Niksen

The Dutch Art of Doing Nothing

by Annette Lavrijsen

#Niksen #NetGalley

This book is another in the mode of those on hygge and others that suggest ways to live better and less frantically. This one appealed to me from the moment I saw the first beautiful and relaxing illustrations inside. It offers the Dutch view on the importance of life style and doing nothing.

Niksen is a terms that is about the power of the pause. Such balance with time away from stress is surely something to be wished for. This book offers readers ways to achieve a state of greater calm.

I know that with Covid it can feel at times that we are doing nothing but that is not the case. Many feel stressed even as they feel less productive. This book will help readers to reset and better make their way through each day.

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

Advice You Should Probably (Not) Follow

by My Therapist Says

#MyTherapistSays #NetGalley

Some readers will know that My Therapist Says is not only the title of this book but, in addition, something that can be followed on Instagram. Readers should know that this is a somewhat tongue in cheek title and not straight advice. Once readers know that, they may find it to be an enjoyable read.

The book is divided into a number of sections. A few of these include Am I a CEO yet?; You Can’t Leave, You’re My Only Friend; and Mom! The Meatloaf!.

This title should appeal to those who enjoy My Therapist Says on Instagram. It was not really for me though.

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

by Gülşah Yemen, illustrations : Çağrı Odabaşı

#WhatCanYouDoWithaColor #NetGalley

This engagingly illustrated title provides a nice opportunity for the youngest children to learn about colors. They will learn about primary colors (red, yellow, blue), secondary colors (green, orange, purple) and colors that mix the two (turquoise, magenta, amber).

This book can be used as a picture book to teach colors. I think that it would also be great for the kids who read this book to have watercolors or finger paints so that they can experiment with creating colors of their own.

Encourage a little one that you know to become an artist! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

pub date: October 27, 2020

by Derry Brabbs

#GreatPilgrimageSitesofEurope #NetGalley

This gorgeously photographed title provides readers with a fantastic opportunity for arm chair travel. Visit pilgrimage sites throughout Europe. Religious locations are featured from Britain, France, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Finland and Slovakia, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Italy, and Spain and Portugal. Enjoy revisiting places that may be familiar while also traveling to those that are new. Will you be inspired to take a pilgrimage of your own (post covid)?

Note: I very much enjoyed looking at the photos in this title. However, some of the text was not in English. I so wish that it was!

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

Titles in many categories here. I include E.P. Thompson out of nostalgia as I read it in a college history class. Enjoy.

When Winter Comes

Discovering Wildlife in Our Snowy Woods

by Aimée M. Bissonette

#WhenWinterComes #NetGalley

When Winter Comes is a beautifully illustrated picture book that both children and adults will enjoy. The parents and children in the story enjoy spending time outside as they acknowledge the teeming life that is just out of sight, perhaps in a log, maybe underground, possibly underwater. With a text that shows an appreciation for all that nature provides, the book explores a winter habitat. Encourage a nature lover that you know by getting them this book.

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

Jack

A Novel

by Marilynne Robinson

Marilynne Robinson is a writer who cannot be rushed and the result shows in her beautiful novels. Gilead, the first novel to feature some of the characters in this newest book, was published in 2004. That was followed by Home in 2008, Lila in 2014, and now Jack.

Jack is the “bad boy” of the novels and the one to be featured in this one. The novel follows him as he tries to live his life. In part, the novel tells the story of Jack’s complex relationship with the Black woman with whom he falls in love. Given the historical time period of the novel, readers can be sure that this will be challenging.

Readers of Ms. Robinson’s novels will undoubtedly welcome this novel. However, I think that Jack could be read and would make an impression on readers, even if they have not read the earlier books. They may well want to go back to them though.

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

Let’s Save Our Planet: Forests

Discover the Facts. Be Inspired. Make A Difference.

by Jess French

#LetsSaveOurPlanetForests #NetGalley

This engagingly illustrated title for kids will inspire them to care about the environment. The subject here is deforestation and the importance of our forests. Kids will learn about some of the many ways that forests are critical to the ecosystem; there is everything from their beauty to the role of forests in climate change. Readers will also become knowledgeable about the many types of forests there are including tropical rain forests, boreal forests and temperate deciduous forests.

After reading about the causes of deforestation there is a section on the effects of deforestation followed by some more optimistic chapters. These include solutions and a “what you can do,” thus helping the young to become engaged and to not feel hopeless about their world. This section includes a number of possible career choices related to the environment.

The children of today will inherit the beauty of the natural world and the calls to care for it. This title will help them to understand the stakes but not to panic.

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

by Vicky Fang

This title for young children follows a dad and his child as it teaches some very basic coding. Through the text, children see this dad and child play with a ball and more as they learn about if/then as a concept. This part of the book is presented on the left hand page. The right hand book pages then use some basic computer language and formulas to describe the actions.

This book has colorful engaging illustrations. It is the only title that I have seen on this topic that is written for the youngest children and I recommend it for that reason.

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

I am currently reading The Girl in White Gloves and the Julie Clark is in my TBR. Circle of Friends is classic Maeve Binchy; it’s a perfect read to escape in. Tom Sawyer, of course, is a classic. Enjoy.