Wednesday, November 27, 2013

667B Baker Street Has Moved!

667B Baker Street has moved to a new blog! It has become The Reading Hedgehog (click here!) If you currently are on my followers list, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE go and become a follower of The Reading Hedgehog! This is VERY IMPORTANT, because I am a host for some blog tour websites, and they retain their hosts based on how many people are following them!!

The Reading Hedgehog is still a bit under construction, but ALL NEW MATERIAL IS NOW POSTED THERE! The "under construction" part is I haven't got ALL of my old reviews moved from here to there, but I am working slowly but steadily at it. I'll have them all over there by the end of the year, and in the meantime, if you're looking for new stuff, go over to The Reading Hedgehog!

I hope you guys enjoy this new blog! And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW IT!

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Weekend Recommendations #20


This is a weekly feature, where I get to go all fannish about two randomly-picked favvies (which may not actually be favorites, but got a rating of 3 or higher) that I would recommend to friends! So, here are this week's two picks:

Title: Nobody's Secret
Author: Michaela MacColl
Genre: historical fiction/mystery
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 3 out of 5
Who'll Like It: Girl-read, fourteen and up due to interest level. Fans of Emily Dickinson and anti-fans alike will enjoy this, as it is mainly a mystery story. It focuses some on her poetry, but not tons.

Why I Like It:

I love mysteries, I love this era, and while I'm not a fan of Emily Dickinson's poetry, I have nothing against her personally. Nobody's Secret is a fun quick read, with some surprising twists, and a spunky protagonist. Perfect for a quiet weekend read.


Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Genre: adventure
Part of a Series: Yes
Rating: 5 out of 5
Who'll Like It: Girl and guy read, intended for middle graders, but teens and adults alike will enjoy this story's quick-witted and amusing protagonist.

Why I Like It:

It's so hard to write sarcastic male characters without making them obnoxious. But as soon as I met Sage, I loved him. I loved the world, I loved the storyline, and I loved the twists. There isn't a boring moment in this story, and the Author isn't afraid to be cruel to her characters. My expectations with this book were not high, and I was extremely pleasantly surprised when I picked it up.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Weekend Recommendations #18


This is a weekly feature, where I get to go all fannish about two randomly-picked favvies (which may not actually be favorites, but got a rating of 3 or higher) that I would recommend to friends! So, here are this week's two picks:

Author: Alexandra Bracken
Genre: science fiction
Part of a Series: Yes
Rating: 3 out of 5
Who'll Like It: Mostly a girl read, though some guys might enjoy it, appropriate for seventeen-and-up, Readers who like dystopian-esque worlds, futuristic, and stories about teens with "super powers" caused by a weird virus.

Why I Like It:

This sort of book has been done so much that I rarely get entertainment out of them anymore. But The Darkest Minds manages to take this overused idea and make it fresh. I liked the characters pretty well, and more importantly I liked how realistic the internment camps were. Realism, when it comes to such things, is key for me. I also really liked how the Author kept referencing Watership Down. It added a bleak and downright dark element to the whole thing, which it needed in order to be totally successful.

Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Genre: fantasy/mystery
Part of a Series: Yes
Rating: 4 out of 5
Who'll Like It: Girls and guys alike with enjoy this original dragon story, fifteen-and-up, great for fans of fantasy, dragon stories with original twists, and a hint of mystery.

Why I Like It:

I love dragons, I love mysteries, and I love originality. And it is very hard to find an original dragon story these days. But Rachel Hartman manages to pull some unique and original ideas with her dragons, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved her Elizabethan-inspired world, the characters, and the writing. The only real complaint I have is that the mystery aspect of the plot is not as big a part of it as you would initially think. And some people find the story itself a little slow, but I enjoyed the Author's careful world building.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Weekend Recommendations #17


This is a weekly feature, where I get to go all fannish about two randomly-picked favvies (which may not actually be favorites, but got a rating of 3 or higher) that I would recommend to friends! So, here are this week's two picks:

Author: James Dashner
Genre: post-apocalyptic
Part of a Series: Yes
Rating: 4 out of 5
Who'll Like It: Guys and girls who like grittier, guy books and just strange stories. Dystopian fans will enjoy this as much as post-apocalyptic, and though it's not a zombie book, some zombie fans might like the series as it progresses. Seventeen-and-up.

Why I Like It:

I enjoy weird reads, provided it's a weird that sort of makes sense or fits the world. I also enjoy stories that begin with a character who has forgotten who they are, where they are, and why. I loved the ominous feel of the story, I loved the giant maze idea, and the Greavers were actually spooky. The Maze Runner left me disturbed, but in a good way. I was never bored, and I stayed up all night finishing it. Each chapter produced a new and chilling fact about the world of the Glade. While all of the character are definite guys, I liked a surprising number of them. And those I didn't like, I appreciated what they brought to the story.

Author: Sasha Gould
Genre: historical fiction/mystery
Part of a Series: Yes
Rating: 3 out of 5
Who'll Like It: Girl-read, fans of historical fiction mysteries and Venice!

Why I Like It:

The protagonist, Laura, is wonderfully unannoying, and I happen to love Venice! Especially in this era. I love the plot, too, and though the book had its flaws, I enjoyed a lot of its aspects. And the sequel - Heart of Glass - only improves.


Saturday, August 10, 2013

Weekend Recommendations #16


This is a weekly feature, where I get to go all fannish about two randomly-picked favvies (which may not actually be favorites, but got a rating of 3 or higher) that I would recommend to friends! So, here are this week's two picks:
Title: Dragonswood
Author: Janet Lee Carey
Genre: fantasy
Part of a Series: No
Rating: 5 out of 5
Who'll Like It: Girl-and-guy read, fourteen-and-up, great for fans of fantasy, dragon stories, strong female protagonists, and subtle romance.

Why I Like It:

I get tired of stories where girls swear off marriage because they don't need a man to take care of them, and then meet their match. Thankfully, that isn't the direction Dragonswood takes. Tess swears of marriage alright, but it's because she has only ever known abuse at the hands of a man, and not because she has something to prove. And of course, once Garth walked into the story, I was totally in support of a romantic relationship between them, because Garth is just awesome. The writing style, the world, and the story itself all enthralled me, and I really have nothing to complain about.


Title: Shelter
Author: Harlan Coben
Genre: mystery/suspense
Part of a Series: Yes
Rating: 4 out of 5
Who'll Like It: Girl-and-guy read, fourteen-and-up, great for fans of contemporary mysteries with interesting twists.
Why I Like It:

It's hard to find good suspense books without them feeling like a Lifetime original movie. Shelter is one of those rare good suspense novels. There's tons of twists, realistic characters, and an end that had me pleasantly surprised. Mickey was also a great adolescent narrator; I didn't expect to like him nearly as well as I did.