Glitter in the Stars (Space Janitor #3) by Julia Huni

From Goodreads:

Cleaning the galaxy, one cruise ship at a time.

When maintenance technician Triana Moore gets temporarily transferred to a passenger liner, she doesn't expect luxury and relaxation. Bot-minding is the same on a station or a ship. But with twelve-hour workdays and five roommates in her cabin, Triana thinks she should have read the employment contract more carefully.

Days into the cruise, her boss, Les, goes missing. Triana dusts off her sleuthing skills to start snooping. Together with a retired Marine Corps dance instructor, a socially inept hospitality intern, and her favorite security agent, she must navigate more than just the solar system. They dodge dance competition divas, reality show cameras, and the occasional wealthy sociopath to search for the missing supervisor.

Will they find Les before she goes dancing through the stars? And will they find time to hit the buffet before all the chocolate strawberries are gone?

My Take:

Ah, it's so good to return to the world of our snarky, chocolate loving Triana Moore, space janitor and incognito hi-lev. I enjoyed book three much more than book two. Triana is in full form as she stumbles into yet another mystery while working on a space cruise as a cover for her trip to Sally Ride for a big meeting where she will represent her family. (I'm guessing that's what the next book will be about.) There's still no sign of Bobby Putin, but there is plenty of dangerous fun.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a fantastic job. It was easy to get lost in the story and simply enjoy. Highly recommended. I give book three in the Space Janitor series a 4.5 and a Clean/PG rating. (I actually want to see Triana and Ty kiss!) 1-5 scale and what it means: 1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad 2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing 3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive 3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love 4: Solid mind candy / worth reading 4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read 5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure Movie Ratings in relation to my review: Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen" PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door. PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

Visitor by Wayne Meyers

From Goodreads 

Professor Douglas Keller meets extraterrestrial Aldrea, a beautiful Quenterian scientist stranded on Earth, while hiking in the Adirondack Mountains. Hunted by the FBI and a warring faction of Aldrea’s people called the Radicals, she turns to Doug for help. Doug is no hero, but after Aldrea used her telepathic abilities to heal him from a lethal wound, a psychic bond formed between them that opened their minds to each other in ways Doug cannot understand and Aldrea cannot explain. 

In a nightmarish turn for the worst, Doug, Aldrea, and the FBI agents find themselves very far from Earth in the middle of a violent galactic coup engineered by the ruthless Radical leader, Veera, who aspires to dominate the galaxy. They must defeat Veera before Earth is enslaved—or destroyed. Out of their league and out of time, only the bond between Doug and Aldrea might prevent disaster, if they can figure out how to use it to defeat Veera before it’s too late.

My Take: 

I received a free copy from StoryOrigin in exchange for an honest review.

First, the concept and plot are good. Everything is there to make a great story. The characters have potential, but I wanted more depth from them. For instance, the CIA and FBI agents acted like a bunch of middle schoolers vying for importance. I never felt they were actually smart enough to pull off what they do in the book. 

The prologue was too long and made me think of the Incredibles movie where they talk about the bad guy monologuing. I believe the book would have had more mystery without the info dump at the start. Otherwise, this was an okay read. I did find myself skimming A LOT and I don't feel like I missed anything important. These were some super lucky characters in my opinion.

I give Visitor 3.5 stars and a Clean rating. There might have been language, but I don't remember it.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

From Goodreads:

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone. Or does he? 

My Take:

This was thoroughly enjoyable as an audiobook. The narrator was entertaining and easy to listen to. The story was also great. Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

What I liked about Ryland was that he was your everyday guy, except really smart. He could have been one of the world's top scientists, but he gave into fear and became a high school science teacher instead. Lucky for earth! I enjoyed the process of memory recovery and his excitement with each new discovery. The ending also made me tear up a bit. No spoilers! You'll just have to read (or listen) for yourself.

I give Project Hail Mary 4.5 stars.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

From Goodreads: 

Humanity has colonized the solar system—Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt and beyond—but the stars are still out of our reach.

Jim Holden is XO of an ice miner making runs from the rings of Saturn to the mining stations of the Belt. When he and his crew stumble upon a derelict ship, the Scopuli, they find themselves in possession of a secret they never wanted. A secret that someone is willing to kill for—and kill on a scale unfathomable to Jim and his crew. War is brewing in the system unless he can find out who left the ship and why.

Detective Miller is looking for a girl. One girl in a system of billions, but her parents have money and money talks. When the trail leads him to the Scopuli and rebel sympathizer Holden, he realizes that this girl may be the key to everything.

Holden and Miller must thread the needle between the Earth government, the Outer Planet revolutionaries, and secretive corporations—and the odds are against them. But out in the Belt, the rules are different, and one small ship can change the fate of the universe.

My Take:

There has been a lot of audiobook listening this month. Today I'll touch on the more than 20 hours of Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey. 

This series starter has great characters and a full-steam-ahead plot line. Miller, a cop on a space station,was my favorite character. He had the feel of a classic private investigator struggling with personal demons and the need to do what's right. Then there's Holden who is almost naively hopeful throughout. 

I really enjoyed this book. There was a good balance of action, character building, and consideration given to the volatile political environment brewing between the three groups. There was lots of language, but the story made me laugh out loud as well as fear for humanity. It didn't end with a cliff hanger, but it leaves the door wide open for more great story. 

I give Leviathan Wakes 4.5 stars and an R rating for language. There is no nudity or on page intimacy.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:

Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"

PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door

PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.

PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy

R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

Gratuitous Epilogue by Andrea K Höst

From Goodreads: 

NOT A STAND-ALONE NOVEL. An extra for The Touchstone Trilogy. 

What happens when the plot ends? A relentless barrage of weddings, babies, and planetary colonization! Meandering through the two years following the conclusion of the Touchstone Trilogy, this self-indulgent collection of family reminiscence is more saccharine than dramatic, with the most action to be found in snowball fights. 

For those who truly just want to know what happens next, no matter how mundane, read on for the everyday, ordinary lives of psychic space ninjas playing house.

My Take:

I waited several years before picking up this 4th book in the Touchstone series. Mostly because reviews said it was boring. However, I've read the first three so many times that I was finally ready to know what happened after Cass saved the universe with the help of her psychic ninjas. :)

Even though they are no longer being attacked by Ionoth, there is still enough going on in the story to make it interesting. Plus, I needed to know, you know? I actually think if I could step through to Muina I would be a sight sight talent. Isn't that the one always trying to work things out because of the need to know and understand? Anyway, I enjoyed this story and don't regret giving in and buying it. 

I give it a solid 4 and a Clean rating.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

The Dust of Kaku by Julia Huni

From Goodreads:

They say you can never go home. But, you can clean it.

Triana Moore, maintenance bot technician on Station Kelly-Kornienko, prefers life in orbit where the air is purified, the commute is short, and nature doesn’t get all over you. But when a minor infraction gets her sent to remedial training dirtside, she doesn’t complain. Who wouldn’t enjoy a few days of sitting in the sunshine, eating gourmet burgers and drinking too much Jager Hula?

When an unscheduled beach weekend uncovers dangerous squatters in her childhood home, the space janitor decides to clean house. She enlists the help of her roommate, Kara, and security agent Ty O’Neill. As they investigate, old friends resurface in suspicious circumstances, and Triana doesn’t know whom she can trust. She’s scheduled to work on Monday, so she must answer these questions before the weekend is over: Who are these infiltrators? What do they want? And when will that pizza finally be delivered?

This book was previously published as Dirtside Decluttering.

My Take:

This was a good audiobook. The action was fast-paced, the character dialogue humorous, and there was good tension throughout. The narrator also did a great job bringing the story to life. I listened to the first book in the series quite a while ago and the narrator's consistency helped me remember what came before this story. 

 

This story left enough questions that I just might have to get the next book in the series. ;) 

I give the Dust of Kaku a solid 4 and the narrator a 5 for using accents the right way without making me cringe. 

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:

Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"

PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door

PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.

PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy

R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

Red Gambit by Luke R Mitchell

From Goodreads:

What do a wayward mercenary and a vexed arcanist have in common? Neither of them signed up for this crap . . .

It's been fifteen years since the raknoth made a smoldering heap of Earth. But for some survivors, the problems are just getting started.

Jarek Slater is a sword-slinging nomad with a powerful exosuit and a mean vigilante streak—or was until his exosuit was stolen. He wants it back.

Rachel Cross is an energy-bending arcanist who wants nothing more than to find her brother and bring him home safely.

When their paths collide, Jarek and Rachel are reluctantly pulled into a race across the nuclear wasteland to reclaim his suit and save her brother. All that stands between them and their goals is a vicious alien warlord, some grating interpersonal tension, and a whole bunch of violent marauders. Oh, and a mysterious alien device that may bring on the second apocalypse.

Together, they might just be strong enough to pull it off. Assuming they don't kill each other first . . .

My Take:

The narrator was great. He really got into the characters, making it easy to feel their personalities and keep them separated.

Great story, full steam ahead action with good story elements woven through the fighting. I really enjoyed the post-apocalyptic feel with the “Tony Stark-like” Jarek’s quest to get his super suit back, the arcanist Rachel’s goal to just protect the last of her family, and the intrigue of the power struggle. And in the midst of it all, there is some love/hate flirting that makes things really fun. Jarek’s willful snarkiness keeps the desolation of it all at arms-length.

The author did note there would be language, and there is a lot of it. It is fitting for the type of story and situation, but if you don’t like reading or hearing a steady stream of heavy swearing, think twice about this one.

I give the story a solid 4, the narrator a 5, and it gets an R rating simply because of the f-bombs. There is no sex or even a kiss. Which, I think Rachel and Jarek could have snuck at least one in. Well, maybe not. It was one thing after another with the surviving bit.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:

Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"

PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door

PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.

PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy

R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

Space Boots by Derick William Dalton

From Goodreads: 

Leo Jones wants nothing more than to become a surgeon, but a misplaced terrorist bomb destroys his chance at a fast-tracked career, and nearly his optimism. His plan B finds him cleaning a Navy starship and saving for school, and running out of patience.

Hophnia Zimmerman wields her willpower with even more skill than her violin bow. As a new Navy officer, she's disappointed her first battle is not against an invader, but Leo's traitorous captain. She vows to bring him down, but agonizes over the collateral lives.

In the confusion of damaged ships and reassignments, Leo creates more problems for Hophnia than a misplaced bomb did for him. In their struggle to save the ship and limp back to Earth, they find the battle isn't over. There are vindictive traitors who are not biding their time.

My Take:

And I mean that in a good way. I read to escape, and this was well-written, funny, and smart. The narration was the icing on the scifi cake adventure. Our two main characters Leo and Hophnia are interesting and complex for teens. There were times I'd get frustrated with their choices, then I'd remember their ages and go, "yep, that fits."

The mystery of who the traitors are is really good with lots of red herrings to keep you guessing. But mostly, I just enjoyed the interactions between our main characters. It was funny and real.

I give Space Boots a 4.5 for good writing, a fun ride, the fact I listened to the whole thing in two sittings, and the fact that the narrator added to the experience in a positive way. CLEAN, no romance at all.

1-5 scale and what it means:

1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad

2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing

3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive

3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love

4: Solid mind candy / worth reading

4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read

5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure