New Orleans is a thriving hub for festivals, music and Creole cuisine. Here, the novelist Maurice Carlos Ruffin shares books that capture its many cultural influences.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2024/06/05/books/books-new-orleans.html
Now out:
My First Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker
Press the buttons to hear 6 sounds
by Jessica Courtney-Tickle
This title is part of a series that introduces the very youngest readers/listeners to some of the great ballets. This time, the ballet is that childhood favorite, The Nutcracker. The story is short and simply told, the illustrations are engaging and, in the hard copy, there are excerpts from the music. All of these aspects make this book one to add to a little one’s library.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What might a person do when: Dead Tired
A Mystery
by Kat Ailes
This book is the second in Ailes’s series following on last year’s The Expectant Detectives. It is an equally enjoyable read.
Now the group of new moms are tired…very tired. Any one who was ever a new mom can probably remember how crushing this kind of exhaustion was and how it might cloud one’s brain a bit. Surely that is the case when the group decides that being part of an eco protest will be more restful than being at home. Of course, much ensues from this decision including involvment in a murder.
Will these amateur moms again solve a case? You can be sure that they will.
This is a fun story, maybe a bit of a fantasy for stay at home parents. Enjoy watching what happens as the story unfolds. There will be pets, babies, friendship, detection and some laughs. It will leave readers eager for book three.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 04 June 2024
From the Publisher
The first in the series:
An e book bargain-The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Claudia Gray)
Now out
#ThePerilsofLadyCatherinedeBourgh #NetGalley
Some Jane Austen fans are absolute purists and read only her original works. Others enjoy various iterations of Austen’s stories. For those in the latter category, this series by Claudia Gray is a lot of fun. The newest title featuring Lady Catherine de Bourgh is the third book and it is delightful.
The premise of the series is that a son of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett, and a young woman, Juliet Tilney, with connections to Northanger Abbey, solve cases together. They make for a charming (if not yet romantic) couple as they go about their work.
Credit to this author for her wittiness and her clever use of existing Austen characters along with the ones that she, herself, has added to the mix. In addition, she has created a good plot.
Will Lady Catherine be alive at the end of this title? Pick it up to find out.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: June 18, 2024
This Crime Novelist Spins Murder Mysteries Out of Emails, Memos and Texts – The New York Times
After years of this-and-that jobs, Janice Hallett began to write a novel: “What do I have to lose?” Now a widely celebrated voice in crime fiction, she just launched her fifth book, “The Examiner.”
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2024/09/25/books/janice-hallett-the-appeal.html
Now out: Monsters at Bedtime
by Laura Baker
This title would make a fun addition to bedtime. Young children will enjoy seeing the colorful monsters and their antics. The rhyming text will delight little ones…and their adults should enjoy this one too. It is adorable.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the Publisher
Sleepy monsters, weepy monsters, teeth-brushing monsters, toilet-flushing monsters, crashing monsters, all settling in for bedtime!
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Get ready for bed with the wild and familiar escapades of the monsters at bedtime! | The simple narrative with fun wordplay and a gentle rhyme is perfect for reading aloud | Kids can chuckle at all the different types of monsters while watching out for cheeky little monster who does everything to avoid bedtime! |
From my backlist: The French Adventure
Escape to France with this heartwarming feel-good romance
by Lucy Coleman
A look at this book’s cover will let a reader have a good sense of this is their kind of book. It is mine. Here is the story of a young woman who is trying to figure out what she wants next in life. This need follows on some disappointing events.
Anna seeks a change so travels to France to work on the units of her parents’ gite. Of course, while there, she will meet a handsome stranger. Will she get a happy ending?
Those who enjoy light reads will, I think, enjoy this one. Yes, it might be a bit predictable, but sometimes that is exactly what I need.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Aria for this title. All opinions are my own.
This title was published in 2018
Tessa Hadley
The Party by Tessa Hadley review — sex, class and Sunday roasts
Miranda Hart
The Theatrical Adventures of Edward Gorey
Rare Drawings, Scripts, and Stories
by Carol Verburg
Anyone who enjoys Gorey’s unique, quirky, macabre way of looking at the world will, I think, adore this book. There is so much within these pages. Look at cats, Broadway poster designs, programs. photos, drawings and so, so much more. This is really a treasure chest of a book with terrific accompanying text by the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 