The Fabled Stables: Trouble with Tattle-Tails by Jonathan Auxier

Here is another fun read!  Auggie takes care of the creatures in the Fabled Stables.  He has one that is new that he can't converse with.  While he's trying to determine what to do next, there's a loud boom!  The stable has added another space for a new animal.

Amulet Books sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

When he and his friends go into town, it's almost deserted.  He calls out and the mayor steps out of the alley.  She has a tail!  And it tattles on her.  Soon he finds everyone in town has one.  While he's looking and trying to figure out how to get rid of them, he suddenly has a tail too!

Eventually he gets it down to one tail and he takes to the stable.  It doesn't want to be bored, so he introduces it to the creature who won't speak.  There's no lack of conversation anymore...

Big Foot and Little Foot: The Gremlin's Shoes by Ellen Potter

This one is a fun read!  Boone is friends with Hugo, a Sasquatch.  They go on adventures together.

Amulet Books sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

They find out that Mad Marvin is coming to the toy shop so they wait to see him.  He's selling Marvelous Monster Magnets.  You blow in the slot and it makes the monster come to you.  But it costs twenty-five nubbins and they don't have the money.

They leave and hear something coming through the bushes.  It's a moose with a Sasquatch on his back. The Sasquatch gives them a chore to do for him to earn the money.  It has strange directions but they start out after it.  They are looking for a treasure box.  They manage to play along the way.  And they do  find the treasure box.  

There's a special twist at the end of this story that is a nice touch.  Children will read this one more than once.

Saint Ivy: Kind at all Costs by Laurie Morrison

Ivy works very hard at being kind to people.  But not everybody is kind to Ivy.

Amulet Books sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Ivy has a lot of friends but some she was close to in the past are no longer that close.  She starts getting emails from someone but they don't identify themselves.  She writes to them and tries to figure out who is writing them.  They know her.  Who could it be?

Her parents got divorced and her dad now lives with a man.  She likes them both.  Her mother is having a baby for a couple that can't conceive.  That's a bit hard for Ivy and her brother to understand.

Then Ivy gets in fights with some of her friends and you aren't sure if they are going to get back together again or not.

There's lot of drama in Ivy's life.  She tries to be kind but it doesn't always work.  You just hope things will settle down and everyone will be happy and content.

Poison Priestess by Lana Popovic

She came from being very poor to a marriage, where she had a comfortable way of life.  But her husband gambled and lost their money and their goods were being stripped.  She had to find another way to live.

Amulet Books sent me this book to read for review (thank you).  It has beeen published, so you can get a copy now.

She discovered that she can see the future in people's palms.  She soon has a going business in palm reading.  She also finds a female friend from her childhood to work with.  At this point in her life, they are more than friends and she moves in with her.

She goes on with palm reading, then starts doing black masses.  She rises higher in the society with these skills.  Then she meets a magician and they begin working together.

She even creates poisons to get rid of cruel people, but she doesn't like doing this.  As time goes on, she gets caught up in many schemes and then the cops are after her for the poisonings.

Will she be able to explain this or will she go to jail? 

This was a fascinating read.  And she had a plan but you aren't sure if it will work.  You'll have to read it and see.  It was a good fantasy.

The Anglophile's Notebook by Sunday Taylor

This is the story of a woman who is trying to find info about Charlotte Bronte.  She wants to write about her life and how she became an author.

The author provided me a copy of the book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

Claire even goes from the states to England to fine more resources.  She finds more than one source of reference and she's in heaven.  Lots of information about her author!

Besides following the paperwork of Charlotte, she meets people she gets along well with.  She also finds out that the business trips her husband takes are aren't really business.  He meets his lover.  Since she met a man she likes in England, she decides to divorce.

Claire has several successes and failures in England.  She almost loses the man she met and liked.  She makes a discovery that rattles her to her core.  Her father isn't her father.  Can she find the man who is?

This was good read with all sorts of things going.  Her husband shows up and wants to reconcile.  She won't.  She finds her father.  She finds a short story that Charlotte wrote.  

You aren't sure how things are going to turn out for her but she'll live with it whatever it becomes.

The author's words flow smoothly, the story is intriguing, and it''s a good read.

Musings of an Ostrich Farmer by George Pintar

This book is filled with memories.  There are nine chapters and each relates a short story.

Sinuate Media gave me this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

These stories are like little vignettes.  Each tells a complete tale and they take you back in time.  

The author talks about his mother and father and other people he's known in life.  The stories are interesting and if you're a little older, you might have some of your own tales at that time period.

This is a nice sample of family stories.  The stories are short so you can read them fairly quickly and then think about what you've read.  I enjoyed it.

A New Peek at the Old West Country by George Pintar

Chile Charlie takes another trip in New Mexico to learn about the different counties and their history.  This is a fictional story with lots of historical facts.

Sinuate Media shared this book with me so I could write a review (thank you).  The book has been published and you can get a copy now.

When my husband and I moved down here, we visited a lot of ghost towns.  This book has good facts about the growth and development of cities and when the mines ran out, the town died.  This is a handy shot of history in a format that is fun to read.

The counties covered are:  Hildago, Catron, Luna, Grant, and Sierra.  This is a way you can visit this area from your armchair.  I'd recommend a physical visit, though.  Then you can see the facts up close.

There are quite a few museums or history spots you can visit.  We visited the courthouse where they held Billy the Kid for trial.  

This state has lots of history and Mr. Pintar gives you plenty to think about.

When is it Too Late? by George Pintar

This is a fictional story written with facts of the past.  It's a very good way to learn more about the history of New Mexico.

Sinuate Media gave me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  This has been published and you can get a copy now.

Chile Charlie is introduced to you in this book.  He's visiting Madrid and trying to find out how five men were found dead in a ditch.  He learns a lot more than that...

First you learn about the incident that ended in death.  Then you go through the early years of Madrid before it became a ghost town.

The men who settled there were strong in body and mind.  They had differing opinions but they just stated why they felt the way they do.  Slavery was big discussion.

Almost by accident Chile finds the answer to his question.

This is a very close look at the town of Madrid and it's history.  I liked finding all the info in one place.  This is a good read.

My Story Friend by Kalli Dakos

No one wants to take the time to listen to his story.  He wants to share it with someone...  

Magination Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on May 25th.

He finally finds an old lady that agrees to listen.  She tells stories, too.  So they share stories between themselves.  He began with a sad story but her stories weren't sad and, soon, his aren't either.  They have a great time together until the day he goes to visit and finds she doesn't live there anymore.  He'll have to find him another story teller!

The Grumpy Frumpy Croissant by Mona K

The croissant is part of the breakfast group.  There is a scone and toast as well as milk that waits on the table.  The croissant gets mad when the toast and scone are out on the plate.  There's no room for him!

Canoe Tree Press and P R by the Book sent me this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

He gets so mad his butter starts melting.  When milk asks him what's wrong he tells him but the scone and the toast have their complaints about him, too.

Milk suggests they get them selves some milk and have a drink and breath deep for ten times.  It works, everyone feels better.

There's a croissant recipe at the back of the with a couple of coloring pages for your child, too.  This is a good way to deal with anger management.  Deep breaths do help.

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones, Series: Sunshine Vicram Series (#2)

Sunshine is a police chief in a small town.  She had a bad time in her life back when she was young.  That's why she has a daughter now.  But she doesn't remember what happened.

St. Martins Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 27th.

Sunny's daughter is just like her.  While Mom is trying to take  care of a bar fight gone bad, her daughter is searching for a serial killer.  She decides it's an old lady and takes her boyfriend and best friend with her when she's ready to break in and look for proof.

The first time is not a problem but the second time she gets in the middle of a fight and ends up with a head wound.  Her boyfriend has been knifed so neither is in good shape.

Then Sunny remembers her attack.  There were several men involved, including one she loves.

There are all kinds of tricks and lies to keep her away from the truth but she keeps pushing and eventually gets to the truth.

There is a lot happening and Mom and daughter both have things to adjust, too.  It was an interesting read.

Much Ado about Nauticaling by Gabby Allan, Series: A Whit and Whiskers Mystery (#1)

While they are giving a tour in their glass bottom boat, they get a surprise when they go dock.  A body floats across the glass bottom...

Kensington and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 27th.

There are lots of suspects.  He was married and Whitney thinks his wife may have been the killer.  But the police take her brother in.  The chief wants to end the case quickly and he thinks Nick makes a good suspect.

Whitney is trying to help her brother and she has several suspects, almost all women.  She asks lots of questions and tries to follow the path of the killer.

She finally gets her brother to stop hiding and turn himself in.  

Then she realizes that she knows who did it.  There was another murder and it gave her the final clue in the case.  Unfortunately, she sent that woman off with her brother.  He was going to fly her off the island.

Will she get there in time to save her brother?

A Place Like Home : Short Stories by Rosamunde Pilcher

This is an anthology of fifteen short stories by the author.   They have not been published by book before.

St Martin's Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 27th.

These stories are all stories of romance.  Sometimes it was a romance that resulted in breaking up.  Then they meet later and decide they still love each other.  Sometimes it's new romance.  And sometimes it's a familiar path of love.

Each story is well put together.  The author has a way of making you care about her characters.

This is the first new book for for Ms. Pilcher in a while.  It's a good read.

Butcher Pen Road by Kris Lackey, Series: The Bill Maytubby and Hannah Bond Mysteries (#3)

A deaf boy finds a dead body.  His mother calls the police and it takes them a bit to identify him.

Blackstone Publishing and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 13th.

Maytubby and Bond work the case together.  There are other police jurisdictions involved, too.

This turns into a complicated case.

The boy was selling hides to a guy who sold them for booze.  They find a foot doctor who is perpetrating fraud.  They learn about a bunch more men involved in the doctor's scheme.

Then one of the men is going after the boy who found the body.  They have to try to protect him and his mother as well as bring in the bad guys.

Not everything goes as planned and it gets to be quite a dangerous quest. Will the cops win or the bad guys?

Dinosaurs Before Dark Graphic Novel by Mary Pope Osborne, Jenny Laird, Kelly Matthews, Nichole Matthews: Series: Magic Tree House

Jack and Annie are playing outside when Annie finds a treehouse.  Jack tries to keep her safe but she goes up the ladder anyway.  She finds it's full of books.  That's enough to get Jack up there, too.

Random House Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It has already been published and you can get a copy now.

Jack was looking at a dinosaur book when he wished he could be there.  The treehouse starts moving and they find themselves there.  They have time travelled back to when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Annie is fearless and goes out and makes friends with two of the dinosaurs.  Then a T-rex shows up.  While the others ate plants, he ate meat.  So Annie and Jack run from him.

Will they get home safe?

This is well illustrated, full of adventure, and you can learn some dinosaur names, too.  It's nicely done.

Death at the Crystal Palace by Jennifer Ashley - Series: A Below Stairs Mystery (#5)

Kat is at an exhibition when a lady comes up to her and tells her she's being poisoned.  She's not sure if it's true or not, but she goes home with her.  It's true.  How can she save her?

Berkley and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 6th.

Kat has a boyfriend that spends time under cover helping the police solve crimes.  She talks to him about the investigation she's going to do and he warns her to be safe and take care.  He has his own case and won't be around to help her.

Kat is a cook and a good one.  She takes a lemon cake to the house where people get ill and sees what she can find.  Life is very different from where she lives.  These people have titles and money and sometimes they have disagreements, too.

It takes a lot of work with help from her friends to determine who is trying to kill the Lady.  One of the family members dies because she ate the food that was supposed to be the Lady's.

Kat finally narrows it down but the killer has a knife and she is defenseless.  Will she survive?

We Can't Keep Meeting Like This by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Quinn's parents are wedding planners.  Quinn and her sister help put on the weddings.  Quinn has a bad habit.  She loves dating boys but when it starts to get serious, she breaks up with them.

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

When she was eight, her parents separated for six months.  They got back together again but every time they fight she fears her mother might leave again.  This memory is why she is torn about her own romantic life.

Her boyfriend went off to college and didn't talk to her anymore.  Now he's home for the summer and they meet up again.  It starts out a little strange but soon they are friends.  

Quinn wants answers.  Why did her parents separate?  What made Tarek ignore her?

In time she finds the answers and then she finds herself caring too much about Tarek.  She breaks up again.  The problem is that she really loves him.  Will they make up or is the relationship over forever?

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict; Victoria Christopher Murray

Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J P Morgan to be his personal librarian.  The first thing she has to do is organize the books and manuscripts he already owns...

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can get a copy now.

Bella is black but she's light enough she pretends to be white.  Her mother is the one who insisted on that.  Mother thought they'd have a better chance in life if they hid their heritage.  She tells her to say her grandmother is Portuguese and that will account for the darkness of her skin.

Bella is very good at negotiating and getting the material she wants for the library.  Her employer becomes fond of her.

One thing Bella is not good at is choosing men.  She flirts with them all, wears bright fashions, and goes to bed with a few.  The man she fell in love with makes her abort the baby they created.  Suddenly he's not as charming as she thought.

She treasures her boss.  He teaches about everything and let's her make purchases with his money.  He also regularly gives her raises.  

But Bella has more heartbreak ahead.  Her one success in life is being the librarian..

Road Trip (Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery Book 6) by Shannon VanBergen

Nikki's granny wants to visit her first man she married.  His mother made them divorce and separated them.  She got married to another man but he has passed on so she wants to see Thomas.

Fairfield Publishing let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Nikki and the grannies head for Branson (where he lives) but they go to a few shows instead of bracing him immediately.

They were enjoying the performances until a band member turns up dead.  Now they have another murderer to find.

Lou was a good musician but he made promises to women that he couldn't keep.  And then one heard him say his line to another female performer and finds he's not telling the truth.

It takes a bit but they do manage to solve the murder.

Be prepared for the grannies that are out having a good time.  They don't care about the murder, they are having fun with new friends...

Crack the Code (Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery Book 5) by Shannon VanBergen

Nikki goes out with friends her age to do some geocaching and manages to find a dead body.

Fairfield Publishing shared this book with me to review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The dead man had many enemies, he was not a nice man.  He also had affairs.  Trying to find his killer will take some work.

He looked like he had been snake bit but he was injected with venom and had drugs in his system that he never took.

Owen, Nikki's cop friend, is having a hard time checking things out, but he warns her not to get involved.  Like you could stop the Glock Grannies...

They find the women that had slept with him, while they are getting messages in code.  Owen helps them figure out how to decode them.  The messages are short and succinct.

Then Nikki cries on a another man's chest and Owen sees her and leaves.  How can she help solve a murder if Owen is mad at her?  Then she finds out he's applied for a job in another state...

The grannies are the ones who find the killer, mostly by accident.  And Nikki and Owen make friends again.

These are fun reads.

Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins

They haven't been married too long but they are deeply in love.  His wife gets ill, and the doctor's aren't sure what she has.  When they finally make a decision, it's devastating.  It's a terminal disease that will eventually take her life...

Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It was published on June 8th.

Lauren has a good attitude, she wants to stay happy and love her husband as long as she can.  But lung disease doesn't give you a lot of time.  They try to enjoy life but it comes to an end.

Joshua is upset.  He didn't want to lose her and he's not sure what to do next.  Then he finds out she's left him letters to be delivered after her death.

While he still grieves her loss, he tries to follow the instructions in the letters.  As a year passes, he changes to a more outgoing person.  He makes friends, he updates his wardrobe, and he buys a house.

The last letter tells him to fall in love again.  Is he ready for that?

Take Me Home Tonight by Morgan Matson

Two very close friends decide to go to New York on their own.  They are 18 and Kat was supposed to be going to dinner with her dad.  But he said he had work to do and couldn't make it.  He authorized her dinner on his card and told her to take her mother.  She takes her friend and plans on buying the most expensive items on the menu.

Simon and Schuster Children's Books For Young Readers sent me an ARC of the book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

When they get to New York, they end up having a fight and each girl goes off by herself.  They have no idea what they are going to find.

There's new and old boyfriends around, a fake CIA agent, diamonds that were stolen, a teacher of plays who holds a grudge, lots of characters, and lots of trauma and strife.

You start to wonder if anyone will end up happy with all these troubles.  Somehow it all straightens itself by the end.  And while it may not be the outcome they wanted, they are better off with the way it turned out.

This is a very busy read, but it's interesting.

Living on a Spare (Glock Grannies Cozy Mystery Book 4) by Shannon VanBergen

Nikki has lost out on love again.  She's living with her granny who has lost some of her get up and go because she had a heart attack.  But she's still well enough to go bowling.

Fairfield Publishing let me read this story for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

While the grannies are bowling, another group of older women comes over and starts calling them names.  Granny says they are friends but Nikki didn't think it sounded that friendly.

It shocks everyone when a few days later they find the name caller dead and shoved in the ball return.  A homeless man has the weapon that was used so they arrested him.  But Nikki doesn't think he did it.

She gets her friend, the cop, to dress up as a woman to interrogate the other homeless.  That doesn't turn out well.  The other cops picked him up for prostitution...

It takes a bit but the grannies eventually learn who the murderer is.

There are silly moments and serious moments in this story.  It's a fun read.

The Teensy Weensy Virus Book and Song for Preschoolers by Sherri Rose

This book is great for explaining the virus to small ones.  It even has a song at the back of the book.  Here's link to the song on YouTube HERE.

P R By the Book sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

It tells the story of how it started and how some people ended up in the hospital.  It stresses wearing a mask when you go out and maintaining a distance between people.

This will help them understand what to do and how to do it.  It's a calm story and there is nothing scary in it. 

Help keep your children safe!

I Believe in You by Tatsuya Miyanishi

A small dinosaur is in a cave with his parents and they are eating, when suddenly there was a earthquake.  His father throws the baby out of the cave.  Then big rocks came down and trapped his parents.  He went for help.

Museyon and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published June 11th.

He brings all his friends and they all try but the rock is too big.  Then they tell him who could probably do it but he's a dangerous dinosaur.  That doesn't slow the baby down.

He gets the big one to come and help.  It's true he was thinking about eating them but the baby tells him he believes in him and he's the only one that can help.

It's takes a lot of work to get rid of the big rock.  The big boy manages to get it out of the way.  Now will he eat them?

An Irish Hostage by Charles Todd: Series: Bess Crawford Mysteries

England and Ireland are still fighting.  Bess  is done nursing for a bit and is visiting to be in a wedding.  Soon she finds herself wondering how it's going to work out.

William Morrow and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on July 6th.

It doesn't take long until the friends she has there go missing.  The groom has been taken from the house he was staying at.  No one can find him.  Despite that, his fiance has the wedding anyway hoping against hope that he might show up.  He does and manages to get married before he collapses.  He's badly wounded and Bess soon takes over his care.

Even Bess gets hauled away to jail but someone else is accused as the murderer and she's allowed to go free.

Then the English Major disappears.  It takes a lot of work to find him and he's in bad shape too.  Bess nurses him and then they decide to leave for England.  But there are two men with guns after them.  With two sick men, two women and two men, will they be able to get away?

Nantucket Penny by Steven Axelrod: Series: Henry Kennis Nantucket Mysteries

People are going missing in Nantucket.  The police try to look into it.  There's one problem:  One of the cops is part of the gang doing the disappearances.

Poison Pen Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published July 6th.

The Chief, Henry, is going to have to look back in history to figure out what is going on.  The women that are being killed look a lot like his fiance.  He's trying to keep her safe as they search for the other missing persons.

A lot of the law enforcement types join in on the search.  Everybody has their own take on the past history and there are several suspects.  Henry keeps picking at what he knows and finds out some things but things don't really become frantic until they take his woman.  Then he has to find them because he loves her.

The search is not easy and more than one person is involved in it.  The worst part is that part of them are on Henry's team.

Will he be in time to save her?

The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott

Emily and her mom were always lucky.  But when her mom got cancer, her luck ran out...

Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers sent me an ARC to read for review (thank you).   The book is being published today.

Emily and her boyfriend have broken up again.  She feels left out of the friendships she shared with him and he tells her she has to get out of the box she's living in.

She's trying to clean out her mother's closet when she finds a box she hasn't seen before.  She finds a bucket list in there that her mother wrote out and did when she was a teenager.  Emily decides she's going to follow the list too.

It's hard for her because she's not the most brave person, but she does it.  She thinks she's going to change and her boyfriend will like her better.  But there is another complication.  She really likes a new girl she met and she finds herself more interested in her than her boyfriend.

As Emily begins to talk more and tries to make sense of her feelings, she learns a lot about herself.  She makes up her mind to be happy, but it will take some work.