REVIEW: Nancy Drew Books #28 & #31

Title: Clue of the Black Keys
Author: Carolyn Keene
Finished: June 17, 2011
Pages: 174
Published: 1951
Format: Hardback

From Wikipedia:

Prof. Terry Scott went to River Heights to ask the help of Carson Drew to help him to find Dr. Joshua Pitt. Mr. Drew thought that the case was more of a mystery, so he referred him to Nancy Drew, his daughter who loves detective work. Terry Scott and Dr. Joshua Pitt, together with their teammates, Dr. Anderson and Dr. Graham, found the clue to the treasure during their expedition in Mexico, a cipher carved in a stone tablet and three black keys. Before the professors had time to translate the cipher, the tablet disappeared together with Dr. Pitt, leaving only the bottom half of one of the keys. Terry suspected the Tinos because they vanished when the cipher stone and Dr. Pitt disappeared.

The latest Nancy Drew books are getting more interesting and in depth. Nancy is surely growing as a great detective and I’m looking forward to slowly finishing the series out.

*challenges: spring reading thing, cozy mystery challenge, 100+ challenge, nancy drew reading challenge, 11 in 11 reading challenge

Title: Ringmaster’s Secret
Author: Carolyn Keene
Finished: June 18, 2011
Pages: 178
Published: 1953
Format: Hardback

This one joins my list of favorites as Nancy joins the circus to help solve her latest mystery, using all her skills to trick not only her friends but the bad guys into thinking she is someone else.

Definitely a fun read and one that every Nancy fan is sure to enjoy, or even those reading for their first time.

*challenges: spring reading thing, cozy mystery reading challenge, 100+ challenge, nancy drew reading challenge, 11 in 11 reading challenge, monthly mix up

REVIEW: Dear John

Title: Dear John
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Finished: June 12, 2011
Pages: 276
Published: 2006
Format: First Edition

Made into a movie, this love story holds lots of heartache, and if I remember has some differences from the movie version.

A unlikely couple – a young religious girl on summer vacation and a army man on leave – meet by coincidence on the beach one night, and slowly their friendship turns into a partnership and before long they are nearly inseparable during the days.

Their perfect summer fades quickly as they find themselves faced with returning to their lives, broken apart and far away.

This wasn’t my favorite Sparks book but it was very good to read and heartwarming from beginning to end.

*challenges: spring reading thing, countdown challenge, off the shelf challenge, nicholas sparks challenge, 100+ reading challenge, a-z challenge, tbr reading challenge, 11 in 11 reading challenge, tbr stack

Other Reviews: Book Worm

REVIEW: Winning With Money

Title: Winning With Money
Author: Aaron Coleman
Finished: June 8, 2011
Pages: 128
Published: 2011
Format: paperback

Given to me by a good friend, this book was the perfect one for someone like me … a book about budgets for a person who hates budgets.

Local Boise author, Aaron Coleman, did an amazing job of creating an easy book on how to budget and win with money, including great templates and trackers you can use in your family and home to help budget better.

The great step by step, simple instructions help anyone and everyone simply set up and manage a budget that works for their individual lifestyles.

As far a books on money go, this is my highest recommendation. It’s such a quick read and very informative. There is nothing not great about this book!

*challenges: countdown challenge, new authors challenge, 100+ challenge, 11 in 11 reading challenge, pub challenge

Update!!

Where have I been for almost two months …. things have been crazy busy this summer. Between work and lots of vacation, I can’t keep up with reviews on all my reading. I’ve finished so many challenges but haven’t even had a chance to post an update.

I made a killing at the Borders going out of business sale today, trying to play some catch up with all the boys I very much want to read this summer but haven’t had a chance too. I’m hoping one of these days I will feel like I have some control. In the meantime, I hope to get caught up enough that I won’t have to write so many reviews all at once next time.

Here goes nothing….