Trooper at the Beverly Hills Hotel

by Susan McCauley

How can you resist this cover? This title will be adored by both children and adults who know what it means to love a dog and be a recipient of that dog’s love. This book is based on a true story. It is beautifully illustrated and nicely written.

Trooper lives in Montana but needs to travel to California when his owner needs open heart surgery. Trooper faces his fears in getting on the plane and goes on to charm everyone at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Readers will be charmed as well.

Luckily Trooper’s owner gets better and they are able to return to Montana. There is a nice message through Trooper about how friends can be made in more than one place.

The end of the book includes photos of the real Trooper and other information. Adults may be a bit teary as they read this.

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

365 Nighttime Reflections for a Peaceful Sleep

by Jenna Calabro

#MoonMeditations #NetGalley

Are you one of the many people who has trouble falling asleep? If the answer is yes, this book may be a title for you. There is an entry for every day of the year which has a theme for each month. Just some of these are January’s Empowerment, March’s Patience, August’s Trust, September’s Courage and, December;s Inner Peace. Each entry is short and offers something about which to think.

Recommended for those who enjoy devotional, spiritual or empowering titles.

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

Pub date: 13 December 2022

Available Editions

First in Series Spring 2023 Sampler

by Crooked Lane Books

#FirstinSeriesSpring2023Sampler #NetGalley

f always enjoy samplers. They are a wonderful way to add to reading lists and give readers something to anticipate. This particular one features information on and excerpts from four upcoming mysteries. I am intrigued by all of them. A Novel Disguise is an historical mystery. Final Cut is set in the movies. How the Murder Crumbles includes food and, finally there is A Cryptic Clue which has a retired librarian as protagonist. Note the pub date and add this sampler to your TBR pile.

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

Pub date: 01 February 2023

I have enjoyed all of the books in this series.

Even if you still love printed books, the digital option lets you put an entire library in your bag, just in time for holiday travel and vacation.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2022/11/23/technology/personaltech/guide-to-ebooks.html

For those who don’t know, Francine Matthews and Stephanie Barron are the same person. As Matthews, the author has written a series of excellent mysteries that take place on Nantucket. They are set in the present. As Barron, her books are historical mysteries with Jane Austen as a character. I like both series but have a preference for the Merry Folger ones.

This book has a slow burn. There is not a murder until about a third at least into the novel. However this works well as it gives readers a chance to spend time with the characters. There are those who are on the island filming a TV series. Also on the island is a Secretary of State and her family. The teens from each of these groups gravitate towards one another; both have experienced loss and addiction. Readers will hope that they thrive.

The interconnections in these groups form a basis for the story. The controlling husband on one goes missing. A world famous photographer is on the island but off the grid. There will be murder during what is meant to be one of Nantucket’s nicest weekends of the year.

Readers will enjoy spending time with Merry and her team as they work on the case. The story is very well told.

Highly recommended to those who enjoy mysteries that are intriguing but not filled with gore.

by Trisha Kēhaulani Watson-Sproat

This title is part of a series for elementary school age students. It is packed with information and photos on the 50th of the United States. The learning begins right from the first page when there is a guide to pronunciation and two grammatical symbols that many will not know. From here, find out the multiple meanings of the word Aloha. Keep going in this nicely illustrated title and by the end, know much about Hawaii and its culture.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Norwood House Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 15 August 2022

48 pages

FREE

I read and enjoyed this one.

A Bedtime Story

by Kristin Lewis Haight

#WhereDoTheySleep #NetGalley

Do you read bedtime stories to young children? If your answer is yes, you may enjoy sharing this rhyming title with a child whom you know. The rhyming text describes where critters sleep from butterflies to squirrels and many more. The illustrations provide a lovely environment for each tired one of them. The book ends with a child in bed, right where adults want them to be at bedtime!

This title could make a nice addition to the bedtime story stash.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kin Konnection LLC for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 13 November 2022

How to Read the Wilderness

An Illustrated Guide to the Natural Wonders of North America

by Nature Study Guild

This book will educate nature lovers. There are chapters on flowers, fruits & ferns; mammals & birds; the ocean, and the night sky. Throughout there are appealing drawings, along with maps and other resources like identification keys.

Each section of this book is quite detailed. For example, the section on trees is carefully broken down by regions as, for example, trees of the southwestern desert.

This title is absolutely packed with information. Readers may want to hone in on the area where they live or a place where they plan to travel for this book to be most helpful. It then provides an excellent resource for someone who seriously wants to know more about their environment. I especially enjoyed a section on birds of my area.

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

From the Publisher