I was not familiar with poet, Peppernell, before reading this collection, so I had no idea what to expect. I hoped from the cover that there was some kind of magic inside.
What I did find within these pages was an author who felt honest in the feelings, struggles and emotions that make up the text. There were also additional illustrations to be found.
Anyone who has experienced emotions similar to the poet’s will, I think, feel understood in these pages. Dip into any sections that appeals; these include Reflecting, Repairing, Change, Awakening, Emerging, and Rebirth. It is a story of a journey.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book is very clever. It will interest kids and entice them. The photos are detailed and whether they represent a face or a behind will often be hard to know, leaving plenty of room for guesses. What I like about this title is that there is more to it than guessing. Kids will learn more about each featured photo in the detailed text. There is a lot of scientific information here.
Adults who want to intrigue an elementary school aged child with some science learning this summer, get this one. It is surprising, fun and educational.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Kids for this title. All opinions are my own.
Note that over 100 NetGalley reviewers so far have given this title a five star review.
This book was so easy for me to love. It is short (under 200 pages) and a paean to what books, bookshops and reading can mean to people.
Two of the main characters are a twenty-something young woman who has been hurt in a relationship and has, as a result, left her job. She goes to stay with an uncle who has taken over the family used bookstore.
When Takako first arrives, she has no interest in reading but one night all that changes. Through her, readers discover the excitement and sweetness that happens when the world of books opens to a person.
The neighborhood where the bookshop is located is a real one. I would love to go there.
This book is filled with quotable moments. For example:
It was as if, without realizing it, I had opened a door I had never known existed…It was as if a love of reading had been sleeping somewhere deep inside me all this time, an then it suddenly sprang to life. ..And there was no danger Id run out of books…It made me feel like I had been wasting my life…
Anyone who loves books and/or books about books, read this one. You won’t be sorry.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this title. All opinions are my own.
I admit that I was curious to see how this excellent series would present Princess Diana, in particular in terms of what her dream was. I wondered i the focus would be on her humanitarian work as, of course, she had so many tragedies prior to her death.
Credit to the author; she presented Diana’s disappointments and struggles in a matter of fact way. For example, mention is made of her parents’ divorce and Diana’s own collapsing marriage. Diana’s bulimia is also noted in a simple way. All of this is counterbalanced by an emphasis on her kindness, her love of her sons, and the admiration that many had for her. The book does not make reference to her death.
I loved the illustrations in this book. They were very evocative.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.
Jenny Colgan’s many fans will be delighted by her newest, standalone book. They will literally be in the skies as they spend time with pilot Morag. The descriptions of flights and landscape are a lovely part of the novel.
When the book opens, Morag has had a crisis. There was a most unfortunate incident while she was flying. Although Morag puts up a brave front, she is reeling and a bit frightened of returning to her job. One upside though was the potential for romance with Hayden, a man from HR whom she met in her follow up to the incident noted above. Is he the one or will someone else be?
As Morag is struggling so is her grandfather. He is one of a line of pilots in Morag’s family and he needs Morag’s help. As a result, Morag returns to northern Scotland where he has offered a wonderful flying service to the folks of the islands. The story picks up from there with a big event being an unexpected landing and time spent with a scientist on a very small island. Here is the potential someone else as noted above.
Ms. Colgan offers her readers a lovely story as is her habit. Recommended for summer reading lists and those who enjoy romance/women’s fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for this title. All opinions are my own.
The Garnett Girls are women who are trying to find their way over the course of this well written first novel. Mother, Margo, was once wildly in love with Richard but all did not go well. She has gone on to a somewhat chaotic life and has been a less than perfect mother.
Margo’s three daughters have their own relationships and issues. Imogen is about to be engaged but is William really the right person for her? Is she doing what is safe or what is best for her? Sasha has a rather prickly relationship with controlling husband Phil, while Rachel seems to have the perfect husband d(he does lots of cooking and childcare). Is he?
Readers follow each of the daughters careers-writer, doctor and lawyer respectively. Has professional success made then happy? What will happen to them and Margo?
This book has wonderful settings. The characters are sufficiently complex and there is lots of plot. All of these make for an involving read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and, Avon and Harper Voyage for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 16 May 2023
From the Publisher
These blurbs are from authors whose books I have enjoyed.
MANY TITLES BY HISTORICAL FICTION AUTHOR, MARIE BENEDICT, CONTINUE TO BE E BOOK BARGAINS. MY PERSONAL FAVORITE IS LADY CLEMENTINE THOUGHTI HAVES ENJOYED ALL OF HER BOOKS. TAKE A LOOK ON YOUR FAVORITE BOOK SITE.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS, I HAVE LISTED MANY BOOKS THAT ARE ON SALE FOR PRIME DAY. TAKE A LOOK TO SEE IF I MISSED ANY THAT YOU MAY WANT.
I got to know Karen during Covid when we spent a delightful afternoon emailing back and forth. I am happy to let readers know that this second in a series is an e book bargain for today. Highly recommended!
September 1878, London.
Michael Corravan, a former thief and bare-knuckles boxer from seedy Whitechapel, is making good as an inspector at Scotland Yard, which is under heavy scrutiny after a trial the previous year convicted four senior inspectors of corruption.
One night, as the pleasure steamer the Princess Alice travels up the Thames, she is rammed by the Bywell Castle, a huge iron-hulled collier – roughly equivalent to a railway engine hitting a baby carriage. The Princess Alice shears apart, throwing all 650 passengers into the river; only 130 survive. Because it’s a pleasure touring boat – akin to our hop-on-hop-off buses – no one even knows who is on the boat, which throws London into a panic, as worried friends and relatives race around trying to find survivors. Then, the newspapers suggest that it is not an accident but sabotage by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, who believe violence is the path to restoring Irish Home Rule. For Corravan, born in Ireland and adopted by the Irish Doyle family, the case presents a fraught challenge. Accused by the Home Office of willfully disregarding the obvious conclusion, and berated by his Irish friends for bowing to prejudice, Corravan doggedly pursues the truth, knowing that if the Princess Alice disaster is pinned on the IRB, hopes for Home Rule could be dashed forever.
Corrovan’s dilemma is compounded by Colin, the youngest Doyle, who has joined James McCabe’s Irish gang. As violence in Whitechapel rises, Corravan strikes a deal with McCabe to get Colin out of harm’s way. But unbeknownst to Corravan, Colin bears longstanding resentments against his adopted brother and scorns his help.
As the newspapers link the IRB to further accidents, London threatens to devolve into terror and chaos. With the help of his young colleague, the loyal Mr. Stiles, and his friend Belinda Gale, Corravan uncovers the harrowing truth—one that will shake his faith in his countrymen, the law, and himself.
The author:
USA Today bestselling author Karen Odden earned her PhD in English at New York University and taught at UW-Milwaukee and edited for an academic journal before turning to writing fiction. All five of her mysteries are set in 1870s London. To learn about her books and her writing workshops, or to read her historical blogs or newsletter, visit www.karenodden.com
Some editorial reviews:
Praise for Under a Veiled Moon: “[An] exceptional sequel . . . Fans of Lyndsay Faye’s Gods of Gotham trilogy will be enthralled.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Victorian skulduggery with a heaping side of Irish troubles.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Will keep readers curious and guessing to the end.” —Manhattan Book Review, 5-star review
“Fans of Anne Perry’s William Monk series, now completed, will love Corravan’s investigations.” —Poisoned Pen Bookstore
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 