Our honorable mentions for 2023:
A Brush with Murder by Bailee Abbott; A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams; Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams; Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander; The Inheritance Games series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes; Every Little Kindness by Marta Bartolj; Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry; 100 Things to do in Peoria before You Die by Molly Crusen Bishop; Survival of the Fritters by Ginger Bolton; The Diviners by Libba Bray; Assault and Pepper by Leslie Budewitz; Love, Clancy: Diary of a Good Dog by W. Bruce Cameron; The Hidden One by Linda Castillo; In Plain Sight by Ross Coulthart; Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar; Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson; How Y'all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well Lived by Leslie Jordan; Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers: How Animals Adapt in Winter by Jessica Kulekjian; Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson; Animals in Pants by Suzy Levinson; From a Far and Lovely Country by Alexander McCall Smith; Marmee: a novel by Sarah Miller; Shy Willow by Cat Min; Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry; Spare by Prince Harry; Lola and the Tree of Life by Susan Reising; Sister Roar: Claim Your Authentic Voice, Embrace Real Freedom, and Discover True Sisterhood by Kay Robertson; A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril; A Parliament of Owls by Devin Scillian; Someone Knows by Lisa Scottoline; The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear. Happy New Year! We'll have new book reviews up two weeks from today!
0 Comments
Charlotte Pitt’s clever grandmother investigates the sudden disappearance of her dear friend in this chilling holiday whodunit by New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry. Mariah Ellison, Charlotte Pitt’s grandmother, accepts her longtime friend Sadie’s gracious invitation to spend Christmas with her and her husband, Barton, in their picturesque village. But upon arrival, Mariah discovers that Sadie has vanished without a trace, and Barton rudely rescinds the invitation. Once Mariah finds another acquaintance to stay with during the holiday season, she begins investigating Sadie’s disappearance. Mariah’s uncanny knack for solving mysteries serves her well during her search, which is driven by gossip as icy as the December weather. Did Sadie run off with another man? Was she kidnapped? Has someone harmed her? Frustratingly, Mariah’s questions reveal more about the villagers themselves than about her friend’s whereabouts. Yet in the process of getting to know Sadie’s neighbors, Mariah finds a kind of redemption, as she rediscovers her kinder side, and her ability to love. It is up to Mariah to master her own feelings, drown out the noise, and get to the bottom of what occurred, all before Christmas day. With the holiday rapidly approaching, will she succeed in bringing Sadie home in time for them to celebrate it together—or is that too much to hope for? Read a review by Debra Blunier:
Ahoy! A spectacular Christmas boat parade is underway! Count up to ten as the dazzling crafts bob pass . . . but wait! Where is Santa and his reindeer? Surely, they aren't missing the parade? Never fear, little mariners, Santa simply has a surprise in store. With backmatter on the bevy of boats featured! Read a review by Gennifer King:
In this third installment of Claire Kells’s thrilling National Park mystery series, Investigative Services Branch agent Felicity Harland ventures through volcanic wilderness to investigate a murder at a new hike-in lodge at Pinnacles National Park. When a guest turns up dead at the newly opened Pinnacles Grand Hotel, ISB agent Felicity Harland finds herself summoned to a peculiar scene. A gentle breeze blows in from the balcony window, belying the violence of a man stabbed to death in his hotel room. It’s clear to Harland that this murder was personal, especially when the victim’s wife admits that she wanted him dead. But Harland isn’t so sure that this was a domestic dispute gone bad. When she hears about the Park Service searching for a missing person out on the trails, she sets out with her partner, Ferdinand “Hux” Huxley, to see if the two cases are connected. As Harland and Hux take on the rocky, exposed terrain of California’s ancient volcanic wonderland, they soon realize that the mystery at the Pinnacles Grand is not at all what it seems—and that a predator may be closing in. Read a review by Debra Blunier:
Stephen Leeds is perfectly sane. It’s his hallucinations who are mad. A genius of unrivaled aptitude, Stephen can learn any new skill, vocation, or art in a matter of hours. However, to contain all of this, his mind creates hallucinatory people—Stephen calls them aspects—to hold and manifest the information. Wherever he goes, he is joined by a team of imaginary experts to give advice, interpretation, and explanation. He uses them to solve problems. . .for a price. His brain is getting a little crowded and the aspects have a tendency of taking on lives of their own. When a company hires him to recover stolen property—a camera that can allegedly take pictures of the past—Stephen finds himself in an adventure crossing oceans and fighting terrorists. What he discovers may upend the foundation of three major world religions—and, perhaps, give him a vital clue into the true nature of his aspects. Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds includes the novellas Legion and Legion: Skin Deep, published together for the first time, as well as a brand-new, shocking finale to Stephen Leeds' story, Lies of the Beholder. Read a review by Nikki Smith:
A poetic and informative exploration of the many ways animals face the challenges of winter. When the autumn days grow shorter and the temperatures cool, animals prepare for winter. Some, the hiders, choose a place to rest and wait out the winter, hibernating under the ground or snuggling in a sheltered spot. Other creatures are seekers, migrating to new locations where the weather is milder and the food sources more plentiful. And then there are the finders, who keep warm and fed by adapting to the new conditions. Every animal knows just what to do — following an ingenious plan that’s just right for them! Jessica Kulekjian’s lyrical informational picture book uses expressive text supplemented with sidebars to explain how different animals survive winter. While the compelling narrative tells the bigger story, the sidebars provide fascinating information about specific winter animal behaviors — for example, how box turtles lower their heart rates, and monarch butterflies travel all the way to Mexico! Salini Perera’s stunning illustrations show the concepts in detail and provide a visual story, featuring a father and a child, that evocatively traces the subtle changes in the landscape from late fall to early spring. Grouping the animals into three categories makes for easier comprehension of topics such as hibernation, migration and adaptation. Back matter contains a guide to tracking prints in the snow, an author’s note and a list of resources. There are strong links here to primary grades’ earth and life sciences curriculums. This is also a perfect read-aloud for a snowy day! Read a review by Gennifer King:
1885: London, England. When Violet's Aunt Adelia decides to abscond with her newest paramour, she leaves behind her role as the most popular Agony Aunt in London, "Miss Hermione," in Violet's hands. And of course, the first letter Violet receives is full, not of prissy pondering, but of portent. Ivy Armstrong is in need of help and fears for her life. But when Violet visits the village where the letters were posted, she finds that Ivy is already dead. She'll quickly discover that when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, both marauding husbands and murder are par for the course. Read a review by Debra Blunier:
Terry Pratchett’s fantasy classic Wyrd Sisters, a novel in the bestselling Discworld series, is the story of Granny Weatherwax, the most highly regarded non-leader a coven of non-social witches could ever have. Generally, these loners don't get involved in anything, mush less royal intrigue. but then there are those times they can't help it. As Granny Weatherwax is about to discover, though, it's a lot harder to stir up trouble in the castle than some theatrical types would have you think. Even when you've got a few unexpected spells up your sleeve. Granny Weatherwax teams with two other witches—Nanny Ogg and Margat Garlick—as an unlikely alliance to save a prince and restore him to the throne of Lancre, in a tale that borrows—or is it parodies—some of William Shakespeare's best-loved works. Read a review by Nikki Smith:
Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves? With fancifully detailed artwork and visual humor, debut picture-book creator Flavia Z. Drago’s vivid illustrations tell a sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship that is sure to be a treat for little ghouls and goblins everywhere. Read a review by Gennifer King:
Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees. But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse. If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing. Read a review by Cindy O'Neill:
|
AuthorsEPLD staff. Archives
March 2024
Categories |