July 2019 books

The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War by Antonio J. Méndez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. It's not terribly well written but this book is full of good stories! If I hadn't read The Spy and the Traitor earlier this year, I might have been even more impressed. Still, this is a good low-key companion to that book and I enjoyed having a romp through diplomatic Moscow again.

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The Huntress by Kate Quinn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had a blast reading this book! It's historical fiction but dang, Russian WW2 night-bomber-witch Nina reminds me of actual-witch Manon from those giganticSarah J. Maas books and I am here for it. I am also here for a complex bad guy who is actually a bad GIRL. Plus three timelines that spiral into each other at just the right moments. Delicious.

(There is a fair bit of good-natured Russian swearing in this book, btw, so be warned.)

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The Darkdeep by Ally Condie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this to check it for one of my kids who is really sensitive to scary stuff but is also drawn to scary stories and books. And it's perfect! Truly one of those stories that is only as scary as a kid's own imagination can make it - nothing written down on the page is greusome or terrifying. It reminded me of Fablehaven but just a teensy bit darker. Or like Stranger Things but for the middle-grade set (and without the s-bombs).

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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Westing Game! Really fun.

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