Category: Books

Friday Review: Fun with Murder (Madison Cruz Mystery #6) by Lucy Carol

~ M.A. Kropp

My rating: 5 of 5 stars"Fun with Murder" is the sixth installment in Lucy Carol's mystery/romance/comedy Madison Cruz Mystery series. The stories revolve around Madison Cruz, aspiring actress, and her often whacky entourage that includes her mother, and ex-FBI agent, her grandmother, who was a Russian spy, her boyfriend, who is heir to a fortune … Continue reading Friday Review: Fun with Murder (Madison Cruz Mystery #6) by Lucy Carol

Friday Review: The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

~ M.A. Kropp

My rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is a fascinating look at how we eat in the US, and what is wrong- and right- about it. The book basically follows Pollan's journey through four meals that he prepares from start to finish. And by that I mean he does everything he can to follow the food … Continue reading Friday Review: The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Friday Mini-Reviews: 5 Books I Read Last Year

~ M.A. Kropp ~ 3 Comments

When I looked at the books left on my to-review list, I found I am behind a bit. I am going to try to catch up a little here with five books that I don't really feel need a full post review. These were some of the ones I read that didn't leave a really … Continue reading Friday Mini-Reviews: 5 Books I Read Last Year

Friday Review: 2023 Reading Challenge

~ M.A. Kropp ~ 2 Comments

It is time once again to look back at my year in reading for 2023. My goal was 31 books. I failed. I read 27. I could make excuses (it was tough year, lots of stresses, things happened, yadda, yadda, yadda) but the simple truth is I didn't read as many books as I wanted … Continue reading Friday Review: 2023 Reading Challenge

Friday Review: Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

~ M.A. Kropp

My rating: 3 of 5 starsIn this thriller by Dan Brown, Susan Fletcher, mathematician and cryptographer, is called in by her boss at the NSA to help track down the key to a code implanted in the nation's supercodebreaking computer- one even the TRANSLATR can't break. The code was developed by a former NSA employee … Continue reading Friday Review: Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

Friday Review: Hooked: Write Fiction that Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton

~ M.A. Kropp

My rating: 3 of 5 starsThis is another on my list of “books on writing that I have collected and never read”. One of my goals this year was to get to taking some of those off the TBR list.This one says it will help you learn to create openings to stories that will almost … Continue reading Friday Review: Hooked: Write Fiction that Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton

Friday Review: The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life by Johan Elkof

~ M.A. Kropp

My rating: 4 of 5 stars The cover describes the book being “On light pollution, night ecology, and the ancient rhythms that sustain life.” That’s a decent description of what this book is about. It was written by a Swedish scientist who specializes in ecology, bat vision, and light pollution. He is affiliated with Stockholm … Continue reading Friday Review: The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life by Johan Elkof

Summer E-book Sale!

~ M.A. Kropp

Hey, friends! It’s that time of year again. Yes, summer, of course. But it is also time for the annual Smashwords Summer Sale. Just in time for those sunny, relaxing beach and vacation days. You can pick up some great new reading material at discounted prices.  All my currently published works are on sale during … Continue reading Summer E-book Sale!

Friday Review: Gather Her Round (Tufa #5) by Alex Bledsoe

~ M.A. Kropp

My rating: 4 of 5 starsKera Rogers is hiking in the woods near Needsville when she is attacked and killed by a giant feral hog. Bliss Overbay joins Tufa hunters along with game warden Jack Cates in trying to track down and kill the hog which seems to have almost supernatural powers. But they are … Continue reading Friday Review: Gather Her Round (Tufa #5) by Alex Bledsoe

Friday Review: The Raven Spell (Conspiracy of Magic #1) by Luanne G. Smith

~ M.A. Kropp

My rating: 3 of 5 starsEdwina and Mary are sisters. living in an alternate Victorian London where they sell odds and ends they collect on nightly walks along the riverbank. They are also witches, and their whole lives have revolved around trying to keep that part secret. They and their father would move from town … Continue reading Friday Review: The Raven Spell (Conspiracy of Magic #1) by Luanne G. Smith