The Borgia Betrayal by Sara Poole

Read: August 11 - August 28

Format: Paperback 389 page

s Source: LibraryThing ER Program for review

Subject: Papal security, scientists vs religion

Challenges: 11 in 11, 75 Book, TIOLI, BOYS

Category: Going steady: Should we keep seeing each other? - ongoing series

Genre: Historical Fiction

Stars: ★★★

This book was the second in the Poisoner series. The story picks up shortly after book 1 ends and Francesca is again trying to protect Borgia, Pope Alexander VI from being murdered by Morozzi, a mad priest who favors another for the Papal throne.

It seemed rather repetitive at the beginning but toward the end there some interesting developments that carried me along to the end. Some of the passages were so filled with descriptions that I lost where or what was happening so overall I felt it needed more editing, but still it was an interesting tale.

The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood by Jean Leavy

Read: August 23 - August 25

Format: Overdrive equivalent of 553 pages

Source: Public Library

Subject: Mickey Mantle Bio

Category: Something Borrowed from the library

Challenges: 11 in 11, 75 Book, TIOLI, SYLL

Stars: ★★

This is a biography of New York Yankee Mickey Mantle. I'm not exactly sure how to review it so I will just tell you my feelings. I am an avid baseball fan - mostly the Baltimore Orioles therefore, you do hear about the dreaded Yankees. So I really expected to hear more about baseball, but what I read was basically about injures and inappropriate behavior by Mantle and his teammates. He couldn't seem gather his excellence from the field and continue it in his private life.

The first few chapters were interesting, but then it just seemed to be the same over and over - play great, injury, bad behavior, repeat. I guess hearing the life of another pro player who just died there was a great contrast - maybe Mantle was a great player who was denied his full potential by an early injury, but the injury wasn't what stopped him from being a great man.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Read: August 16 - August 23

Format: Audiobook 6 CDs equivalent 304 pages

Source: Public Library

Subject: Alternate world, mythology

Category: The Kids have it - Young adult and children's books

Challenges: 11 in 11, 75 Book, TIOLI, AUDIO, SYLL

Stars: ★★★½

For those readers of the Percy Jackson series, who felt lost since Percy vanquished the Titans, we come again to that world but with 3 new demigods - Jason, Piper, and Leo. On their arrival at Camp HalfBlood, Jason, who has been robbed of his memories by Hera, is identified as the son of Zeus by tattoos on his arms, Leo is immediately claimed by Hephaestus, and Piper by being claimed by Aphrodite understands why her mother deserted she and her father. All three have secrets that blend them together as a team when they head out on their quests to rescue Hera and prevent further intrusions by the giants. Each of these demigods has abilities - Jason can fly and hurl lightning bolts, Piper can hypnotize mortals with her "charm speech", and Leo and handle Fire and fix anything mechanical.

We find that Jason is actually a son of Jupiter (Zeus' Roman persona) and in this way the Roman mythology is interwoven with the Greek. We are also introduced to Aeolus, God of Wind, who is a one-man Weather Channel, Old friends appear in this book as well - Annabeth who is worried about a missing Percy Jackson, Chiron, Rachel Dare, and Thalia - who turns out to be Jason's older sister. They all join forces to complete the quests as well as other tasks that pop up.

Definitely a great start for a new series!

If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle

Read: August 16 - August 19

Format: Paperback 290 pages

Source: my shelves

Subject: rare books, Robert Burns

Challenges: 11 in 11, 75 Book, TIOLI, BOYS

Category: Going steady: Should we keep seeing each other? - ongoing series

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Stars: ★★★½

When Brooklyn Wainwright arrives in Edinburgh for an International Book Festival she is immediately caught up in literary intrigue. Her former main squeeze, Kyle McVee accosts her and talks her into validating a controversial book and several hours later he turns up dead, murdered with one of Brooklyn's binding hammers. The Scottish police lean toward Brooklyn as the prime suspect so she feels that she needs to exonerate herself.

Brooklyn is IMO a delightful character who has flaws that only make her more endearing. The mystery is not too over the top, leading the reader with numerous possible culprits. The manner in which the bookbinding world is woven in with many interesting and educational facts, also eases the reader through the adventure.

Beaglemania by Linda O. Johnston

Read: August 15 - August 17

Format: e-book equivalent 304 pages

Source: Nook Barnes & Noble

Subject: animal cruelty, animal rescue

Category: Something New - books acquired in 2011

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Challenges: 11 in 11, 75 Book, TIOLI, BOYS

Stars: ★★★½

This new cozy mystery series centers around Lauren Vancouver the administrator of a privately funded animal rescue shelter that specializes in no killing. She works with public agencies to rescue and find homes for the overflow of unwanted pets. At the start Lauren is seen at the site of a raid on a puppy mill, nothing strange for her except that one of the people, Efram, identified as being involved, is a worker from her center HotRescues. Lauren is angry with Efram and they argue, he is told not to return, he threatens her and her facility, so when he is found dead on at HotRescues and she is bending over the body, Lauren becomes the #1 suspect.

This was a nice little cozy which introduced the reader to the agency and characters involved, nothing too over the top or complicated. It did give a warm fuzzy feeling, mainly because of all the little puppies and kitties involved. I will look for the next one.