Bibliophile Support Group

After a Fashion is a historical fiction novel by Jen Turano. Though her dreams are to someday open a dress shop where she can refurbish gowns for working women like herself, Harriet Peabody currently spends her days in a hat shop in New York City 1882. Beggars can’t be choosers, though – because once a millinery errand to a high-strung customer goes terribly wrong she finds herself without even that position. Mr. Oliver Addleshaw witnesses the event in question – in fact, he has a role. The aforementioned high-strung lady was under the belief that they were soon to be wed, when in fact all he had been hoping for was a feminine companion on one of his biggest business deals yet. Seeing Miss Peabody’s precarious situation, he decides to offer her that position – especially as he quickly realizes her personality is far different than most simpering, wedding-obsessed ladies he’s dealt with prior. Unable to turn down such a lucrative offer, despite its oddness, Harriet decides to...

How to Destroy the New Girl’s Killer Robot Army is a middle grade, humor horror novel by Mick Bogerman and the third in the Slug Pie series. Again, I think it’s not necessary to read these books in order but it could certainly enhance the fun! After zombies and ugly mermaids, you wouldn’t think much would faze Mick Bogerman. Until the new girl. She gets on his nerves – using her Big Words and her Big Brain to mess with him. She’s even spending time at his Mr. Gee’s comic shop – pushing him out of his own territory! So… maybe he does something about it. But that doesn’t excuse her creating a robot army that is dead-set on terrorizing Mick and his friends and family!!! Another strong entry in the Slug Pie series, this was a whole lot of FUN! Again we get more of Mick’s personal life – all fairly quick as these books are so short they could practically be called novellas, but it’s effective nonetheless – and his mom, brother and friends. Score! Truly an entertaining r...

How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid is a middle grade humorous horror novel by Mick Bogerman, and the second book in the Slug Pie Series. Though I think you would enjoy reading these books in order, these are ones I can honestly say should be just fine not to – if needed. All Mick wanted was to fulfill his promise to his little brother – teach him how to swim. To do so, he agreed to do wealthy PJ’s lawn moving in exchange for access to his pool. But there’s a mermaid in there. And not a gorgeous, sweet, innocent mermaid. Oh, no. A bloodthirsty, man-eating, red-scaled monstrosity! Well, Mick is just going to have to figure out how to rid the pool of it. After all, how else will his little brother learn to swim? Now, I felt that How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid was a great improvement on the first book, How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete , for a few different reasons. Reason One: Far more setup – thank you...

For your Hump Day bibliophile pleasure, here's an Grammarly's Grammar Checker infographic about just who writes better - men or women?!??

Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cover is the third book in the YA contemporary spy school series Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter. If you haven’t read the first two books, I strongly recommend not reading this review to avoid inevitable spoilers. Got it?!? A visit to Boston to visit one of her best friends Macey during her summer vacation sounds like fun to Cammie. After all, it’s not every girl that gets to watch their best friend’s father campaign to be the next vice president of the United States! Yet what was believed to be a friendly visit turns deadly – not necessarily surprising considering the line of business Cammie and Macey are being groomed for. But this time it is not a test. It’s not a practical exam. It’s real. When a kidnapping attempt leaves Cammie and Macey battered – their best friends Liz and Bex join them to try and figure out who is after Macey and why. Even if the Secret Service wants them nowhere near the investigation… Don’t Judge a Girl by Her Cov...

How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete is a middle grade humorous horror novel by Mick Bogerman. Mick Bogerman is a typical 12-year-old boy. That is, the kind that is determined to fight off zombies with a pitchfork and locate long-lost pirate gold, all the while doing everything he can to avoid gagging on the smell. And if this is an endeavor that interests you, Mick is happy to provide this “how to”, which regales his experience and the tips he’d provide. Time to get some pirate gold! How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete is the first in Slug Pie Story series narrated by Mick Bogerman. It’s a fast paced, gory, gross, funny debut that made me wince and laugh at the same time. I can see 12-year-old boys loving it, or anyone with a penchant for middle grade horror, such as the Goosebumps series. This first outing is not as substantial or story driven as I prefer and ended up feeling a bit forgettable, but I am happy to say that I personally feel ...

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy is the second book in the YA teen spies-in-training series Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter. To avoid any spoilers, you’ll want to have read the first book I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You before you read this review. Deal? Returning to school after having to give up her civilian boyfriend, Josh, Cammie is hoping to be fully distracted by her spy skills training to think of him – or that he is just outside the highly secure walls of the Gallagher Academy. Alas, her troubles with the male gender have not ended it seems. For a long time, there has been supposition that there must be a boy-version of the Gallagher Academy out there somewhere … Then the code name Blackthorne starts being thrown around – during some innocent eavesdropping on her mother the headmistress, ahem – and a wing of the Academy is being prepped for guests – determined after some just-as-innocent reconnaissance. Blamed for security breaches that – t...

Shadow Scale is a YA fantasy novel, and the long awaited follow-up to Seraphina , by Rachel Hartman. Though it is said you could read Shadow Scale without having read Seraphina , I strongly believe you will get far more impact from the sequel if you read the books in order. For my part, I actually re-read Seraphina before reading Shadow Scale – and I’m glad I did! To read my review of Seraphina , click here . Consider avoiding the below review for inevitable spoilers of the first book. Final warning! Seraphina’s secret – that she is half-dragon, half-human – is now known to the kingdom of Goredd at large. It’s something she never expected – but has become an advantage now, as the potential victory in the brewing war may lie in her kind. And she can find them. Locating all of the grotesques from her mind garden appeals to Seraphina – she thinks of them as a family, wants to gather everyone together to be happy and free from the shame that has dogged them since birth. Y...

Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas is the third entry in the sidesplitting contemporary YA series Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison. As always with a series, it’s best to read the books in order and best not to read the reviews until you’ve read the prior book. Therefore… YOU’VE BEEN WARNED. After a rather disastrous attempt to make Sex God Robbie jealous after he broke things off between them due to her “being too young”, they are now officially an item. But yet again her family of crazy people are determined to ruin everything. Why not a sudden vacation in Scotland?! Um, maybe because there’s nothing to do but look at old men in kilts and hang out with the young crowd in a GROCERY STORE?!?!? But upon return home, Georgia is struck with an odd revelation. Though she is in Snog Heaven with gorgeous Robbie, her prior only-dated-to-make-Robbie-jealous flame Dave the Laugh is looking marvelous. Not to mention their attractive new French teacher. Apparently...

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You is the first in the YA contemporary spy school series Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter. As a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, Cammie has espionage in the blood. Her mother is the headmistress and her father’s life in the spy scene cost him his life. Now she’s “the Chameleon”, great at blending in and utilizing the academic education she is receiving – which isn’t what the town’s impression of a snooty girl’s boarding school is. Instead, Cammie and her friends are taught advanced martial arts, how to assimilate into various cultures, different languages and accents and so on and so forth. Essentially, a training ground for genius girls meant to be future spooks. But despite knowing how to kill someone with her bare hands and what is the latest in chemical warfare science, Cammie has no idea what to do when an ordinary boy talks to her like she’s an ordinary girl. Is it possible to enter into a r...

Hi everyone, My name is Roselyn Jewell and I wanted to let you know about my newly released YA eBook! Its dystopian fiction, set in a world where a lot of the population was wiped out by a pandemic and of the people left, about 75% of them have what's called The Roving, which is similar to ADHD. People with The Roving have trouble focusing and short attention spans. The post pandemic society is completely government run; the government decides everything, from where you'll live once you turn 17 (the age they consider you an adult) to who you are paired with and expected to marry and produce children, and what career path you will be put on. You can request certain pairings or careers but ultimately you must take what you're given and once you have your assignments, you cannot even request a change for 5 years. This book focuses on Hillary, the main character, who turns 17 and is not at all happy with any of her assignments. Not only that, she's seriously struggling...