Mark Sanderson’s picks feature a full-blooded triple-decker mystery by Jane Casey and a murder story set in Victorian Oxford
— Read on www.thetimes.co.uk/article/new-crime-fiction-for-march-2023-donna-leon-returns-plus-a-scabrous-comedy-in-glasgow-jz9mhcqgf

www.nytimes.com/2023/03/18/books/review/the-nursery-szilvia-molnar.html

Made in Chicago

Stories Behind 30 Great Hometown Bites

by Monica Eng; David Hammond

Before picking up this title, the main thing that I knew about Chicago food was Deep Dish Pizza. Clearly there is so much more.

This book is about that pizza and twenty-nine other dishes. Some of these include Akutagawa, Chicken Corn Roll Tamale, the Chicago Hot Dog, Jibarito, Jim Shoe, Maxwell Street Polish, Mother-in-Law and many more. This book will be so enjoyed by those lucky enough to live in, or who can travel to Chicago, or foodies in general. The pictures and text will make readers hungry. Luckily there are mentions of restaurants where the foods are served. There are also recipes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the University of Illinois Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Reviews

“Chicago has invented, transformed, and promoted dozens of foods that give the city its distinct and inimitable gastronomy. Veteran Chicago journalists Eng and Hammond teamed up to delve into 30 of those unique Chicago eats to discover their origins and their status as icons of American cuisine.” –Booklist

“A taxonomic guidebook to the city’s lesser-known endemic eats. With obligatory chapters on familiar signatures like hot dogs and deep dish, its real value lies in the stories behind less celebrated working-class originals like the Japanese-American rice and gravy burger plate akutagawa; sweet sticky Chinese-Korean gampongi lollipop wings; and the city’s other beef on a bun: the sweet steak sandwich.” –Chicago Reader

“Eng and Hammond are two of Chicago’s most respected (and voracious) food reporters, so it’s no surprise to see how they’ve covered the city’s iconic foods like a layer of mozzarella on a deep-dish pie. This is the most thorough, gumshoe, deep-dive reporting into the origins of not only the well-known dishes (Italian beef, pizza, and hot dogs) but also the lesser-known gems in specific neighborhoods, like the Big Baby and the Gym Shoe. I clearly need to get out more, because how have I lived in Chicago for thirty years and never had Taffy Grapes?! This is a must-read for any local who wants to understand what it means to ‘eat like a Chicagoan,’ but it’s also a fascinating history lesson about how waves of immigration have shaped our local diet over the years.”–Steve Dolinsky, 13-time winner of the James Beard Award and food reporter for NBC 5 Chicago

“Made in Chicago proves that Chicago is one of the world’s greatest vernacular food cities. Created mainly by ethnic food vendors–from pushcarts to diners and small food compani

by Mark David Smith; Kari Rust

#TheWeirdSistersARobinaRibbonandaLawnMower #NetGalley

Kids who are starting to read chapter books and who have a sense of humor will, I think, enjoy this book. At times, it reminded me of Amelia Bedelia as a character would take a word literally and another would explain it. For example, one of the sisters hears the word pump in terms of riding on a swing but thinks of it as used for fixing a flat tire. Kids may well enjoy this verbal play.

The three sisters, admittedly odd, are Hildegurp, Yuckmina and Glubbifer. Just based on this, young readers will know if the book is one that they want to read. These three want to solve mysteries but will they ever find one?

They do indeed find mysteries. One involves the tire swing and another, a missing robin. Fun abounds and, as the publisher, notes that are even hints of Shakespeare here.

The chapters are short and the illustrations are quirky. This is a unique title for those who are learning to read for pleasure.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date 18 Apr 2023

by Mark David Smith; Kari Rust

#TheWeirdSistersARobinaRibbonandaLawnMower #NetGalley

Kids who are starting to read chapter books and who have a sense of humor will, I think, enjoy this book. At times, it reminded me of Amelia Bedelia as a character would take a word literally and another would explain it. For example, one of the sisters hears the word pump in terms of riding on a swing but thinks of it as used for fixing a flat tire. Kids may well enjoy this verbal play.

The three sisters, admittedly odd, are Hildegurp, Yuckmina and Glubbifer. Just based on this, young readers will know if the book is one that they want to read. These three want to solve mysteries but will they ever find one?

They do indeed find mysteries. One involves the tire swing and another, a missing robin. Fun abounds and, as the publisher, notes that are even hints of Shakespeare here.

The chapters are short and the illustrations are quirky. This is a unique title for those who are learning to read for pleasure.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Owlkids Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date 18 Apr 2023

Fans of Under Lock and Skeleton Key, rejoice! Today is the release date for the author’s new book featuring that special staircase company and a terrific protagonist. It is easy to recommend this title to those who will enjoy its whimsy.

Why (and how) did Corbin literally crash a seance party? Will Gigi and her grandfather be able to figure out what transpired? What will happen in this locked room style mystery? There are many suspects, twists and a few hidden places.

This is a most enjoyable novel. It received a well deserved starred review from Publishers Weekly. It is such a fun read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

#TheLittleBookCafé #NetGalley

This title is number three in a trilogy about an appealing book cafe. I just wish that it was a real place. Amy is the owner of the cafe. As the novel opens it is fall and Amy is planning a number of events. At the same time, the story will be about her personal life. As this is a romance, readers can feel hopeful for her.

This is a short, sweet story. Readers of light romances may well enjoy this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Impulse for this title. All opinions are my own.

This title was published in 2018.

Learning Approaches for Any Environment

by Valerie Bang-Jensen

#LiteracyMovesOutdoors #NetGalley

Children’s literacy is something about which I am passionate. I firmly believe that all kids should be able to read and enjoy books, menus, street signs…all the things that can be read. It is essential to do everything possible to make this happen if a child is to have a bright future.

This book’s author clearly knows this and also offers many projects for many places in which to use words and hands on, exploratory learning. With chapters titled Story Walks, Word Gardens, Literacy Trails, and Make it Happen (among others), there is much from which to choose.

This title celebrates learning and reinforcing literacy skills while engaging with the world outside. What a simple but brilliant idea. It could involve something as simple as an outdoor story time or a hunt for something. It could be enrichment in the woods, a garden or a school’s playground. Children (and their teachers) will benefit from being outdoors and will even concentrate better once they are back inside.

This is a book to help teachers plan what to do with their students using this model. As the author points out it can be good to try just one thing. There is no shortage of ideas here to get teachers started.

This book is a good resource for open minded educators. I hope that schools will consider its ideas.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Heinemann Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 25 April 2023

And this week…

Quite an ending in this one! See my review.

Really nice deal