by Angela Ferraro-Fanning

With this title, the author covers her final season. I reviewed and recommended all of the earlier books in this series. The same is true for this one that is focused on fall.

Children are invited to learn about the many changes that autumn brings to nature. They will learn about fall crops including apple, pear and pumpkin varieties. There are ideas about ways to use parts of fruits that are often overlooked, as for example the apple core, giving a gentle message to make use of all of nature’s generosity.

Included within in these cheerily illustrated pages are crafts, cooking ideas, suggestions for planting and more. Make a birdhouse from a gourd, craft acorn cap candles, bake sweet pumpkin muffins or choose among the other activities. Directions are easy to follow and the projects look like fun.

In addition to offering fun, the book has a gentle message. That is to care for our environment. Even the book itself is printed from reused materials.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group-Ivy Kids for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date 05 Jul 2022

by Lis Howell

The Judge at Saint Janne’s is the fourth entry in a series of cozy mysteries that began with The Flower Arranger at All Saints. Featured in each is amateur detective Suzy Spencer.

The victim this time is Deborah Arbiter. She endeavored to do good and ran a shelter for those who suffered domestic abuse. Did Deborah fall or was it murder? No spoiler to say that it was murder.

Read this title to solve the mystery along with Suzy. It is a good read. Enjoy the characters and the setting.

Note: There was a Saint Jane. The book’s author explains how she relates to the book’s title.

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

Pub Date 08 Mar 2022

From the Publisher

MEET SUZY SPENCER: YOUR NEW FAVOURITE AMATEUR SLEUTH!

DISCOVER A SERIES OF COSY MYSTERIES SET IN A PICTURESQUE CUMBRIAN VILLAGE!

Perfect for fans of Jeanne M. Dams, Frances Evesham, Margaret Mayhew, Betty Rowlands and M.C. Beaton.

	THE FLOWER ARRANGER AT ALL SAINTS	THE CHORISTER AT THE ABBEY	THE DEATH OF A TEACHER	THE JUDGE AT SAINT JANE’S

My review:

Readers of historical fiction, look at this one. It is fabulous.

Allison Pataki tells the story of Marjorie Merriweather Post from her childhood right on through her “many lives.” She was a daughter, wife (multiple times), mother, key part of Post (later known as General) Foods, society woman, charitable worker and donor, ambassador’s wife, builder of multiple estates and more. The pages just flew as I followed Marjorie through her life.

Readers will travel with Marjorie to many locations. Among these are Battle Creek, Washington DC, Manhattan, the Adirondacks, Palm Beach (Mar-a-Lago) and Moscow. Readers experience Marjorie’s own experiences in each of these places.

Relationships were a big part of Marjorie’s life. No spoiler so I won’t write about how many times she married or who her husbands or children were.

I so highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction. It is one of the best that I have read in this genre.

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

A Travel Journal

by Katie Clemons

Remember that September essay, the one titled “How I Spent My Summer Vacation?” Give a child this enticing travel journal and, if they take a trip, they will easily be able to write their story. Along with this book, give a child some colored pencils or markers. They should then be able to do the rest.

The author encourages kids to use this title in the way that works for them. It does not have to be filled in in any particular order. An sample entry has clouds to write in. They say things like Today, this mad me really happy or this was really fun. Another is called Around Here and has room to write what was on the day’s schedule and what happened that was not planned. Yet another leaves space to fill in a weather report. There are many choices in this book of close to 150 pages.

This journal could be filled in now and definitely enjoyed by a child when they are older and look back at it. It is a nice, fun spot to recall trips over the years.

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

Pub Date 02 Jul 2020

#TheLionsofFifthAvenue #NetGalley

Fiona Davis has written a number of historical fiction titles. Each book is set in an iconic NYC landmark and has a dual narrative structure and timeline. In this, the strongest of her novels yet, the reader spends time at the main New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue.
The story in the past begins around 1913. The iconic library has just opened. The superintendent, Jack; his wife, Laura; and their two children, Pearl and Harry actually live in an apartment inside the enormous new library. Jack, in addition to his job, is writing what he hopes will be the great American novel. Laura, up until now, a woman who married for love and cares for her family wants more. She enrolls as one of very few women at the Columbia School of Journalism. Jack and Laura’s desire for fulfillment leads to conflict, misunderstandings and tragedy. The fallout from their actions influences the story that takes place in the 1990s which is about their descendants.
In the present, Sadie works as a curator at the very same library on 42nd Street. Her love of all things bookish is apparent. Under Sadie’s watch, volumes are being stolen from the library. How do the past and present collide? Read the book to find out.
I learned a lot about collectable and antiquarian books as well as the library through reading this novel. I now know more about valuable books and how they are both vulnerable and protected. Clearly Ms. Davis has been meticulous in her research and loves her subject.
There are themes to this novel in addition to the mystery, romance and depictions of life at the Columbia School of Journalism, the Village and the library. What sacrifices are women asked to make and when are they too much? How much is owed to a family? Can we be forgiven for mistakes? How important is it to have a relationship and to take risks for it? Who should define what a person wants in life?
Ms. Davis does an excellent job of connecting the two narratives. The book is a page turner that will be eagerly embraced by her loyal readers and will also be enjoyed by those new to the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review. I recommend it very highly.

by Phaedra Patrick

I so enjoyed this author’s last book, The Secrets of Love Story Bridge, and I was very eager to read The Messy Lives of Book People. This latest book is at least as good as that one was.

This is a kind of fairy tale story for those who love books and book references. I enjoyed meeting the famous, if autocratic author, Essie and her cleaner Liv.

Essie is the author of a very popular book series. It is one that Liv has enjoyed since childhood. Liv is thrilled to work as Essie’s cleaner and to spend time with her favorite writer. Readers discover that Live adores books and would have studied English at university had that been possible. It was not. So, Liv married, had two children, put her dreams of writing away, and keeps busy earning money as a cleaner.

The story is predicated on an unexpected request that Essie makes of Liv. Can Live do what she is asked? Readers will surely hope so as they turn the pages of this novel.

I was charmed by this book. All credit to the author She has a wonderful talent for creating characters for whom readers will care.

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

Pub Date 31 May 2022

From the Publisher

by Nick Alexander

This story was an involving one. It is the story of Becky who grew up without a father and, with a mother, Laura, who does not want to talk about him. As the events of the novel unfold, Becky and her mother travel to Greece. Will this trip reveal important truths? Will it help Becky and Laura to become closer?

Secrets will be uncovered in beautiful Santorini. Enjoy this immersive dual timeline story as stories are discovered/uncovered.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon UK Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub Date 01 May 2019

Imagine that your family sends you (alone) to the U.S. because of financial hardship in Ireland and you will need to support your relatives back home. Imagine that you are able to take on someone else’s identity to become the servant of Andrew Carnegie’s mother. Will you be found out? Will your position be secure? These are among the premises of this richly detailed historical novel. Relationships between upstairs and downstairs, specifically between Clara and Andrew Carnegie are a major part of this novel. Read it too to learn more about the business world and women’s roles in the post Civil War U.S. Overall, an enjoyable read.

by Rebel Girls

Here is an entry in the popular series that is designed for the youngest children and their adults. This book and each entry is short and filled with brightly colored illustrations. A few of the women met here are Cleopatra, May Jemison, Sylvia Earle, Jane Austen, Millo Castro Zaldarriaga along with others.

This book will show children that girls can grow up to do amazing things. Hopefully, it will, in time, inspire these toddlers as they grow up.

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

Pub Date 12 Jul 2022