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 will be enjoyed by bibliophiles and those who like a quirky read. It arose from the experiences of two book lovers who created a voicemail where readers could leave messages about the stories that they loved.
This book includes all kinds of interesting book related entries. They are organized according to calls by subject, calls by book title and calls by authors. The book includes actual phone numbers that will either have a message or where a reader can leave a message. By listing numbers it is a tribute to the phone books of old. Readers can also read some of the messages that the compilers of this title received.
If you are a reader who loves books and all things quirky, take a look at this book with its telephone book graphics. It is a treasure trove.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Once there were two best friends, Isabel and Zoe. They had cubbies next to each other and wore their friendship bracelets. They did things for each other like tradng sandwiches when one had something that she did not like. But…sometimes they did things that got them into trouble and their friendship could be strained. Will they recover? Will a puppy help the process? Beginning chapter book readers may enjoy reading this title, the first in a projected series, to find out. As a matter of taste, I did not love the illustrations in this book. I imagine that many may enjoy them though, especially if they like cartoon-like ones. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Everything that you need to know about this book comes from its very apt title. The Persuasion is a direct homage to Jane Austen’s tale of a love lost and its impact over time, leading to protagonists meeting again. Recipe tells you that the book has something to do with cooking. And there you are, a delightful read and one that I enjoyed.
More specifically, chef Ashna runs a restaurant in which she honors her late father by cooking his specialties. The restaurant is failing though and Ashna lets herself become a chef/contestant on a cooking show, kind of like Dancing with the Stars, in which a professional cook is teamed with a celebrity. And what a celebrity…not really a spoiler, he is a past love of Ashna’s. Will sparks fly? Will they have a second chance?
In addition to these main characters, readers learn a good deal about Ashna’s immediate and extended families. All is not completely lightness in this romance title. For me, this added depth to the story.
I liked this novel which let me escape into an interesting world.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Miss Benson’s Beetle is by the author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, a book that I very much enjoyed. So, I was excited to receive this e galley from the publisher. The book does not disappoint.
As has been true in her other novels, Rachel Joyce is a mistress of creating quirky characters for whom readers will care. The beginning of the novel introduces Miss Benson. What teacher will not identify with her ‘losing it,’ even if they might not take the actions that she does?
From this unlikely beginning Miss Benson goes on the quest of her lifetime, to the New Caledonia, in search of a rare golden beetle. Readers learn what led to this obsession and of the tragedies in Miss Benson’s past. Accompanying Miss Benson is the irrepressible Enid Pretty who has her own back story. There is also another less savory and wounded character whom Miss Benson did not hire when she met him.
This is a story about doing what one dreams of in life. It is about embarking on a journey without knowing how it will end. Isn’t this a universal of going on journeys and taking risks? Readers will become attached to the story and character and will immerse themselves in Miss Benson’s world.
This is a novel that has both humor and heart. I highly recommend it.
This is a children’s story about an iguana who goes to visit his family for the holidays. He has good friends who help him to be on his way and one who gives him gifts for his family. Sadly, a gift gets lost. No spoiler in a holiday story to say that it will be found.
Grumpy is definitely not Grumpy in this story which seems a bit odd to me. Overall, this is an okay book but not one that I feel offers anything compelling.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Anne Perry has been writing Christmas novellas since 2003. They never get old and every year I look forward to seeing which of my favorite characters may be featured. This time it is Hooper, a member of the River Police who is a colleague of the well-known Monk.
What I enjoyed most about this Christmas read was the wisdom of Anne Perry and the beauty of her descriptions. She writes gorgeously about what the water means to former sailor Hooper. She is tender when she talks about the recent marriage and the love that connects Hooper and his wife, Celia. It is a slightly later in life relationship for them and it is based on deep affection and shared world views and values.
The story is about Celia’s close friend Clementine who is about to marry a rather self-righteous, dour and, at times, threatening man. Marlowe had a first marriage that did not go well and is estranged from his daughter. He is eager to marry Clementine who, like Celia was, is alone in the world and a bit older for a first time bride. Marlowe seems to want to control her. He is also apparently being blackmailed. For what? How will everything resolve bearing in mind that this is a Christmas read and forgiveness is one of the novella’s themes? Will everything be forgiven? Will things be okay?
Readers new to this series should be aware that the novella refers to events from a previous book so there is a spoiler in there. A Christmas Resolution can still be enjoyed by those unfamiliar with that earlier story.
This book would make a perfect stocking stuffer for an Anne Perry fan. I am only sorry that I will now have to wait a year for her next Christmas title.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
This title is one that ideally will be shared by a parent and a young child. Through a combination of simple text with some rhyming, and cartoon llustrations, many feelings are described and identified. Talking about the many emotions that a person can experience will help children to recognize what they are feeling and to learn that all of these can be described and talked about.
I found this to be a book that deserves a place in the homes of young kids. I did not love the illustrations but that is clearly a matter of personal preference and others may well feel differently.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
This gorgeously photographed title provides readers with a fantastic opportunity for arm chair travel. Visit pilgrimage sites throughout Europe. Religious locations are featured from Britain, France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Finland and Slovakia, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Italy, and Spain and Portugal. Enjoy revisiting places that may be familiar while also traveling to those that are new. Will you be inspired to take a pilgrimage of your own (post covid)?
Note: I very much enjoyed looking at the photos in this title. However, some of the text was not in English. I so wish that it was! For this reason my rating is three stars. If I could read the book, my rating would be higher.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Great Pilgrimage Sites of Europe
By its very nature, a pilgrimage is a journey. And of course every journey has a destination. However, times have moved on and many of those undertaking a twenty-first-century pilgrimage will likely not be in the same mindset as their medieval counterparts. Only by standing in the nave of one of the great Romanesque or Gothic cathedrals associated with a pilgrimage to a once-venerated shrine can one appreciate the sheer power of the combination of faith, love and fear that was the basis of medieval Christianity. Such churches and cathedrals were the physical manifestation of those elements, but it was the deeper spiritual beliefs pertaining to the fate of a human soul when parted from its mortal body that created the cult of relics and the phenomenon of pilgrimage.
The Sancta Sanctorum is set in front of the Archbasilica of St John Lateran in Rome. It hosts the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs), the marble steps from Pilate’s palace that were ascended by Jesus Christ during his Passion.
NORWAY | RINGEBU STAVE CHURCH | Ringebu, Innlandet Christianity was slow to reach Norway. Although missionaries had made numerous attempts to persuade the hitherto pagan country that there were many benefits to be derived from being in the ‘family’, scepticism prevailed over Catholicism and religion did not really gain a serious foothold until around the end of the tenth century. From that time until the mid-sixteenth-century Reformation, approximately 1,000 stave churches were built, of which only twenty-eight now remain. Ringebu dates from 1220 and although it has been significantly altered over time the nave of the original church survives. In 1717, the interior was partially painted, but it was later totally covered in white, an aesthetic travesty not corrected until major restoration works in 1921.
ITALY | THE BASILICA OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI | Assisi, Umbria Regardless of which mode of transport one uses to reach a pilgrimage destination, there is nothing more satisfying than having that ultimate goal in full view during the final few kilometres. For those travelling on foot, that final stage in our twenty-first-century world may involve trudging through urban sprawl and diesel fumes to reach journey’s end in a city’s medieval core. Rest assured, Assisi is pilgrimage perfect!
SPAIN | SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF EL ROCIO | El Rocio, Huelva El Rocio’s pilgrimage-related history can be traced back to the thirteenth century, and the discovery of the Virgin’s statue by a local hunter. The icon was hidden in a tree trunk and a small chapel was soon erected to preserve the image. Although awareness was initially contained to a local level, rumours of miracles pertaining to both physical and mental well-being began spreading farther afield. By the seventeenth century, church brotherhoods from nearby towns began making the journey to El Rocio, and thereafter its popularity and reputation gradually spread outwards into the wider reaches of Andalucía. Some two centuries later, it was well established as an essential spiritual and social pilgrimage lasting up to two weeks.
SWITZERLAND |
SWITZERLAND | EINSIEDELN ABBEY
The view down on to the monastery and abbey church of Einsiedeln from St Benedict’s statue on the hillside above clearly portrays the impressive scale and pure symmetry of the buildings.
NORWAY | RINGEBU STAVE CHURCH | Ringebu, Innlandet Christianity was slow to reach Norway. Although missionaries had made numerous attempts to persuade the hitherto pagan country that there were many benefits to be derived from being in the ‘family’, scepticism prevailed over Catholicism and religion did not really gain a serious foothold until around the end of the tenth century. From that time until the mid-sixteenth-century Reformation, approximately 1,000 stave churches were built, of which only twenty-eight now remain. Ringebu dates from 1220 and although it has been significantly altered over time the nave of the original church survives. In 1717, the interior was partially painted, but it was later totally covered in white, an aesthetic travesty not corrected until major restoration works in
Anytime Exercises to Reduce Stress, Ease Worry, and Invite Calm
by Carley Centen
Do you know anyone who isn’t feeling a bit anxious today? There are elections, Covid, holidays that will be different this year and more. What better time could there be for a pocket sized book of meditations for anxiety? Here in 176 pages are many suggestions for calming and relaxing.
Each of the many entries is short. Some require a bit of physical moving while others are for reading and visualizing, for example. Just a few of the many entries include, Shrug it Off, Calm a Raging Storm, Allow Yourself to Worry, Learn to Sit with the Panic, and Ground Yourself in the Present. Anything you could use here? If yes, take a look at this title.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
