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 is a book to savor for those who need help to focus on the quotidian joys of every day life. 52 such joys are included in this peacefully illustrated title. I began to relate immediately with thing to enjoy #2 which was morning coffee. I spent a few minutes thinking about the loveliness of a morning when my spouse brings me coffee and I read from a novel before taking on the heavier lifting of the day. Hugs also sounded good as did patting a friendly dog and reading bits of a favorite book. If you need a reminder to try to find a moment of happiness even in these dark days, pick this one up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Death by Chocolate Chip Cupcake is the fifth in a series that those who like sweets and mysteries are sure to enjoy. It features Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree who was the protagonist in the author’s earlier “Home Repair” series. I read several of those.
This time, Jake and her friend (and conspirator in chocolate) are invited to cater desserts for a party given by a glamorous (is there any other kind?) actress. Taking a page from Agatha Christie, there is a storm and guests are stranded in what might be a haunted house.
Of course, there is a murder. Someone is thrown over a cliff. There are suspects and a case to solve. No spoiler, it may not be easy, but Jake will do just that.
Those who like Maine and enjoy traditional mysteries may want to give this title a look. They may then want to read the entire series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Adults, would you like to offer a child whom you know some fun that has nothing to do with screens? I hope so and, if that is the case, this charmingly illustrated book will be a most welcome resource.
As the authors note summer is the perfect time to get outside. They observe that kids can go on picnics, observe wildlife, make Popsicles, do crafts and more. This book will help to make all of these activities possible. Enjoy tomatoes, watch bees, have fun with bubble wands or build a bug hotel. Kids may not want to come back inside!
Many thanks to Quarto-Ivy Kids and NetGalley for this seasonal title. All opinions are my own.
The Old Success follows last year’s The Knowledge, a book that I really enjoyed. The Old Success is not quite as good but will still be welcomed by fans of Richard Jury and his eccentric circle of friends. Old readers, for example, will probably love Melrose’s latest attempt to get at his aunt. You do not have to have read all the books in the series to pick this up but it may help to know a bit about the cast.
In this novel, there are three murders. One takes place in the Scilly Islands, one in Exeter Cathedral and one on a family estate. Are they linked, and if they are, what is the connection?
As usual, there are characters who are children and essential to the story. In this case, the reader meets Zillah and Zoe. What did they witness? What is their connection to the bigger mystery…
Sonali Dev has written several novels that update stories by Jane Austen. I very much enjoyed the two that I read and recommend them. Those were Pride, Prejudice and Other Flavors, and Recipe for Persuasion. It is clear from the titles which Austen books they were based upon. I found these titles to be absorbing easy reads that I looked forward to spending time with at the end of the day. There is a new book based on Emma coming out in May and I plan to read it and also last year’s Incense and Sensibility.
The Wedding Setup is a short story by the popular author. It is free on Amazon Prime or available to purchase for ninety-nine cents.
In this short story readers meet Ayesha. She has put her wild days and own needs on the back burner in the aftermath of a family tragedy. Ayesha has been working in the family restaurant rather than pursuing her own dreams.
When there is a wedding to attend, Ayesha’s mother wants to fix her daughter up with a doctor. Ayesha has done so much for her family but can she go so far as dating someone for her mother? What if there is someone else with whom she wants to be in a relationship?
Relax, read and know it will all be okay in this delightful short story. I recommend it and the author’s other books. (There are also non Jane Austen themed ones that I have not read as yet.)
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this title. All opinions are my own.
A CBT Guide for Moving Past Chronic Indecisiveness, Avoidance, and Catastrophic Thinking
by Martin N. Seif; Sally M. Winston
#OvercomingAnticipatoryAnxiety #NetGalley
CBT is a very popular and effective form of psychological treatment. The author of this title looks at how cognitive behavioral therapy can help anxious people to better cope and understand this (often overwhelming) emotion.
Anticipatory anxiety is discussed in a first chapter that describes this mindset as “bleeding before you are cut.” Readers will sense if this sounds true for them If it does, read on. Learn how indecisiveness and avoidance factor in. Find out more about how perfectionism contributes to the problem. Finally, get some help. I especially liked the chapter titled Common Questions Answered. These feel like situations that readers might wish that they had written to an advice columnist.
One important takeaway from this title is to remember that making change requires time, patience, practice and learning not to be too unforgiving of the human mistakes and emotions that we all feel. I believe that this book will help readers in doing exactly that.
Many thanks to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications for this title. All opinions are my own.
This title is Jenny Colgan’s seasonal gift to her regular readers. They will be transported back to the small island of Mure, where they will find the characters that they have gotten to know and care for, the hotel, the bakery, the scenery and some romance.
Fans will be updated on Saif, the immigrant physician and the schoolteacher who is quite fond of him. They will find out how Flora is faring as a mom. Readers will observe Fintan’s grief and his struggle to move through this. Isla becomes a more central character. Readers also meet a Norwegian young man. He has been sent by his (wealthy) father to learn about work at the hotel. His boisterous dog also makes his presence known.
The holiday season is a part of the story. I enjoyed reading about the arrival of the boat carrying the…
The Endless Beach is one of three novels set on Mure, a fictional town in northern Scotland. The first in the series was The Cafe by the Sea and the newest entry is Christmas on the Island.
Here are my earlier thoughts on The Cafe by the Sea:
Jenny Colgan is a talented writer of light, humorous women’s fiction. I find that her novels are good reads for when I want to escape. In this book, The Cafe by the Sea, the escape is to the fictional island of Mure in very northern Scotland. The scenery is beautiful, the family life complicated and the romance eventually works out as it tends to in this kind of fiction. Recommended for a relaxing, stressfree read.
My thoughts on The Endless Beach:
This novel picks up where the earlier one left off. It can be read as a standalone or as part of the series.
In The Endless Beach, old characters are back and the town is as idyllic as ever, although the characters’ lives are not. Story lines felt deeper and more complex than in some of the other books that I have read by this author. The story of Saif was especially moving. A refugee and physician, Saif’s wife and sons were left behind in Syria when he was given asylum in Scotland. In this novel, his sons are located and the trauma that they experience is explored. The reader watches as Saif tries to help the boys to adjust. For a writer of light fiction, this is a story of some depth.
Then there are Fintan and Colton, two gay characters whose relationship forms a key part of the novel. The author presents their deep love for one another while also making the reader well aware of a major obstacle that they face. No spoiler so I will not say more.
Flora and Joel are also working on their relationship. For reasons that the reader comes to understand more fully, commitment is frightening to Joel. What will happen to them? Will there be a good next step for them?
I found this to be the best book that i have read by this author. I was sorry to leave Mure but glad to know that I still have one more book in the series to read. If you have read/plan to read these novels, let me know your thoughts. Thanks.
