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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Spy School Goes North in Books

Feb 5, 2024  
Spy School Goes North
Spy School Goes North
Stuart Gibbs | 2023 | Children
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kidnapping in Alaska
Ben and the rest of the gang are in Alaska, training in secret after the events of the previous book. But they aren’t as secret as they thought they were when someone kidnaps Cyrus. Naturally, they spring into action to save him, but even if they do, what plot might they uncover?

I’ve been a fan of the series since the beginning, but it is beginning to feel a little too familiar. It would be nice if we could defeat some recurring characters and move on to some new stories. Additionally, there are a couple of lectures that threw me out of the book, even when I agreed with the characters. There’s also a relationship that bothered me on multiple levels. From a story standpoint, this relationship felt completely forced and the plot relied on it too much. It just wasn’t earned. On the other hand, I did enjoy spending time with the characters as always, and the action and laughs kept me turning pages. Here’s hoping that the next will take things in a fresh direction.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Snowy with a Chance of Murder in Books

Mar 19, 2025  
Snowy with a Chance of Murder
Snowy with a Chance of Murder
Jessica Fletcher, Barbara Early | 2025 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Jessica Fletcher Finds Murder at Home
When Jessica slips on the ice, her Caribbean get away turns into a stint at home in a wheelchair. But she still finds herself with a mystery to solve when a mysterious artist moves in across the street. His snow sculptures are drawing a crowd, but for the wrong reasons. Then a murder happens with potential ties to another case in town. Can Jessica figure out what is going on?

Those getting Rear Window vibes aren’t far from the setup, although Jessica still gets out quite a bit, which I was grateful for. While there is a lot happening here, I did find the pacing a bit uneven at times, but things come together wonderfully once the murder happens. I love how this book expertly captures the characters and community of Cabot Cove. Since that was the reason we loved those episodes so much, fans will love this aspect of things. With spring fast approaching, there is still time to enjoy some winter vibes with this fun book.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre in Books

Jun 10, 2021  
The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre
The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre
Robin Talley | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy, LGBTQ+, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A sweet and diverse YA theater romance
Melody McIntyre loves theater with all her heart. She puts everything she has into her role as stage manager for her high school's productions. But when Mel's love life affects her latest show, she realizes that maybe her romances and the success of the shows go hand in hand. After all, it's pretty well known that their theater is cursed. So Mel swears off love for their current spring production of Les Miserables. Then she meets Odile Rose, a rising actor, who has a role in their spring show. Odile seems as invested in the show in Mel, and she's also kind and funny. Mel can't fall in love, but what if she has no choice?

"Our theater's cursed. That's the rumor, anyway. Strange things have been happening here for years. Unexplainable things."

This book wins the award for one of the most stressful openings ever, as Mel's love life falls apart during an actual show. I was sweating bullets on her behalf. It's a very theater-oriented book and if you like drama or Les Mis, you will adore reading it. Robin Talley writes in her very sweet author's note that she took inspiration for the plot from her wife, who is involved in the theater--totally adorable.

"All right. So be it. If I fall in love, the musical's doomed."

As with nearly any Talley YA read, LOVE CURSE is filled with wonderful diverse representation, cute high school kids, and a sweet love story. There's some high school drama, of course. Here there's much ado about a curse--sometimes too much for this adult--but I could completely see my theater friends in high school being completely into something like this in high school.

As for Melody and Odile, I adored them. Mel put theater first above all and Odile felt pressured as her acting career took off. I would have liked a little more buildup to their love story, but their romance was really touching. I love how Talley always makes it okay to be queer, especially for teens, in her books and works through coming of age and/or coming out in approachable and realistic ways.

Overall this is a cute theater-themed read filled with diverse characters and a touching love story. 3.75 stars, rounded up.