Wonderfultales from the Land of the Seven Kingdoms by George William Van Sise

 

This is a great book to read with the family. There are 20 short stories or Fables from the world of fantasy. By being told by a narrator it brought me into the stories like I were a child. None of the stories are long but they are very well told.

I truly enjoyed this book.

I was given this book by NetGalley and BooksGoSocial in exchange for my honest opinion. All comments are my own. 

Confessions of a Curious Bookseller by Elizabeth Green

 

I enjoyed this book. Confessions of a Curious Bookseller tells the story of a daughter who tries to live up to her father's expectations for her. Fern is a nerdy by engaging bookstore owner who is facing changes all around herself. She considers her store to be a part of her home and her employees are more friends and family than workers. So when a bigger store comes not only to her town but to her block Fern has to find a way to survive. 

The story is told in a series of emails between Fern and her employees, family, the owner of the new store and all she deals with. You find out about her through these emails, her pen pal and diary entries. 

Elizabeth Green wrote a cute, easy-to-read story.

I was given this book by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 

The Last Bathing Beauty Amy Sue Nathan

This is such a heartwarming book. It takes place in 1951 at South Haven, Michigan. At this time there were Jewish summer camps in the Catskills of the Midwest. Girls looked forward to this time every year. This would be a time of change for Betty Stern.
Amy Sue Nathan writes with such feeling and her descriptions were such that I felt like I was there with the characters. By using the past and the present, switching back and forth I felt like it helped add depth to the story. It is filled with summertime, family, friends, secrets, love and more.
I enjoyed this book as a book of second chances which shows the impact people can have on our lives.
I was given this book by NetGalley and Lake Untion Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Secret of the Shamrock

This book helps kids learn about the life of Saints. In this book Patrick gets in trouble so he and his family become a part of the Saturday cleaning team. Before he really gets started though he goes back in time where he meet St. Patrick
This is an engaging book for children to read. I know that I enjoyed it also.

Book review: Cupcakes for Christmas

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I always enjoy a fun Christmas book and when it is mixed with cupcakes, who can say no?
This is a part of a series but I was able to read, understand and enjoy it even though I had not read the other books in the series.
Olivia James owns a tea and sweet shop which had previously been her mother. Olivia has been enjoying the adventure of running this little shop by herself and experimenting with different flavors. When Simon Blacklock comes across this shop she finds she enjoys his personality. At the end of the visit, after he promised he would be back, she found herself looking forward to his next time.
I enjoyed both of the main characters of this book and the way Hewitt has them meet made my heart swell. This does not mean that all went smoothly for the two. The author was able to create realistic issues that they both have to deal with, which make them stronger in the end. I will try to read more books by this author in the future.





Cupcakes for Christmas is the type of book that is just as much heartbreaking as it is heartwarming. The couple within this story were both immediately likable and their meeting and getting to know one another quite sweet. Both however have issues in their lives that are quite heartbreaking and bringing that into each other’s lives only made them seem stronger so overall I found this quite the touching read with a bit heavier subject matter.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Book Review: Camp Rolling Hills 2

I was given this book by Abram kids in exchange for my honest review:
The first Camp Rolling Hills book was a huge success with me and this one, Crossing Over. is just as good.
Each of the characters in this book are well-rounded and Davidowitz does a great job writing each one. I could relate to the issues that each character faced. Once again I highly recommend this book whether a child has been to camp or not. It is a great book.

Book Review: Camp Rolling Hills 1

I was given this book by NetGalley and Abrams kids in exchange for my honest review. This was such a fun book. It made me wish for my summer camp days again. This book is filled with all the things you find at camp, fun, friends, songs and more. The author, Stacy Davidowitz has the talent to share the emotions and relationships which occur at camp. This would be a great book for any child to read, whether they have ever been to a summer camp or not. This book is rated my highest rating: 5 stars

Book Review: What She Knew

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Liz Nabor has vast success in the finance world, a world that used to be ruled by men. When the Madoff scandal erupted her career crumbles.
Then she discovers not all of her relationships were what she thought.
Through this book, I was pleased that Liz hung to her beliefs, even when she came to terms with things from her past. The way she grew throughout the book made me have a heart for her. Plus the author help me to see the different people who were touched by the upset of the financial world.
I felt the author was able to open my eyes a little more to this world. Even though I went into this book with trepidation, as this world is one I wanted to close my eyes to, the author helped me see what all was happening. This was a very good book.

Book Review: The House by the Lake

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
The House by the Lake takes the reader from the 1930s to today as the main character, Anna has her world disrupted. Her grandfather, Max, shares a secret with Anna. She is a member of an aristocratic family. During World War II they lost everything and Max left behind something that was very precious to him. Now he tasks Anna with finding it.
Anna is filled with questions. What could be so important and why was it hidden. As she is on her quest she finds Wil. Wil is someone that may be able to help her solve this mystery. Together they discover that the secrets are more than they thought.
I found myself torn throughout this book. At times I wondered, along with Anna, why her grandfather would give this mission to her. Then I would turn around and praise Anna bravery and tenacity.
This is a fascinating book and shows a side of the war that it helps to read about.
I highly recommend this book.

Book Review: The Rejected Writers' Book Club Suzanne Kelman

 I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Janet Johnson is a librarian who, reluctantly, went to a meeting of the Rejected Writers' Book Club. This group of women love looking at each others manuscripts while having tea and lemon cake. None of them actually seem truly interested in publishing their books. This group gave Janet just what she needed after moving to Southlea Bay, Washington, a nice group of friends. At one of the meetings, the ladies were preparing to celebrate the five hundredth rejection letter in the group, when they received bad news. They all decide to travel to San Francisco to look for a secret. They come across many different dangers along the way.
If you have been reading this blog for a while you know that if a book mentions books, libraries or other such deliciousness I will request to review it.
I found this charming book to be so much fun to read. It was a little slow to start but soon the craziness comes along. I know that I will pick up this book again and again when I need some zaniness in my life.


situational-humor, verbal-humor, bad-puns, family-dynamics, friendship, women-s-fiction, whispersync
This is the very book you need on a bad day or after a really lousy shift! The characters certainly are and the interactions will have you laughing in spite of yourself. The publisher's blurb gives hints but doesn't begin to prepare you for all of the fun!
situational-humor, verbal-humor, bad-puns, family-dynamics, friendship, women-s-fiction, whispersync
This is the very book you need on a bad day or after a really lousy shift! The characters certainly are and the interactions will have you laughing in spite of yourself. The publisher's blurb gives hints but doesn't begin to prepare you for all of the fun!

Book Review: Waterloo, Waterloo

I was given this book by Endeavor Press and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this book. The characters were so realistic, crazy and outrageous. The story is tragic, funny and filled with pathos. The satirical humor can be found throughout and will have the reader laughing as they read.
The story is told from each person's inner voice. The story looks at ordinary life with a family that is anything but perfect. If looking close, the readers may find themselves or those of others in the characters.
This is a great read and I highly recommend it.

Book Review: Thief of Corinth

I was given this book by Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.
Set in Corinth this book, The Thief of Corinth, tells the story of Ariadne. She leaves her father's home and finds that Galenos has been a thief of great renown. Ariadne chooses to keep him safe even if it mean her life is in ruins.
This is a beautifully told story which includes the story of Lydia. I loved "living" in that time for a while. I have now become a fan of Tessa Afshar and will be reading more of her books in the future.

Book Review: Lone Witness

I was given this book by Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.
Sophie Dawson has just started working as a prosecutor in the White Collar division in Fulton County. Her first case is to investigate a bank employee who may be cheating customers. Soon she finds that she is the sole witness to a double homicide. This was not what she was expecting, at all.
Cooper Knight, a former police office and now a private security guard has accepted a job of keeping Sophie safe.
Before long, neither of them know who they can trust.
This book places the reader inside both of these legal professions. Dylan has created characters which are strong and complex.
This is the second book in the series. The characters from the first book show up as secondary characters. The third book in this series is due out in 2019.

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Book Review: She was the Quiet One

Rose and Bel Enright are twin sisters who are going to an elite boarding school in New Hampshire. These twins are very different and the school brings out the competitive spirit in them. In this school the students seem to have no rules that they feel they nee to listen to which can only lead to bad ends.
Sarah Donovan's husband is a teacher who wants to go places and wants the very best for their family. Sarah is now starting to see a side of her husband that she never saw before. Then there is a murder, but the question is who is responsible and who will speak the truth.
This book kept pulling me back. I have to say it was a little dark for me, which generally is not my preference. However, I needed to find the answers to the questions that kept popping up. It is very well written and the characters are interesting, it just was not my cup of tea.

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Book Review: Midnight At The Bright Ideas Bookstore

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This book had many factors in its favor before I even opened the cover. First of all, it has books and a bookstore in it and it is a murder mystery.

Lydia Smith does not like the spotlight. A clerk at The Bright Ideas bookstore, she knows many of the patrons like she does her books. The regulars are called BookFrogs. They spend each day losing themselves in this warm surrounding.

Lydia discovers the body of Joey Molina, a BookFrog, and her life is suddenly changed. He left her all of his goods, including his books which are damaged in ways that she cannot understand. Going through his things have brought to light her past.

I loved this book. As I was reading it I could see myself inside this bookstore, enjoying every minute of it. As a mystery, I felt myself being pulled in, in a good way, wanting to bring all the thread of the story together. Each character was complex and well written. A very good book. 

This book can be found on Amazon

or 

Barnes and Noble

Book Review: The Nearness of You

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Set in 1952, The Nearness of You is a post-war novel.Lily Denton longs to go to New York City, however, her father is protective of his girl and would like her nearby. She works in the library day-by-day. It seems her routine will never change. then The Fall Festival comes along with the tourists it brings and adventure.
Boone Tatum is a photographer who seems to attract trouble. He meets Lily and his life changes. He wants to stay here and not go wandering anymore.
Lily now has to make some decisions about a new life.
Dorothy Garlock writes romance novels that can place the reader right in the middle of the story. I like how she can make a love story grow naturally without a lot of silliness.
I truly enjoyed this book.

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Book Review: Girl on the Leeside

Such a moving book. This is the story of Siobhan Doyle, who was raised by her Uncle Kee. Her mother was killed in an IRA bombing which has led Kee to be protective of Siobhan. These two share a love for the lough, the Leeside, their pub, and Irish poetry.
Kee come home filled with the exciting news that a literary scholar from America is coming to stay. This fills Siobhan with mixed feelings. She has no love for Americans and does not want someone to come and destroy her idyllic life.When he appears Siobhan realizes that there is so much more life away from Leeside and her uncle. Then she discovers that her father is still alive. Now she is filled with questions when it comes to her future.
This book grabbed me from the prologue and the introduction of Kee and his sister's mother and their early life. This gave me a feeling of truly knowing this family and to feel the ties that Kee and Siobhan would have.
The author was able to create a world that was so well-written that I could visually the world surrounding Kee and Siobhan without any effort. Plus the poetry that is inserted effortlessly throughout helps further draw the reader into the magical world that is Ireland.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I give it a high recommendation.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Book Review: Dressed for Death

Dressed for Death is the fourth book in the Drew Farthering Mystery Books. The Fartherings went to a Regency era costume party to celebrate being married for 6 months. While there they come upon Talbot Cummins and Alice, his fiancee, who seem less that happy. During the ball, Alice dies from overdosing on cocaine. The question is did she take it herself or was it murder.
I found the characters to be fun to read and share the adventure with plus I loved the Christian message behind the entire story. There were sections that were slow but by sticking with it, I found the twists and turns to make this a good mystery.

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Book Review: The Push

This is a children's book about friendship. I say that it is written for children but I believe that there is a message in there for everyone. It is based on the story of real-life friends Patrick Gray and Justin Skeesuck, who wrote I'll Push You.
In this story, Marcus moves next to John and the two of them became friends almost immediately. The two become inseparable. Where ever and what ever they do, Marcus helps John but having a great sense of  humor and providing the fuel to push John's wheelchair.
I was given this book by Tyndale in exchange for my honest review. However, even if that were not the case, I would have purchased this book for my grandchildren, after I read I'll Push You. Excellent book and I highly recommend it for every family and classroom.

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Book Review: Blind Betrayal

Blind Betrayal is the third book in the Defenders of Justice Series by Nancy Mehl.
Casey Sloan has been in the St. Louis U.S. Marshals Office for a couple of years. Now she is assigned the duty of escorting a reporter to Washington. He is to testify about an environmentalist who vanished. In addition to this, Casey discovers that the Marshal's Office has been under attack and now placed on high alert. Now Casey, the reporter and two other marshals are running while tryingt o keep the reporter safe.
This is the first of the series I have read and it surprised me how quickly I became engrossed in the writing. There is plenty of suspense to keep you reading and the characters were easy to catch up with. Each character has a distinct personality and background which helped make me invested in them.
I will need to pick up the first book in the series so that I can find out what has happened up to now. Excellent book.
I was given this book by Bethany House Publishing in exchange for my honest review.
This book may be found at Amazon HERE!
Christian Book Distributors HERE
or Barnes and Noble HERE

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