The Night in Question (The Agathas #2) by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson
4 out of 5 stars Alice and Iris are back with their Agatha Christie-inspired detective skills in this follow-up to The Agathas! Last fall, Castle Cove was rocked by the shocking murder of Brooke Donovan. Unlikely duo Iris and Alice were able to crack the case, and now have a taste for detective work. But Brooke’s murder wasn’t the first mysterious death in Castle Cove. In the 1940s, movie star Mona Moody died at Levy Castle, and though it was ruled an accident, rumors continue to circulate. So when their school dance takes place at the infamous castle, Alice can’t help but poke around. But instead of finding clues, Alice stumbles upon the aftermath of a brutal assault. And while the police rule it an open and shut case, Alice and Iris aren’t so sure. They know from their experience in the fall that things are not always as they seem. In order to find the truth, Alice and Iris, along with their trusty friends, decide to band together once again. However, they soon find that to solve this case, they must also uncover what happened at Levy Castle all those years ago. Will they be able to solve the case that has haunted Castle Cove for decades? I just love these books so much. I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and I LOVED The Agathas. I think this is a really solid follow-up, as it explores what the two feel after solving Brooke’s murder. Alice feels accomplished for solving the case, but she’s still mourning her former best friend. Similarly, Iris is proud of their accomplishment, but can’t help fixating on other cases that have yet to be solved. Iris is also dealing with the trauma of her father’s assault on her and her mother. I really appreciated that this book didn’t gloss over the traumas the characters faced in the previous book. They went THROUGH IT and that is not something they can just gloss over. There were a couple points that I feel like didn’t get fleshed out quite enough, especially Iris and Cole’s potential relationship and the hinted at love triangle involving Spike. The same goes for Iris’s fixation on the murder of Raf’s cousin (I think?). Maybe that will come in a book three? Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have a thing for amateur teen sleuths and Agatha Christie-inspired stories, so this series is a winner for me.
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Hello, world! April was a big reading month for me! I was worried it would be hard to get back into reading for fun, but I crushed it this month! Lots of novellas and manga!
So here is my April 2023 Wrap-Up! 1. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers 5 out of 5 stars This might be the most wholesome and comforting book I've ever read. In this world, all the robots woke up one day and decided they were done working and retreated to the woods. Dex is a tea monk who travels from city to city, listening to people's problems and brewing them the perfect tea. Mosscap is a robot who returns from the wild with a simple question: What do humans need? These two partner up to help each other on their missions and it's just so sweet and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 2. How I’ll Kill You by Ren DeStefano 2 out of 5 stars I went into this hoping for a fun/wacky thriller. While I did want to see it through to the end, I really didn't like some of the twists. Overall, it was just meh. 3. My Brother's Husband, Volume 2 by Gengoroh Tagame 5 out of 5 stars Excuse me while I cry. This volume is so beautiful. Yaichi's character growth is incredible. He has so much homophobia to unlearn, but he's getting there. He contemplates the possibility of his daughter coming out and if she would feel comfortable telling him, or if society would force her to remain in the closet. It's all just so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. 4. Expedition Backyard by Rosemary Mosco and Binglin Hu 4 out of 5 stars This was very cute and educational. I love the guides at the end on how to keep a nature journal, how to compost, and more! 5. The Deep & Dark Blue by Niki Smith 5 out of 5 stars Such a beautiful graphic novel. I love the illustrations, the magic is interesting, and it's such a heartwarming story of finding your true self. 6. Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years by Joy Harjo 2 out of 5 stars I know that many, many people find her poetry beautiful, and I respect that. I have nothing but respect and awe for this poet. But it was just not for me. 7. El deafo by Cece Bell 5 out of 5 stars I don't know why it took me so long to read this. Author Cece Bell became deaf at age four, after an illness. This book shows how she coped with this, specifically focusing on her superhero alter ego, El Deafo. I really liked the way this was illustrated. The text would fade to show Cece was having trouble hearing, or it would be gibberish to show that she could hear, but not understand. Overall, this is a really interesting read about trying to fit in as a kid and accepting yourself. 8. Cosmoknights, Vol 1 by Hannah Templer 5 out of 5 stars This was really cool! The illustrations of the galaxies are so beautiful. The cosmoknight battles remind me of anime/manga. I love the queer, feminist spin. I'm not usually a big sci-fi fan, but I loved this and can't wait to read the next! 9. Cosmoknights, Vol 2 by Hannah Templer 5 out of 5 stars Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This was an excellent follow up to the first volume! I love the illustrations (especially the galaxies). We see the crew grow (both as characters and actually adding more people to the crew). It's just such a fun, queer space adventure and I love it! 10. Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall 5 out of 5 stars This may be a short book, but it packs a punch. It's based on the story of the author's grandparents meeting at the library while living in a Japanese internment camp. It's a beautiful story that somehow shows hope while also bringing to light horrible injustices from the pa 11. Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 1 by Itaru Kinoshita 4 out of 5 stars This was basically like daily life of a zookeeper, but for dinosaurs. It was a really sweet story, but still had a cliffhanger ending. Between each chapter, there was a little blurb about dinosaurs written by a research consultant. While some of them were a bit too scientific for me, it explained why dinosaurs were drawn sitting certain ways, which I found very interesting. I will definitely check out the rest of the series! 12. Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire 5 out of 5 stars What happens to the kids who travel through doorways to magical worlds after they return? I really enjoyed this. It's interesting, has a good mystery, and it's under 200 pages. Also, the main character is ace and I love that representation and how she describes it. I'm excited to read more of this series! 13. Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1 by Kamome Shirahama 4 out of 5 stars I want to live in this magical world! The magic was interesting and there's a nice mystery to it. I will definitely be reading more of the series. 14. Thinking of You (but not like in a weird creepy way): A Comic Collection by Beth Evans 4 out of 5 stars Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I love Beth Evans inspirational doodles on Instagram, and because this book is a collection of them, I of course enjoyed it. If I'm ever feeling down, I would pick this back up to make me feel better. 15. The Gender Book by Cassandra Jules Corrigan and Jem Milton 5 out of 5 stars Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this book! It's a picture book, but the language leans older, as it explains AMAB/AFAB, agender, and more. It's very informative and I think it would be a great introduction to gender for kiddos. There is also an activity at the end to encourage exploration and discussion, which I really liked. 16. Real Account, Vol. 1 by Okushou and Shizumu Watanabe (illustrations) 5 out of 5 stars Hoooooooly crap. This was INTENSE and I LOVED it so much. I need more of this series. Right. Now. 17. Dinosaur Sanctuary, Vol. 2 by Itaru Kinoshita 4 out of 5 stars This is such an interesting series. I love the staff's relationships with the dinosaurs. I like the info included about dinosaurs between each chapter. It's unique and a lot of fun. 18. Lumberjanes: Somewhere That's Green #1 by Seanan McGuire, Mari Costa (illustrations) 5 out of 5 stars Well this was just delightful. I love the Lumberjanes and I just read the first Wayward Children book by Seanan McGuire and loved it. Put those two together? Perfection. |
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AuthorI'm HaileyAnne! I'm a queer librarian who loves books and kpop. Archives
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