Month: August 2021

BOOK NEWS: August 31, 2021

BOOK NEWS: August 31, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

It’s the final release week of August. Let’s take a look at the new books out this week.

Books for Kids

Gitty and Kvetch – An enthusiastic girl and her grumpy bird friend have an adventure, but things don’t go like Gitty planned. This looks darling. I love all the Yiddish expressions included!
Hamsters Make Terrible Roommates – An introverted hamster strugglers with his chatty, extroverted roommate. This looks adorable!
Survivor Tree – The story of the Survivor Tree planted at the base of where the Twin Towers stood.
The Chicken House – The Chicken Squad get a leveled reader! I have loved the Chicken Squad chapter books, so I’m excited to see how they transition to leveled readers.
Nugget and Dog: Yum Fest Is the Best – Book 2 in the Nugget and Dog series of leveled graphic novels about a hot dog and a chicken nugget pair of friends. This looks so fun!
The Snoopy Show: Nest Friends – A new leveled reader starring Snoopy.
Thunder and Cluck: The Brave Friend Leads the Way! – Book 2 in the Thunder and Cluck series of leveled graphic novels.
Doodling 101: A Silly Symposium –  A kids activity book

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Fast Pitch – A new middle grade novel from Nic Stone. A softball player struggles to prove herself both on the field and off.
Friends Forever – Book 3 in the Real Friends graphic novel series by the delightful Shannon Hale.
Kid Classics: Dracula AND Frankenstein
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche – Book 7 in the Enola Holmes series. Enola and a somewhat reluctant Sherlock work on the case of a missing woman. Her twin sister has been told the woman died, but she doesn’t believe the story. You can read my full review here.
Take Me With You When You Go – When Bea leaves home on a quest to find someone who might not want to be found, she leaves her brother at home at the mercy of their abusive step-father and negligent mother. I am intrigued by this one.

Books for Adults

Be My Ghost (Trade Paperback) – First in a new Haunted Haven Mystery series. A woman inherits an inn and discovers it has ghostly inhabitants – and a dead body on the property.
Brides & Brothers (September 1, e-book) – A modern retelling of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? Yes please! This is on my review list.
Carved in Stone (Trade Paperback) – First in the Blackstone Legacy series. A reclusive heiress is charged by her powerful family with the task of getting a lawyer to drop a case that would dredge up a 30-year-old family mystery. That sounds awesome!
The Devil You Know (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Mercenary Librarians series. I have book one, Deal with the Devil, on my TBR shelves already. Can’t wait to dig into this action/sci-fi/romance series!
The Heart Principle (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Kiss Quotient series. Frustrated in her career and in her relationship with her longtime boyfriend (who has recently decided he wants an “open” relationship), Anna sets out to have as many ill-advised one night stands as she wants. But her quest doesn’t go as planned.
Her New Story (Trade Paperback) – The latest novel from the fantastic Laura Bradford. A journalist dreading her latest assignment in Amish country goes looking for scandal but finds only kindness and unexpected friendships. This is on my review list.
The Last Chance Library (Trade Paperback) – A wallflower librarian musters some moxie when her beloved library is threatened with closure. This is on my library list.
The Meeting Point (September 2, e-book) – While Maya planned to surprise her boyfriend for her birthday, the tables are turned when a Lift driver clues her into her boyfriend’s extracurricular relationship. But the Lift driver saves the day, encouraging her to explore a nearby beach town. I pre-ordered this months ago! I can’t wait to read it.
Partners in Lime (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 6 in the Seaside Café Mystery series. Everly is sleuthing when a friend is accused of murdering a surf pro.
The Royals Next Door (Trade Paperback) – When British royals – and their hot bodyguard – move in next door to Piper, she finds herself in the middle of a royal scandal. This is on my review list – I am so excited to read it!
What the Cat Dragged In (Hardcover) – Book 14 in the Cat in the Stacks mystery series. Charlie and Diesel are on the case when Charlie inherits his grandfather’s old home and discovers a skeleton in a closet. This is on my review list, too. I’m intrigued by this story.
Messy Art, Full Heart (Paperback) – A four-week Bible journaling study. [Disclosure: This book is published by Warner Press which is the same publisher that I work with when writing small group curriculum and who published my Identity in Christ Bible study.]
Reverse Coloring Book – In this reverse coloring book, the colored pages are there, waiting for you to draw the picture over the top. Some of the sample pages are clearly floral scenes while other are more generic and could be a background for almost any picture.

 

BLOG TOUR: Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

BLOG TOUR: Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book releases August 31, 2021.]

Summary

Called to her brother’s home by Dr. Watson, Enola finds him in a debilitating melancholy. He won’t acknowledge her efforts to rile him, and he essentially ignores a young woman who comes to him for help.  Enola draws out the details of her case, and eventually Sherlock is intrigued enough to join in the preliminaries.

Miss Glover has been told her twin sister has died, but she refuses to believe it. And there is some evidence that the claim is false. Besides, Miss Glover’s brother-in-law lost his first wife, too, from another “sudden fever” which raises suspicions. So the Holmes take on the case. Enola works her angle, even gaining help from her friend, the Viscount Tewkesbury, Marquess of Basilwether, while Sherlock works his own leads.

Review

The book opens with a prologue, penned by Sherlock, outlining Enola’s earlier adventures as well as a description of his transformed feelings for her and about her – annoyance to begrudging respect to fondness. It’s a GREAT opening. I could hear it in my mind in Henry Cavill’s voice (from the delightful Netflix Enola Holmes movie). And it was only the first of many things I loved about this book!

I love Enola! She is an exceptional sleuth, challenging all of her famous brother’s garbage assumptions about women by just being herself. I thoroughly enjoyed how she and Sherlock worked their own aspects of the case while always managing to return to one another. I enjoy them so much as partners.

It’s been ages since I first read the early books in this series (this is technically Enola’s 7th adventure), so I’m not sure if the Netflix movie did an exceptional job of capturing the tone of the characters from those earlier books or if *this* book does an exceptional job of capturing the tone of the movie. Either way, I had the movie characters firmly in my mind as I read, and I found this story just as enjoyable as I did the movie.

The sleuthing was satisfying, and the resolution of the case was, too. Frankly, I thought the book was perfect! (Don’t be alarmed by the low reviews on Amazon. Apparently a lot of folks didn’t realize they were reading a TEASER and not the whole book. And then they wondered why it was so short. Ugh.) Mystery fans, Sherlock fans, and Enola fans should run right out and pick this one up when it releases next week. It’s an absolute treat!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Meg and her family are playing host once again, this time to a group  of actors putting on a production of Macbeth. Thanks to an interdepartmental war at the college, Michael and his actors are using the farm and an amphitheater at Meg’s grandfather’s zoo to practice their play. There’s also a group of historical reenactors staying on Meg’s parents’ property. And the warring English and history professors are dropping in regularly.

In the midst of that chaos, trouble is stirring. A vandal is striking at the farm. The reenactors’ antics are putting them at risk for arrest. Someone seems to be concocting a potion over a risky open fire in the woods. And then there’s the murder.

Review

Another fun mystery with Meg and her friends and family! (This is book 29 in the Meg Langslow Mystery series.)

I have been a fan of this series since the first few books released over 20 years ago. Meg, with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe is one of my favorite protagonists. She’s such a great character, and her extended family and the community folks are characters I look forward to spending time with when each new book releases.

There’s a TON going on here with the actors and the reenactors and all of the college folks. There’s the Macbeth-related events and the criminal and mischievous behaviors. Evil spells. Vandals. Murder. Puppies. This book has it all.

I loved watching the various mysteries play out. I didn’t really even try to sort out the villain for myself. Instead, I just watched it all unfold. And it was supremely satisfying.

Like the Andy Carpenter series, which I have reviewed recently, the Meg Langslow books are probably easy enough to follow story-wise for someone to start with this book or another one of the latter books in the series. But the cast in this series is VAST and could be hard to track without the history of what – and who – has come before.  Personally, I’d love to go back to the beginning of the series – Murder with Peacocks, Murder with Puffins, Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos – sometime and experience the early days of this great series all over again. I highly recommend cozy fans dig into this meaty series. Book 30 – The Twelve Jays of Christmas – releases in October.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

BOOK NEWS: August 24, 2021

BOOK NEWS: August 24, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are a few of the new books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

Little Naturalists: George Washington Carver Loved Plants AND Wangari Maathai Planted Trees (Board Books) – Board book biographies focused on naturalists. I LOVE this idea! Part of a series.
Just Be Yourself, Dragon! – Dragon is nervous about the first day of school.
The Snoopy Show: A Snoopy Tale AND When Snoopy Met Woodstock – Two new leveled readers starring Snoopy.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

 

Say It Out Loud – From the author of Property of the Rebel Librarian. Charlotte’s stutter keeps her from a lot of things like speaking up about bullying or speaking on stage. (When she sings, though, she doesn’t stutter!) But when her silence fractures a friendship and the musical theater program she cares about is cut, Charlotte finds her voice through writing. I have already pre-ordered this one!
Who Is Tom Brady?
Both Sides Now (LGBTQ+) – A trans teen looking forward to his senior year debate cycle wrestles with the possibility of having to argue against his own interests when the topic for Nationals is transgender rights.
Vampires, Hearts & Other Dead Things – In a world where vampires exist, a teen travels to New Orleans looking for a vampiric solution to her father’s terminal cancer diagnosis.

Books for Adults

Alaska Reunion (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Wild River series. Callum volunteers to be Ellie’s fake boyfriend for their reunion and the wilderness retreat afterwards, hoping that the time together will show her how he feels about her. Reunions AND a fake dating scenario? Sign me up!
Bombshell (Mass Market Paperback) – First in a new Hell’s Belle’s series. Lady Sesily has embraced her scandalous reputation, but her brother’s best friend wants to rescue her from herself.
Dial M for Maine Coon (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Furever Pets Mystery series after The Pomeranian Always Barks Twice. Liz finds someone to adopt a beautiful Maine Coon rescue, but before the adoption can take place, the prospective owner is murdered. But he’s not who everyone thought he was. This sounds amazing! It’s on my wish list.
Double Chocolate Cookie Murder (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 5 in the Cook-Off Mystery series. Sherry re-connects with her high school home ec teacher only to lose him again when he is murdered.
No Grater Crime (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 9 in the Country Store Mystery series. Robbie has to temporarily close her business and track a murderer when a series of incident threatens her livelihood.
The Second Rebel (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the First Sister space opera trilogy. This series is on my wish list, too.
The Secret Staircase (Hardcover) – Book 3 in the Victorian Village Mystery series. In the middle of renovations, Kate’s contractor finds a secret staircase – and a dead body,
Seven-Year Witch (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Witch Way Librarian series after the delightful Bait and Witch. Sam’s soon-to-be ex-wife goes missing, and Sam is a suspect, which means Josie starts sleuthing. This one is on my review list.

 

REVIEW: I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki

REVIEW: I Am Not Starfire by Mariko Tamaki

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Mandy marches to the beat of her own drum – something that can be hard to do in high school. It’s even harder to do when you live in a spotlight like she does. Mandy’s mother is Starfire, one of the Titans. A superhero. Mandy wants to get through school, maybe go out with a girl like her current crush, and get far away from her mother’s shadow. But Mandy’s peers, the press, and Starfire’s family won’t let her fade into the background.

Review

There are elements of this graphic novel that reflect typical superhero stories – secrets, powers, and battles with evil-doers.

There are also elements that are typical of a coming-of-age story. Mandy feels like the opposite of her mother – and often misunderstood. She wants to be indifferent to it – to the ways people use her for her famous connections – but she’s not. She still feels hurt.

I enjoyed the story. It wasn’t all I was hoping for, though. There were no real surprises. I thought Mandy’s angst was well-conveyed. The budding romance feels more like another arena for conflict rather than a substantial plot thread on its own.

DC fans and Titans fans might enjoy this take on the Titans and the daughter of Starfire. YA fans may enjoy this for the identity and coming-of-age pieces and the exploration of the mother-daughter relationship. I’m not convinced the story does any of those things especially well, and maybe that’s the issue. Maybe it was trying to be too many things, and they all were too shallow for a truly great story. (Language, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ = Good/Solid/Fine

REVIEW: A Fiancée's Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman

REVIEW: A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Frances is already in mixed moods. She’s happy to send her mother away for a few days’ break while she visits Paris. But her mother is taking Frances’ daughter, Rose, and she will be missed. But it turns out for the best when an inspector arrives with a French woman who insists she is married to Frances’ fiancé, George.

Irena Teskey is the illegitimate cousin of the Grand Duke of Russia. She was detained when she tried to get the man’s attention by throwing a rock at him. She insists someone is threatening her, but her stories circle around and go nowhere. She seems wholly unbelievable. But George is called on by the prince himself to check out her story.

George insists the dramatic Irena is prone to extremes, but he is definitely not married to her. Yet he is required to look into her claims while she stays with Frances. Unfortunately, a murder makes it quite clear that Irena was not imagining that she was in danger.

Review

Another fun Countess of Harleigh mystery! I love Frances and George together – as a couple and also as investigators. It’s not often in cozies that the love interest/law enforcement character encourages the sleuth. I think it’s especially unusual for this time period. But it’s refreshing, and I enjoy that aspect of this series.

The case here was stressful. Irena’s claims caused a lot of trouble for Frances and George. And her penchant for drama was getting on my nerves. I enjoyed the ending which caught me by surprise in all the best ways.

Fans and series readers should not miss this one. If you’re not familiar with the series, I think you *could* start here but maybe shouldn’t. There’s some history between Frances and one of the characters that gives their relationship some extra nuance that newcomers might miss. But I don’t think you HAVE to know that history to enjoy the main characters and the mystery here. As I was reading this, it brought to mind the Rosalind Thorne series – fans of those books should check these out, too.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

BOOK NEWS: August 17, 2021

BOOK NEWS: August 17, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

Let’s check out some of the new releases out this week!

Books for Kids

Poultrygeist -The title makes me cackle. Find out what happens to that poor chicken who tries to cross the road.
Pug & Pig and Friends – When the cat who has been tormenting him gets stuck in a tree in a storm, will Pug choose to help?
School of Rock – A picture book version of the movie.
Unraveled – When Cole’s favorite blanket becomes unraveled, Mom saves the day.
Gizmos, Gadgets, and Guitars: The story of Leo Fender – A picture book biography.
Pigskins to Painbrushes: The Story of Football-Playing Artist Earnie Barnes – A picture book biography.
Aven Green Baking Machine – Book 2 in the chapter book series starring the protagonist from Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Klawde: Revenge of the Kitten Queen – Book 6 in the Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat series. (Book 1 – ♥♥♥♥♥) Klawde is looking for allies in his quest to rule the universe while Raj is dealing with his own troubles at school.
The Lost Things Club – From the author of the exceptional Captain Superlative. Leah’s summer with her aunt and uncle is different this year because her cousin TJ is different. Ever since a shooting at his school, TJ has stopped talking. But Leah is determined to connect with her cousin and draw him back out again. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Ashfall Legacy – From the author of I Am Number Four. Syd discovers a device that proves his long-missing, presumed-dead father is still alive. But in his search, Syd discovers something that could destroy his father’s home planet, Denza, as well as Earth – and maybe even the whole universe.
The Endless Skies – A young woman on the verge of becoming the warrior she has always dreamed of being – a protector of winged lion shapeshifters – discovers her friends on a rescue mission are in even more danger than they realize. And she must decide if she is going to stay and become a warrior or leave and try to save her friends.
How We Fall Apart – A group of prep school friends are suspected of murder when a girl who knew all their secrets is killed. Now someone who knows those secrets is incriminating them through the school’s social media app
Redemptor – Book 2 in the Raybearer duology. Tarisai has ascended the throne, but her rule is shaky as assassins try to kill her, her friends grow distant, and a quest to the Underworld awaits her.

 

Books for Adults

Battle Royal (Trade Paperback) – While Sylvie is getting invited to be a judge on the baking show she lost, that means judging with the grouchy chef who ensured her loss. If that wasn’t enough, they are also both drawn into a competition to bake a wedding cake for a princess. This sounds fun!
The Dating Playbook (Trade Paperback) – From the author of The Boyfriend Project. Taylor agrees to help Jamar train to get back into the NFL, but they have to keep it a secret, so they decide to fake date. I love that this is something of a companion book to The Boyfriend Project. And I love fake dating stories. This is on my review list
The Exiled Fleet (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in The Divide series after The Last Watch. Adequin and her soldiers that no one wanted may be the galaxy’s only chance of survival. I have both of these books on my wish list.
Husband Auditions (Trade Paperback) – Feeling like the last single person around, Meri decides to try the recommendations in a 1950s article about finding a husband. And she agrees to let her friend Kai film her efforts as he tries to catch a break in his career. And Meri Me quickly goes viral. But Kai starts to wonder if he wants Meri to find love with anyone but him.
Star Trek Picard: Rogue Elements (Hardcover) – The third book in the Star Trek Picard book line after The Last Best Hope and The Dark Veil provides backstory to one of my favorite characters, Rios. We have already pre-ordered this one. I am behind on my Star Trek reading, but my husband has enjoyed the first two books.
40 Days on Being a Five AND 40 Days on Being a Six (Hardcover devotional) – The latest releases in the Enneagram devotional line from Suzanne Stabile and friends. I *loved* the version for my number and highly recommend these.
Sweet Jesus, Is It June Yet?: 10 Ways the Gospels Can Help You Combat Teacher Burnout and Rediscover a Passion for Teaching (August 20, Trade Paperback) – A Gospel-centered resource to help teachers battle burnout.

REVIEW: I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Graphic Novel) by Lauren Tarshis

REVIEW: I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Graphic Novel) by Lauren Tarshis

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Edelweiss and Scholastic Graphix in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lucas is a football player. But after a significant concussion – his third in 2 years – his parents decide he shouldn’t  play any more for his own safety. But Lucas decides to appeal to his “Uncle” Benny. Benny is Lucas’s dad’s best friend at the firehouse. Benny stepped up and helped Lucas’s family when his dad was hurt in a fire. He got Lucas into football in the first place. So Lucas cuts school on the morning of September 11, 2001 to talk to Benny.

While Lucas and Benny are near the firehouse, talking, the first plane hits the World Trade Center. As the firefighters head to the site and Lucas watches the news at the firehouse, the second plane hits. Lucas is alone at the station. He can’t get a call out to either of his parents. What should Lucas do next?

Review

This is excellent! The story is full, giving context to Lucas being in the city on a school day as well as giving football book-ends to the more serious pieces of the story. The basics of 9/11 are covered honestly, straightforwardly, with details that are appropriate for young readers.

The author includes her 9/11 story, told in comic panels at the end of the book. Other information about 9/11 and the aftermath is included in the backmatter. The artwork is stellar! Easy to follow, conveying the details of the scenes well.

September 11th, 2001, changed everything. And kids today were born into that changed world. They have questions about what happened that day. With the 20th anniversary coming up, this will be a great resource to answer some of their questions. I highly recommend this one for graphic novel fans, fans of the I Survived series, and kids curious to know more about this significant historical event.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt

REVIEW: Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

While out walking their dogs, Andy and Laurie see a man yelling at and kicking his pug. As they move toward the scene, another man comes up and punches the abuser until he is down. When the police arrive, the hero and the abuser get arrested.

The dog’s hero is Matt Jantzen. And Matt is wanted for a double murder in Maine. Andy wants to help the guy, but he can’t find a Maine lawyer willing to take on the case. So Andy, Laurie, and the rest of their investigative team head to the land of lobster rolls for the trial.

Review

This is a great mystery in this fantastic series. I love the humor and snark in this series. The mystery in this one keeps you guessing all the way to the end. I loved the change of setting for this. It introduced a few new characters in addition to Andy’s usual team, including a new dog, which is always fun.

Mystery lovers, dog lovers, and readers who enjoy courtroom dramas should not miss this series. The court case starts a little later than usual in this book which made for another nice change of pace. I enjoyed the ways Rosenfelt changed things up for this novel.

I find this to be a series you can start in the middle without much issue. My first Andy Carpenter book was The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (♥♥♥♥♥), which is the 15th book in the series. (This is #23.) I loved the book, but I was intrigued by the team and had to go back to the beginning to see how it all came together. I think newcomers could easily start with this book and then go back and pick up some of the earlier titles as well as checking out the spin-off series, The K-Team. Some of my Andy Carpenter favorites are The Twelve Dogs of Christmas as well as  Bury the Lead (♥♥♥♥♥), and Play Dead (♥♥♥♥♥). The second K-Team book, Animal Instinct, is also terrific. Check them out! Book 24 in the Andy Carpenter series, Best in Snow, will be out this October, and I’ll be reviewing it then.  (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might-re-read

BOOK NEWS: August 10, 2021

BOOK NEWS: August 10, 2021

Posted on by Jaymie

Here are some of the new books releasing this week!

Books for Kids

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum: I Am Mary Shelley – The latest leveled reader from the Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum series.
Pizza and Taco: Super-Awesome Comic – Pizza and Taco create their own comic.

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults

Elfie Unperfect – From the author of the AMAZING Annie’s Life in Lists. Elfie thinks she has found the perfect school where she will finally fit in, but she gets expelled on the first day and has to make the best of 5th grade at her old school. I have already pre-ordered this one.
Hope Springs – While Jubilee and her grandmother rarely stay anywhere for long, their stay in Hope Springs just might be different as Jubilee makes some real friends and finds a cause worth fighting for. This is on my wish list for this week.
The Renegade Reporters – Three girls who are kicked off their school news crew decide to start their own when they stumble on a huge story. This is on my list, too!
World Champions: A Max Einstein Adventure (Older Middle Grade) – Book 4 in the Max Einstein series. A powerful group tries to stop Max and her friends from their work to save the world.
Heartless Heirs – A sequel to Twin Daggers from the folks at Blink YA. This is a sci-fi/fantasy/romance/royalty/sisters story that I cannot wait to read! I have book 1 on my wish list.
How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe – Traveling and working in influencer circles leaves Moon feeling like a wallflower, but a love-to-hate-him relationship might change how she views herself.

Books for Adults

Death & Sensibility (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Jane Austen Society Mystery series after Pride, Prejudice and Poison. When the featured speaker at a Jane Austen conference dies, Erin finds it suspicious and starts asking questions.
Dust to Dust (Hardcover) – Book 2 in the Ivy Nichols Mystery series after Murder at Hotel 1911. Ivy wants to prove the hotel manager, Mr. Figg, innocent when he is accused of murder. I am eager to check out this series!
Miss Lattimore’s Letter (Trade Paperback) – An unexpected matchmaker finds her own romantic situation challenging when her ex and her client both seem to be interested in her.  This one is on my review list.
One for the Hooks (Hardcover) – Book 14 in the Crochet Mystery series. Molly and her crochet pals are investigating when someone dies  because a drone dropped seafood shells on someone with a severe allergy. It looks like the series might have been given a new cover designer recently, and I love the change. This cover would get me to pick this book up even though I don’t crochet and I haven’t read the first 13 books.
Scone of Contention (Hardcover) – Book 13 in the Key West Food Critic Mystery series. Hayley is sleuthing in Scotland when her honeymoon trip becomes a family outing and her new sister-in-law and her friends seem to be tied to a recent death.
She Wouldn’t Change a Thing (Hardcover) – A wife and mother finds herself with a second chance at life when she wakes up as her 17-year-old self. But can she change a tragedy she knows is coming while not losing any of the life she loves in the future?
Still Life and Death (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Shepherd Sisters Mystery series after Out of the Picture (♥♥♥♥½) and Behind the Frame (♥♥♥♥). Savanna’s uncle takes a job at the flower shop where she is teaching an art class, but he stumbles across a murder that sets the Shepherd sisters sleuthing again. Looking forward to this one!
Wait for It (Trade Paperback) – A new stand alone romance from the always delightful Jenn McKinlay. A young woman desperate for a fresh start rents a guest house from a “crabby old man” who turns out to be a good-looking guy her own age who is working through his own pain. This is on my review list.
Baptized in Tear Gas: From White Moderate to Abolitionist (Trade Paperback) – A self-described former “white moderate” who cared about social justice but not as much as keeping the “peace” shares her story of revelation and transformation.
The Secrets of Lego House (Hardcover) – A coffee-table book for Lego fans about the home of Lego.