I adore the delicate illustrations that enhance this collection of Christmas stories. There are eight tales in all. Some of these are well-known as, for example, The Little Drummer Boy, and The Snow Queen while others were not as familiar to me. All are nicely told but what will keep readers coming back are the absolutely gorgeous illustrations; definitely could be a picture book of the year in my opinion.
There is a note at the end of the book from the illustrator which is entitled “How I Became an Illustrator.” I am so glad that she did!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
John Banville has written at least six books in the Quirke, Dublin set, dark(ish) mystery series. The stories are set in the 1950s. For those who are looking for the older entries, they were published under the name Benjamin Black.
April in Spain hearkens back to an earlier case. That story was told in Elegy for April. Now, while on vacation, Quirke thinks that he spots April. Can it be her? What could this mean?
This book may be most enjoyed by those who remember April. As it true for other titles in the series, it is not a happy story. Still, those who like a Dublin (Spain) noir may want to give this one a read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Right now Matt Amodio will walk away from Jeopardy with over one million, two hundred thousand dollars. So, clearly trivia can be both fun and profitable or maybe both together. In any event, those who enjoy challenges will enjoy this title.
The author includes over 4,000 questions. So many categories are covered; to name some: General Knowledge, Movies, Music, Science, Religion, Geography, Classical Music, Art, Mythology and many more. Luckily the answers are also provided!
I found the questions to be challenging and discovered I knew much less than I thought. Still, I will have fun dipping in and out of this title to test myself.
The author also offers a lot of practical advice on how to run a quiz night. This was quite helpful.
All in all, an excellent resource for its audience. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title.
Val McDermid is one of my favorite crime writers. She is a pioneer in the crime fiction world, beginning with her Lindsay Gordon series. Lindsay was the first lesbian to feature in a mystery as protagonist. By the way, these titles have been reissued along with the author’s Kate Brannigan novels. And, of course, Ms. McDermid’s fans also follow Tony Hill and Carole Jordan as well as Karen Pirie in the novels featuring them.
Not one to rest on her laurels, now there is a new series. This one follows Allie Burns. Allie is a reporter on a Scottish daily at a time when women in the newsroom were few and rarely reported on anything other than women’s issues. Allie, though, is becoming a tough investigative reporter.
Two of the stories that Allie follows are the one with financial chicanery and tax evasion at its core, and a second that involves Scottish Nationalists who want to plan an IRA like bombing. Allie investigates both of these stories with fellow reporter Danny.
In my opinion this book starts a bit slowly but things speed up to be sure. What follows is a suspenseful and involving story with well sketched characters, settings and situations. McDermid started her career (after an Oxbridge education) at a local paper. She, presumably, uses this knowledge in creating Allie and the newsroom.
Fans of McDermid will be eager to read this title. I enjoyed this one and I look forward to additional titles in this new series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. I was very excited to read it. All opinions are my own.
This is another entry in the inspiring Little People, Big Dreams series that shows children that those who have done great things started out as kids themselves.
This time readers learn about Kamala Harris and her journey from child of civil rights marchers to Vice President of the United States. Children see Kamala embracing both her Jamaican and Indian heritages. They also find out that she valued education, attending an historic Black college and then law school. They see that Kamala achieved so much even before she knew Joe Biden!
One message that kids can take away from this title is Kamala’s belief that, while she may be the first Black and female VP, she does not believe that she will be the last. Hopefully this book will encourage children to believe in what they can achieve and to consider public service.
The text is vibrantly illustrated and there are additional resources and a time line at the end of the book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 