb ..read more

The Mystery of Locked Rooms. Lindsay Currie. 2024. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [Middle grade realistic fiction] First sentence: "Angle it the other way!" West screeches, holding his mirror up in the air. Sweat beads on his forehead, and his eyes are wild with excitement. We're going to beat the clock this time. We have to. "Toward the door!" Premise/plot: Sarah Greene and her friends West and Hannah love, love, love, love, love to do escape rooms. "The Deltas" find it super-thrilling to work together to beat the most challenging of escape rooms. However, their attention turns slightly away ..read more

Before Nightfall. Silvia Vecchini. 2024. 128 pages. [Source: Library] First sentence: The sea is all light.  Premise/plot: Emma loves, loves, loves her brother, Carlo, who is hearing and vision impaired. The two communicate through sign language [though not American sign language]. His one 'good' eye is failing and he will soon undergo a surgery with a chance to save what remains of his vision. The book follows their uncertain yet hopeful story as it unfolds. Emma has met a boy--whose name I can't recall and who isn't 'important' enough to get a mention in any blurb--and he also befrien ..read more

One Big Open Sky. Lesa Cline-Ransome. 2024. 304 pages. [Source: Library] First sentence: On the ride back from church every time Charly trotted faster or trotted out the way of a too-big hole in the road my head fell against Daddy's soft Sunday shirt blue as a clear sky Momma was humming the hymns to herself in the back of the wagon we just finished singing out loud in the pews Riding next to Daddy listening to Momma I asked Daddy What was your momma and daddy like? and he pulled back hard on the reins enough to make Charly start and lift his head wondering what Daddy wanted Charly knew ther ..read more

How To Solve Your Own Murder (Castle Knoll Files #1) Kristen Perrin. 2024. 368 pages. [Source: Library] First sentence: "Your future contains dry bones." Premise/plot: Frances Adams receives a fortune at a country fair that changes the lives of her and her friends in Kristen Perrin's newest mystery novel. The mystery has dual time periods. Frances' journal/diary is from 1965/1966. The present story is told from the point of view of her great-niece, Annie Adams. It seems that Frances' fortune that she would be murdered was accurate. It is up to Annie (and several others) to solve her murder a ..read more

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Suzanne Collins. 2020. [May] 439 pages. [Source: Library] First sentence: Coriolanus released the fistful of cabbage into the pot of boiling water and swore that one day it would never pass his lips again. ETA: I just reread The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes after watching the movie adaptation--twice. The movie (obviously) resonated with me. It helped in the reread that I knew exactly what was coming in regards to the end. Though to be fair the end is ambiguous both in the book and film. There are definitely differences between the book and film. I highli ..read more

Snowglobe. (Snowglobe Duology #1) Soyoung Park. Translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort. 2024. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [YA Dystopian; New Adult] First sentence: In the living room, Grandma is sunk in her chair in front of her favorite TV show, a heavy quilt draped over her lap. I look down at the weather ticker scrolling away along the bottom of the screen. I read the description of this one and that was enough of a hook to get me. I'm not sure I could do the book justice by trying to summarize it. You should know it is set in a futuristic dystopia. The world building was FANTASTIC. The char ..read more