Dear Readers, November was an okay month for reading I started the Christmas overtime schedule so not as much time to read. I set my goal of 6 book but only read 4. I read 1 horror, 1 Young Adult, 1 Graphic Novel and 2 that were new releases thanks to Netgalley. I Read 2 books from a book series with Goosebumps and The Arc of the Scythe series. I read one 5 star books, one 4 star books, one 3 star books and one 2 star book.  I did Vote in Goodreads Reader’s Choice Awards and Will tell you who i voted for, how many titles I read in each category, and why I chose the book for my vote.

Five Star Reviews:

The Horror at Camp Jellyjam by R.L. Stine is Goosebumps at it’s weirdest and it’s great. The Horror at Camp Jellyjam is Goosebumps book 33 in the original series order. This book features a camp that just wants the kids to be the best, but when they show they’re the best the disappear. The book also has creepy cultlike camp counselors. The fear is the can’t escape mentality. I liked the brother and sister bonding, it is not filled with endless pranks it feels very real and like a family. The monster is the weirdest and very unique R.L. Stine writing and description. The opening is like One Day at Horror Land where by happenstance the siblings arrive at Camp Jellyjam. The pace is good there’s some slight repetition but better than most Goosebumps books. The climax is good and oh so weird.

Four Star Reviews:

Gleanings by Neal Shusterman is a short story collection involving the Arc of the Scythe series. The Arc of the Scythe series is about the Earth figuring out a way where humans can no longer die, the came up with a way to limit population is that they have people called Scythes who have a quota to kill so much people as a way of population control. Goodreads has it marked as 3.5 as it has 2 out of the 13 stories that go beyond the Arc of the Scythe. But most of the stories take place during the series, with 3 taking place before the series (which I feel are the best stories) and 3 that don’t reference time and can take place anyplace where Scythes are. I liked the mix of stories some add insight to characters and events that were referenced in the series, some are about the interesting world of Scythes and what makes them tick, and we get more insight into the Thunderhead the Big Brother that watches all except Scythe business. My rating for the short stories are 3 five star, 5 four star, 3 three star and 2 two star. I was selected to read Gleanings through Netgalley from Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Gleanings is published on November 8 2022.

Three Star Reviews:

Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 15 by Gerry Conway and Len Wein is the book which introduces clones to Spiderman which will eventually lead to the Clone Saga with the Scarlet Spiderman ( that is my favorite costume in the Spiderman Video Game). In this series of stories Spiderman questions is he the clone or the real Spider man when a cloned Gwen Stacy returns remembering everything just before her death, just when stuff is starting to get real with Mary Jane. The pace is a little slower in these issues A new writer, the third writer, for the Amazing Spider-Man series is Len Wein taking over for Gerry Conway who took over from Stan Lee. The stores under Len Wein are a little more personable, and Peter Parker is a little more even tempered even when stuff goes wrong.

Two Star Review:

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson is a book about corruption in 1920’s London club scene. It shows perspectives of the club owners, the cops trying to take them down and the people who get pulled down in the muck with them. The characterization has really clever tidbits about every character and what their hopes and dreams are. The story is a bit of a mess since we get about 20 character perspectives and the story is sometimes told out of order. I’m familiar with this approach and felt it was way better done in her novel Case Histories but that is only with 5 perspectives compared to 20. When you get 20 or so characters your going to get characters the reader doesn’t care for and I didn’t care for 7 out of the 20. The story was interesting but I did not gel with the way it was told pretty much from the beginning. The climax was okay it jumped around a lot because of all the perspectives so we just get bits and pieces of it I much preferred the club shooting to the climax. The pace was not bad but the changes in perspective slowed it down. Thanks to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for giving me a copy to review. Shrines of Gaiety is published on September 27 2022.

GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS VOTING 2022:

Best Fiction: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin – I read 2 books in this category this and Remarkably Bright Creatures By Shelby Van Pelt both books were my favorites and will take my 1 and 2 spots for best books this year.  It was a bit of a toss up but feel Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow more in my soul.

Best Mystery/ Thriller: The Maid by Nina Prose – I read 2 books in this category this and The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.  The Maid was a clear winner The Golden Couple was just okay I’ve read almost every book by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and thought this was their weakest.

Best Historical Fiction: The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn – I read 4 books in this category this, Violeta by Isabel Allende, Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, and Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson.  This was between The Diamond Eye and Violeta, and the Diamond Eye was just a tad more fun and enjoyable.

Best Science Fiction: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi – I read 4 books this and Upgrade by Blake Crouch, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno Garcia, and Dead Silence by S. A. Barnes.  This one was going to be Upgrade but I’m reading The Kaiju Preservation Society now and it is fantastic, I’m 90% finished and really impressed for my first John Scalzi book.

Best Horror: Sundial by Catriona Ward – I only read this book in the category.  I liked it but thought is nowhere near as good as Last House on Needless Street her book last year. This book did not make it into the final round.

Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction: Gallant by V. E. Schwab I only read one book in this category, But this book was in my top 5 books read this year.

Best Debut Novel: Remarkably Bright Creatures By Shelby Van Pelt – I read 3 book in this category, this and The Maid by Nina Prose and Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. Remarkably Bright Creatures was an easy pick for me, such a great book.

All other Categories I did not read any books that made the list.