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Tag Archives: Good Reads

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The Twelve Apostles by William J. Coughlin (PWBR00190)

PolyWogg.ca
March 25 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Twelve Apostles by William J. Coughlin

An elite law firm in NYC has 12 full partners, nicknamed the Apostles, and various members wheel and deal with big business clients as an opening comes available.

What I Liked

The story has a very strong “Wall Street” feel to it, but the back and forth between two companies with their punches and counter-punches are fast-paced and real.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged Amazon.ca, book review, business, e-book, fiction, Good Reads, legal, Library Thing, new, Nook, novel, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, romance, RRE, Savvy Reader, stand-alone | Leave a reply
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The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton (PWBR00189)

PolyWogg.ca
March 22 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

A woman dies at a party at a country resort, the solution obvious. But she was actually murdered, and a guest must solve the crime or never leave. Because the same day repeats each day, and each day the guest is in the body of someone else. He has seven chances to get it right.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged action, Amazon.ca, B&N, book review, Chapters, crime, e-book, fiction, future, Good Reads, Google, Kobo, Library Thing, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, paranormal, PolyWogg, prose, romance, RRE, Savvy Reader, sci-fi, series, sleuth, stand-alone, suspense, time | Leave a reply
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Murder at Hawthorn Cottage by Betty Rowlands (PWBR00188)

PolyWogg.ca
March 21 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Murder at Hawthorn Cottage by Betty Rowlands

A mystery writer moves to the country to find some peace and quiet in her life and for her writing.

What I Liked

The feel is very much an Agatha Christie-style small village with priests, neighbours and a local mystery, with a body dropping shortly after things get settled.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged Amazon.ca, B&N, book review, Chapters, cozy, Craig, crime, e-book, fiction, Good Reads, Library Thing, mystery, new, Nook, novel, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, romance, RRE, Savvy Reader, series, sleuth | Leave a reply
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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (PWBR00187)

PolyWogg.ca
March 20 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A man observes the comings and goings of a 1920s party host who is both his neighbor and a paramour of his cousin. 

What I Liked

It is weird to go back and read this book some 35 years after high-school. I remember thinking it was this glamourous world of parties and high society, where people really did act differently from the common folk.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged Amazon.ca, B&N, book review, Chapters, e-book, fiction, Good Reads, Google, historical, Kobo, Library Thing, new, Nook, novel, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, romance, RRE, Savvy Reader, stand-alone | Leave a reply
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The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (PWBR00186)

PolyWogg.ca
March 20 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

This is a self-help guide to reducing your stress levels by choosing to care only about those things that are important to you.

What I Liked

I found this a very odd book to read. In almost every chapter, I found myself disagreeing with his evidence and examples, often thinking they proved the opposite of what he was trying to use them to prove, yet at the same time agreeing with some of the premises.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged Amazon.ca, B&N, book review, Chapters, e-book, Good Reads, Google, health, humour, Kobo, Library Thing, new, non-fiction, Nook, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, psychology, Reading Challenge, RRE, Savvy Reader, self-help, stand-alone | 2 Replies
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Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull (PWBR00185)

PolyWogg.ca
March 14 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull

Almost three separate stories together — an opening reset of who is on which team, separate adventures for Kendra and Seth, and then a merged final battle.

What I Liked

Seth’s story is almost readable now, although I still feel most of the time it could have simply been one kid’s story, not separate ones for Kendra and Seth.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged adventure, Amazon.ca, B&N, book review, Chapters, children, e-book, Fablehaven, fantasy, fiction, Good Reads, Kobo, Library Thing, magic, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, Savvy Reader, series, sleuth, suspense | Leave a reply
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The Wives by Tarryn Fisher (PWBR00184)

PolyWogg.ca
January 27 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

A wife of a polygamist starts to wonder about his other two wives and seeks them out, only to find a potentially dark secret.

What I Liked

The original premise was unusual and intriguing, and the writer’s use of an unreliable narrator is creative.

What I Didn’t Like

The original premise is interesting enough for you to want to find out about a three-wife relationship, where all three wives are kept separate.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, e-book, fiction, Good Reads, Google, Kobo, Library Thing, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, romance, Savvy Reader, sleuth, stand-alone, suspense | Leave a reply
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Down The River Unto The Sea by Walter Mosley (PWBR00183)

PolyWogg.ca
January 27 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Down The River Unto The Sea by Walter Mosley

A detective was framed for rape, temporarily jailed, kicked off the police force and is working as a private investigator looking at a potential case of corrupt cops who tried to commit murder.

What I Liked

Mosley always creates compelling characters (like Easy Rawlins) and Joe King Oliver is no exception.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged action, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, crime, detective, e-book, fiction, Good Reads, Google, Kobo, Library Thing, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, police, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, Savvy Reader, stand-alone, suspense | Leave a reply
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Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull (PWBR00182)

PolyWogg.ca
January 27 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull

Two stories converge, one of faux Kendra and one of a Dragon sanctuary.

What I Liked

The story of Kendra and a duplicate is interesting, but a bit slow for most of it. But once the Dragon sanctuary is involved, it takes off again.

What I Didn’t Like

Seth is being stupid again and it is really starting to take away from the story.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged adventure, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, children, e-book, Fablehaven, fantasy, fiction, Good Reads, Kobo, Library Thing, magic, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, series, sleuth, suspense | Leave a reply
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Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull (PWBR00181)

PolyWogg.ca
January 27 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

Darkness has come to Fablehaven, with many creatures being turned from light to dark.

What I Liked

There are almost three stories working at once, which adds to the complexity – Seth running around being annoying and self-centred in the Preserve; Kendra going to another Preserve on a quest; and a giant battle at the end that seems almost Lord-of-the-Rings-like.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged adventure, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, children, e-book, Fablehaven, fantasy, fiction, Good Reads, Kobo, Library Thing, magic, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, series, sleuth, suspense | Leave a reply
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Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull (PWBR00180)

PolyWogg.ca
January 26 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull

Kendra and Seth start to receive their training from three experts in how to protect the Preserve.

What I Liked

The three experts and their specializations are pretty cool, all with slightly different skills and personalities. And the finale seems like a solid “Indiana Jones” challenge.

What I Didn’t Like

The book is a lot slower than the first, and while Seth isn’t quite as annoying, the ending reads almost like a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (series of chambers, different puzzles) and the main protagonist, Kendra, is relatively an observer for most of it while others do the heavy lifting.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged adventure, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, children, e-book, Fablehaven, fantasy, fiction, Good Reads, Kobo, Library Thing, magic, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, series, sleuth, suspense | Leave a reply
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Fablehaven by Brandon Mull (PWBR00179)

PolyWogg.ca
January 25 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

Kendra and her brother Seth protect a magical preserve against dark forces.

What I Liked

Like most stories of youth being exposed to magic for the first time, there is a healthy skepticism like they’re being punked. What differed in this one is that the initial intro is one mostly of light and wonder, not darkness and fear.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged adventure, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, children, e-book, Fablehaven, fantasy, fiction, Good Reads, Kobo, Library Thing, magic, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, series, sleuth, suspense | Leave a reply
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The Last Librarian by Brandt Legg (PWBR00178)

PolyWogg.ca
January 21 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Last Librarian by Brandt Legg

The year is 2098 and the world government has decided to close the last library and destroy all the books.

What I Liked

The basic premise of everything having gone digital, world governments, and a plague that wiped out most of humanity fifty years before was intriguing. Equally, the idea of the “last library” on Earth being a large structure in Portland was kind of quirky, with two others having been closed in Australia and Europe.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged action, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, e-book, fiction, future, Good Reads, Justar Journal, Library Thing, mystery, new, Nook, novel, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, Savvy Reader, sci-fi, series, sleuth, speculative, suspense | Leave a reply
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The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz (PWBR00177)

PolyWogg.ca
January 18 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Word Is Murder by Anthony Horowitz

A fictionalized “true” story of the author observing a brilliant detective attempting to solve the murder of a woman who went in to plan her funeral and was murdered the same day.

What I Liked

The premise of the story of the woman planning her funeral and then being murdered was a great Agatha Christie-style plot, more so than Sherlock Holmes.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, crime, detective, e-book, fiction, Good Reads, Google, Hawthorne, Kobo, library, Library Thing, mystery, Nook, novel, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, Savvy Reader, series, sleuth | Leave a reply
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Two O’Clock, Eastern Wartime by John Dunning (PWBR00176)

PolyWogg.ca
January 12 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Two O'Clock, Eastern Wartime by John Dunning

The year is 1942, and Jack Delaney is working as a writer for the local radio station where weird things happen, like actors going missing and potential German spies hiding in plain sight.

What I Liked

The story starts off confused, and a hint of someone in trouble.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged action, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, espionage, fiction, Good Reads, Google, historical, international, Kobo, Library Thing, mystery, new, Nook, novel, paperback, PolyWogg, prose, romance, sleuth, stand-alone | Leave a reply
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Zap! by Martha Freeman (PWBR00175)

PolyWogg.ca
January 11 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Zap! by Martha Freeman

A blackout hits New Jersey and two kids try to figure out how it happened and how to fix it.

What I Liked

The level is middle-grade and moves along at an okay pace. The cause of the blackout comes down to computers, and the solution is relatively straightforward without seeming too simplistic.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged action, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, children, crime, e-book, fiction, Good Reads, Google, Kobo, Library Thing, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, Savvy Reader, SavvyReader, sleuth, stand-alone, Young Adult | Leave a reply
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Winterhouse by Ben Guterson (PWBR00174)

PolyWogg.ca
January 11 2020

Plot or Premise

Cover: Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

A young girl who lives with her aunt and uncle is sent under mysterious circumstances to a resort hotel for Christmas break.

What I Liked

The story has a bit of a Harry Potter-esque feel to it at the start — things happening that seem magical, parents dead, not very nice relatives, and leaving on an adventure.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged adventure, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, children, e-book, fantasy, fiction, Good Reads, Google, Kobo, Library Thing, magic, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, paranormal, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, Savvy Reader, SavvyReader, series, sleuth, Winterhouse, Young Adult | Leave a reply
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A Spy In The House by Y.S. Lee (PWBR00173)

PolyWogg.ca
December 5 2019

Plot or Premise

Cover: A Spy In The House by Y.S. Lee

An orphan in the mid-1800s is diverted from the gallows to a school for girls, gets her high school education, and graduates to become an operative for a special investigating Agency of women run by the heads of the school.

What I Liked

The story has a very strong “Anne Perry” historical fiction feel to it, but without the constant discussion of Jane Austen-style society.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged action, adventure, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, crime, detective, fiction, Good Reads, Google, historical, history, Kobo, Library Thing, mystery, new, Nook, novel, OPL, paperback, PolyWogg, prose, Quinn, Reading Challenge, romance, Savvy Reader, series, Young Adult | Leave a reply
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The Burning Edge by Rick Mofina (PWBR00172)

PolyWogg.ca
November 17 2019

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Burning Edge by Rick Mofina

A woman witnesses an armed robbery at a truck stop, and as the FBI closes in on the robbers, they worry that the woman saw too much.

What I Liked

The story is told from the perspective of four groups — the woman who saw the robbers, Lisa; a journalist digging for the story, Jack; the robbers themselves; and the FBI agent hunting them, Frank.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged action, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, crime, detective, fiction, Gannon, gift, Good Reads, Google, Kobo, Library Thing, mystery, Nook, novel, OPL, paperback, police, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, Savvy Reader, sleuth, stand-alone, suspense | Leave a reply
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The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness (PWBR00171)

PolyWogg.ca
November 16 2019

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

After falling in love (book 1), and hiding in the past (book 2), Diana and Matthew return to the present to start a family and figure out what is in the Book of Life.

What I Liked

This third book recaptures some of the mystery from the first book and tackles head-on the issue of the lineage of demons, vampires and witches.… Read the rest

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged action, allsouls, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, B&N, book review, Chapters, e-book, epic, fantasy, fiction, Good Reads, Google, historical, Kobo, library, Library Thing, magic, mystery, Nook, novel, OPL, paranormal, PolyWogg, prose, Reading Challenge, romance, Savvy Reader, series, sleuth, suspense, time | Leave a reply

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