I love to read, recommend books and open the world of reading to others. I tutor to ensure that the next generation of readers will know the joys of a good book because their reading skills have improved. I am an avid reader, especially of mysteries and fiction. I believe that two of the world's greatest inventions were the public library and eyeglasses!
This book introduces the concept of emotions to toddlers. Reading, talking about and looking at the colorful and expressive pictures in this title will begin the process of a child’s learning to identify their feelings. Kids are encouraged to consider each emotion that it is featured and when they feel it.
This book offers a good take on its subject. Acknowledging how one feels and recognizing the emotions of others are important life skills. This title shows that learning to do so can begin at an early age.
Many thanks to Callisto Publishing-Callisto Kids and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
90-Day Challenge to Sharpen the Mind and Strengthen Cognitive Skills Enlarged Print, Easy to Hard!
by Lana Barnes
Here is another in a series of puzzle books for “brain training.” These puzzles may in fact be good for you (note the 90 day challenge) but I mostly do them because I think that they offer a fun challenge.
There are six different types of puzzles included in this title. They are logic grids puzzles, sudoku, calcudoku, battleship, kakuro, and Masyu (a puzzle with which I was unfamiliar). There are three sections, each of which includes some of the puzzle types, with harder puzzles being added as one goes along. Puzzlers can choose to go in order, or if they feel more skilled, they can advance to a harder section. Try puzzles that you already know that you like or learn something new. There are full directions for each type. However, the puzzles are approached, have fun!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Zeitgeist for this title. I plan to get the hard copy of this title so that I can do all of the puzzles. All opinions are my own.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Zeitgeist for this title. All opinions are my own.
When I have the opportunity to both read and listen to a book I am happy. I can read when I am sitting and can listen when I am out and about. This synchronicity worked perfectly while I enjoyed The Murders in Great Diddling.
The cover and title give some sense of this as a British mystery and indeed it is. Great Diddling is in Cornwall. It is a community where the people who live there know one another.
The story begins when there is an outdoor tea party. Owner of a grand (if rundown) estate has invited the villagers to a tea party. This device leads to a rapid introduction to many characters for the reader.
There are the manor owner, Daphne and her assistant Margaret. There is Daphne’s difficult and disliked nephew. There are author Berit and Sally, daughter of her agent, and hopeful employee of Berit. There is a couple; James has a stake in a hotel and Penny has a stake in defending her husband. There are owners of village businesses whose doors are to be closed and others as well.
There is an explosion and in its aftermath a body is found. I will leave it to the reader to find out who the victim is. Suffice it to say, there are many with motives.
This is the lead in to a long, fun and involving story. Take the time to enjoy it. I did. Note how much there is about books, lots of books in this one as you read or listen.
I found the narration to be spot on. The reader was British and helped to create the atmosphere of the story in a delightful way.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 13 August 2024
For audio book: #TheMurdersinGreatDiddling #NetGalley
This book is a wonderful resource. It will have readers adding new titles to their wish lists or perhaps having a moment’s nostalgia for a book previously read. There are over fifty books featured. Just a few of those mentioned are Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, Charlotte’s Web by E B White, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton and Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie. As can be seen, there are classics, popular fiction and even some children’s books.
For each title, there are sections. These include First Lines, Plot Summary, About the Author, Why You Should Read It, and What to Read Next. Each of these included much that is detailed and informative.
This is a book that bibliophiles and those who want good reading suggestions are sure to enjoy. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this title. All opinions are my own.
One year I purchased the Bibliophile desk calendar and absolutely adored it. I also own Bibliophile. Both are truly designed for people who love books. This title is too. The illustrations are so engaging and the book titles just call out to readers to investigate. As the title suggests, this time Jane Mount hopes to encourage readers to broaden their literary experiences.
There is so much within these pages. There are sections on classics and several on legends including, for example, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Isabel Allende and others. There are also sections one everything from contemporary fiction to family sagas to speculative fiction to mysteries and horror. There are also mentions of influential book people, little free diverse libraries, writing rooms and more. In addition, there are titles for children and middle grade readers and just way too much else to list here.
A note about the illustrations. I love the piles of books whose spines I can easily read in the pictures. They are just full of titles to add to TBR lists.
I love this book. I hope that you will too.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Five stars
From the Publisher
Diversify your reading list
Jamise Harper (founder of the Diverse Spines book community) and Jane Mount (author of Bibliophile) have come together to create Bibliophile: Diverse Spines, a richly illustrated and vastly inclusive collection that uplift and celebrate the works of underrepresented authors.
Jamise Harper
Jamise Harper is the creator of the #diversespines hashtag and the Diverse Spines book community on social media, which highlights literature by Black women and women of color, as well as Spines & Vines, a blog dedicated to book and wine pairings. She lives in the Washington, DC, metro area.
Jane Mount
Jane Mount is an illustrator, designer, and writer. In 2008, she founded Ideal Bookshelf, a company that makes things for bibliophiles. She currently lives in a log cabin in Hawai’i with her husband, weird cats, and a freckled puppy.
Discover endless reading inspiration while decolonizing your bookshelf
Enjoy themed illustrated book stacks across all genres from authors of color.
Travel to beloved bookstores owned by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Curate your to-read list with book recommendations from BIPOC literary influencers.
The “other” Windsor Girl is Princess Margaret, known to many because of the successful tv series, The Crown. This book is another way to gain perspective on Margaret, those around her and the times in which she lived. Readers will move through the sedate 40s right up to the 60s.
The narrative includes a mix of historical and fictional people and a wide variety of both royal homes and places where Margaret spent time. The most prominent of the fictional characters is Vera who becomes a lady in waiting to Margaret, thus giving her a fly on the wall perspective to royal life. Her story is one of making choices after coming under the royal gaze. Are the choices that she makes ones that she will regret?
The underpinning of the novel is the impact that being A princess but not THE princess had on Margaret who garnered less attention and found it difficult to establish a meaningful life. She often wanted what she could not have and did not want what was there for her.
In my opinion, this novel started a bit slowly but is worth staying with until the end. The skill of the author is such that I kept hoping for Margaret to have the life she yearned for, especially in her relationship with Group Captain Peter Townsend, all while knowing what happened historically.
This book can provide a bit of escapism as we all are in our homes dreaming of having a more exciting life. I rate it at four stars.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Algonquin Books and Pearl Cadigan for this title. I am delighted to bring this book to your attention.
The Storied Life of A J Fikry has almost a cult status it seems to me. There are so many who have enjoyed this book since its publication in 2004. This story of a curmudgeonly bookseller touched hearts. Now, with a movie release, is the perfect time to visit or revisit this title.
A New York Times Bestseller, a #1 Indie Next Pick, and a #1 LibraryReads Selection
“This novel has humor, romance, a touch of suspense, but most of all love–love of books and bookish people and, really, all of humanity in its imperfect glory.” —Eowyn Ivey, author of The Snow Child
A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner of Island Books, has recently endured some tough years: his wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and his prized possession–a rare edition of Poe poems–has been stolen. Over time, he has given up on people, and even the books in his store, instead of offering solace, are yet another reminder of a world that is changing too rapidly. Until a most unexpected occurrence gives him the chance to make his life over and see things anew.
Gabrielle Zevin’s enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books–an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
“Readers who delighted in Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Rachel Joyce’s The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Jessica Brockmole’s Letters from Skye will be equally captivated by this adult novel by a popular YA author about a life of books, redemption, and second chances. Funny, tender, and moving.” —Library Journal, starred review
“Wade into summer reading with this sweet yet soulful tale of love, loss, the power of friendship–and books. Like sunshine on a breezy spring day, you won’t want it to end.” —Family Circle
“Zevin perfectly captures the joy of connecting people and books . . . Filled with interesting characters, a deep knowledge of bookselling, wonderful critiques of classic titles, and very funny depictions of book clubs and author events, this will prove irresistible to book lovers everywhere.” —Booklist
“Zevin is a deft writer, clever and witty.” —Publishers Weekly
“A wonderful, moving, endearing story of redemption and transformation that will sing in your heart for a very, very long time.” —Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain
Debbie Macomber has been writing women’s fiction for many years. She has a keen sense for what her fans want; this includes a family story, a romance, something heartwarming and nothing that is rated above PG…and she delivers.
In this story two single moms, Jenna and Maureen, have children who are growing up, leaving home and facing some adult issues…college, leaving college, having a baby. The empty nest looms for both, especially Jenna who struggles as her daughter leaves home.
Jenna, a nurse, and Maureen, a librarian become involved in romances with Rowan, a surgeon and Logan, a plumber/construction worker. Each couple has their ups and downs but the ending of the novel is never in doubt.
If you are looking for a comfort read, nothing too taxing but a gentle escape, Debbie Macomber could be just the author you need.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviews
“This heartwarming story sweetly balances friendship and mother-child bonding with romantic love.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Macomber’s work is as comforting as ever.”—Booklist
To many, Marcus Aurelius is perhaps the best known of the Stoics. His words of wisdom have a remarkable enduring quality and continue to provide food for thought in the present day.
Here is a nice edition of the Meditations. It would make a nice gift for someone who wants to spend a few moments each day in deep thought.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Doris Kearns Goodwin is a respected presidential historian who has won many awards. This is easy to understand as she writes about her subjects in a detailed and engaging way.
This time, in this illustrated title, Goodwin is writing for the middle school reader. In this book, she tells the stories of four men who became president. They are Lincoln, both Roosevelts, and Johnson. Readers will learn much about their early years, influences and what they brought to the presidency.
I find this title to offer an inspiring view of these men who became leaders. This is so encouraging and optimistic to think about in our divided times. It would be great if some kids who read this book are inspired to look at political careers and/or to study history.
Starting with the introduction, Goodwin speaks directly to her audience. I hope and trust that she will engage them.
It is easy to recommend this book. It belongs in school libraries.
Note the many boxes filled with additional information. For example, one of those in the section on Lincoln explores how slavery became part of American history.
By the way, adults may also find this book to be quite interesting.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. All opinions are my own.
The “other” Windsor Girl is Princess Margaret, known to many because of the successful tv series, The Crown. This book is another way to gain perspective on Margaret, those around her and the times in which she lived. Readers will move through the sedate 40s right up to the 60s.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 