#TheWhisperedWord #NetGalley

The Whispered Word is the second entry in the Secret, Book and Scone Society series.  The main characters’ secrets were fully described in the first book but a reader can still enjoy this one as a standalone novel.

What I enjoyed most about this book were the characters and the setting.  Yes, belief has to be suspended, but I would love to visit and spend time with Nora and her three closest friends.  Nora’s town, Miracle Springs. attracts people in need of saving and second chances.  Nora owns the local bookstore and is a very astute and well-versed bookseller.  There are many references to both fiction and non-fiction titles throughout the novel.  Nora herself is named for the character in Ibsen’s play.  Just a few of the titles mentioned in the novel include The Witch of Blackbird Pond, A Doll’s House, Harry Potter, One Snowy Day and a number of books on adoption and tidying up.

But of course, there is more than just books in this book.  Abilene comes to town and is a young girl who has had a difficult life and clearly has secrets of her own.  Has she committed crimes including murder?  There is also a shop, Virtual Genie that is offering to consign goods for people in the town.  It looks like a fantastic service but is there more to it?  You can probably answer these questions but finding out the answers is still fun.

The Whispered Word is about friendship, relationships, taking risks…and solving mysteries.  It is an excellent cozy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.  I enjoyed my second visit with these characters .

These books are recent releases and all less than ten dollars.

Other e book bargains:

The Kew Garden Girls

I very much enjoyed this historical novel set during WWI. It combines engaging characters and gardens. What a good combination!
What made this book a bit different from other books set in the period was the attention given to a character who was a conscientious objector. Also the author pays attention to issues related to equal pay for women.
Highly recommended for historical fiction fans.

Anna Lee Huber began a new series last year when This Side of Murder was published. In Treacherous is the Night, the second novel featuring Verity Kent, the author hits her stride.

The reader learns early on that Verity was an agent in La Dame Blanche, a resistance and intelligence group, during WWI. This story has to do with events that had their origin in that time.

At the beginning of the novel, Verity, although not a believer, attends a seance with a friend who hopes to contact her brother. For those who don’t know, attending seances was common after the war. The medium appears to channel an agent with whom Verity worked during the war. From this point on, the novel is a hunt for clues to find Emilie and to prevent a tragedy. While the reader assumes that, since this is a series, Verity will survive, the author should be credited for creating suspense in her narrative.

There is a reason to read the books in order. SPOILER: This has to do with what happened to Verity’s husband, something the reader learns in the first novel. However, if the reader is willing to move forward, there is no reason that this novel cannot be read first.

I gave This Side of Murder three *** and am happy to give the new novel four. I enjoyed spending time with the main characters in this book and look forward to meeting up with Verity, Sidney and the rest of the crew in the future.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher.

by Frieda Parks

Often stories that are about a difficult childhood experience feature animals. This distance can make the story easier for a young child to hear. That is the approach taken in this book about a bunny whose parents are divorced. The bunny often finds it hard to make transitions. This is acknowledged along with the author offering reassurance to the young rabbit. Young bunnies are assured that they are loved and that all families are different.

This book is very British in terms of some of the words as, for example, “jelly tots.” Still, the book will not only appeal to them.

A shout out to the illustrations in this title. They are gorgeous and delightful.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

by Jamise Harper and Jane Mount is now out

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 Thomas Hardy is free.

Not sure if something in this is a “spoiler” or a known part of his next book.

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by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

This is an excellent addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series. The story of Einstein is told with a sense of humanity and with admiration for this renowned scientist and man.

Readers learn that young Einstein took time to develop; he did not speak until well past the expected time. His mind worked in its own way but led him to revolutionary scientific discoveries.

This book also highlights Einstein’s humanitarian efforts. He was able to emigrate from Germany when the Nazis came to power but did not stop there. He encouraged American universities to hire other Jewish scientists so that they would not die. Einstein also cared about other forms of discrimination in his new country.

The illustrations in this title perfectly accent the story. There are also additional resources at the end of the book.

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