I am honestly not sure who will love this book more: will it be the children or the adults who are either looking at the book with them or grab the book to look at on their own? The illustrations are so appealing, friendly and engaging. The two-page spread for each state captures the spirit of that state and its special attractions. And, of course, I Spy is a fun game. Add this one to your shelf and delight in the glories of the USA.
E-book bargains for lovers of women’s fiction (Moyes and Moriarty)
$1.99 today. Jojo Moyes had written a number of novels before she became well-known for her stories about Louisa Clark. The Horse Dancer is a story about a girl, her grandfather, a horse and the woman and lawyer, Natasha, who becomes involved with the girl, Sarah. I have not as yet read this one but plan to. A blurb is below:
“Reading Jojo Moyes’s newest novel, The Horse Dancer, I had to keep reminding myself that I was not, in fact, reading Dickens. . . As a storyteller, Moyes again takes a note from Dickens, moving easily between several storylines, toggling between the past and the present, the urban and the rural, the domestic and the professional, with ease and confidence. . . Moyes’s vision of people lifted from despair by nothing more than love (and a little money) is nothing if not poignant.” —Washington Post
Liane Moriarty wrote The Husband’s Secret before her breakout novel Big Little Lies. This one is also in my TBR pile. $2.99 today.
From Publishers Weekly
Australian author Moriarty, in her fifth novel (after The Hypnotist’s Love Story), puts three women in an impossible situation and doesn’t cut them any slack. Cecilia Fitzpatrick lives to be perfect: a perfect marriage, three perfect daughters, and a perfectly organized life. Then she finds a letter from her husband, John-Paul, to be opened only in the event of his death. She opens it anyway, and everything she believed is thrown into doubt. Meanwhile, Tess O’Leary’s husband, Will, and her cousin and best friend, Felicity, confess they’ve fallen in love, so Tess takes her young son, Liam, and goes to Sydney to live with her mother. There she meets up with an old boyfriend, Connor Whitby, while enrolling Liam in St. Angela’s Primary School, where Cecilia is the star mother. Rachel Crowley, the school secretary, believes that Connor, St. Angela’s PE teacher, is the man who, nearly three decades before, got away with murdering her daughter—a daughter for whom she is still grieving. Simultaneously a page-turner and a book one has to put down occasionally to think about and absorb, Moriarty’s novel challenges the reader as well as her characters, but in the best possible way. Agent: Faye Bender, Faye Bender Literary Agency. (Aug.)
For Adult Literary Explorers; The Writer’s Map by Lewis-Jones
Are you a true bibliophile? Do you enjoy entering both fictional and real worlds? Do you enjoy seeing the maps that writers create and love? If yes, this book is an amazing one and one that deserves a place on your bookshelf or coffee table. Readers can dip in and out and explore the many places within the book guided by well-known writers. I highly recommend this one. The illustrations are intricate and reproduced well. The text is interesting and offers lots of insight. One note: I read this as a digital ARC. I am eager to see the paper book so that I can browse back and forth more easily.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher.
#TheWriter’sMap #NetGalley
For young eaters; Caillou Tries New Foods
This is a read-aloud for a young and fussy eater or for parents who do not want to find themselves with one! Caillou’s mom finds a good way to encourage Caillou to eat a healthy dinner. Children who know Caillou from other books or from TV will enjoy this story.
#CaillouTriesNewFoods #NetGalley
For young Reading Stars; If I Had a Dog by O’Neill.
This book is part of a series for very beginning readers. The number of words is limited and those words are repeated within the text to offer reinforcement for young learners. New readers will feel pride in their ability to read and understand this story. If I Had a Dog is a written with a sense of humor that children will appreciate. Definitely recommended for the target audience!
Today’s e-book bargains
Some great reads that are available today.
A Piece of the World is by the same author who wrote Orphan Train. That was a favorite read of mine and I will blog on it in the future. This novel is about the artist Andrew Wyeth and his most famous model. You probably know the painting, Christina’s World and now you can learn more about her.
“The novel evokes the somber grace of [Wyeth’s] paintings … Christina’s yearning, her determination, her will to dream, occupy the emotional center in both the novel and the painting. A Piece of the World is a story for those who want the mysterious made real.” (New York Times Book Review)
The Patron Saint of Liars is an early book by Ann Patchett who wrote one of my all time favorite novels, Bel Canto. TPSOL is about a young woman who becomes pregnant, is unmarried and is sent to a maternity home. The story takes place well before there were many reproductive choices. Find out what happens to the protagonist, her child and how they live their lives. I am also re-posting my comments on Bel Canto below.
Have you ever been asked to name your favorite fiction title? Have you ever tried to answer this question just for yourself? When I am in this situation, I always think about Bel Canto. I delayed reading this novel for ages. Who needs to read a novel about a hostage situation I would ask myself. Life is tough enough. Wow! Was I wrong. This is an amazing book. Never have I cared about characters so much and been so sad to know that there could not be a happy ending for them all. The set up is a hostage takeover at an opera performance for a private party and the aftermath of this event. All of the characters are nuanced and I cared for each and every one of them. If you have not read this, do so, do so, do so!
The Bookshop on the Corner is an easy, enjoyable read for those who like romance and women’s fiction. Besides…a book about the love of books is always fun, right?
I have not read The House at Tyneford but have had it for awhile. Maybe, now that I have been reminded, I will read it. The story begins at the outset of WWII and is a family saga. Has anyone out there read it? If yes, let me know what you thought.
HAPPY READING!
A big book, indeed! (Penzler)
Do you enjoy mysteries? Short stories? Female detectives? If yes, this book deserves a place on your bookshelf. It is filled with stories from different eras and covers 150 years of writing, beginning with the Victorians. My favorites sections are the Golden Age, Mid Century, the Modern Era and Bad Girls. Many, many of my favorite authors are to be found in this collection. At over 1000 pages, this will be a book to dip in and out of over time. Highly recommended!
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
A heads up…the movie will be released on Netflix on August 10th. I previously blogged on this moving story that is set during WWII. Lily James (of Downton Abby) stars.
Some monthly Kindle deals
Among the many are these that I have read. Happy exploring!
A Little Person with a BIG DREAM (Mother Teresa by Vegara)
This is a highly appealing entry in a highly appealing series. The illustrations were so 
f
This is a highly appealing entry in a highly appealing series. The illustrations are so engaging and adorable. The book is about Agnes. who grew up in Macedonia and, when young, learned about missionary work in India. The work spoke to her, leading Agnes to travel to Ireland where she became a nun. Agnes soon moved to India where she dedicated her life to educating children and taking care of the poor. Agnes, who grew up to be Mother Teresa, led a truly exceptional life. Let your little one be inspired by this amazing, modest and saintly woman. This charmingly told read aloud for children includes photos and additional biographical information along with a short reading list.
