Jim Hanvey Detective by Octavus Roy Cohen, Leslie S. Klinger (Edited by)

There are seven stories in this anthology.  The detective is fat, his clothes don't fit right, and he blinks his eyes a lot.  However, he's good at solving mysteries.

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 10th.

He's a sneaky detective.  He's friends with most of the robbers.  He makes them think he's doing one thing when he's actually doing something else.  Sometimes he gets confessions, sometimes he catches them with the goods.  Each story is different and a new technique is used each time.  He doesn't always win but usually does.

These stories were written in 1923 and they still fascinate today.  I enjoyed the read.

Brothers, Blue & Gray (2nd Edition) by Ellen Gray Massey, Ruth Ellen Massey (Foreword by)

This is a story of the Civil War.  Two brothers enlist in opposite armies, their sister doesn't take sides and tries to keep them from fighting.

Treehouse Publishing and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 10th.

This is a hard look at slavery and the fight between the north and the south.  It's sad in many ways.

The two brothers go to the side they believe in.  Their father and sister stay home.  Then her father gets in a fight with a soldier and ends up dying of an old battle injury.  That leaves the sister with keeping the farm going.  Their slaves have been freed but most stayed there to help.

Then one day the fighting comes closer to home and her brothers are there.  She's afraid for her brothers and she should be...

Safe Harbour by Mike Martin

Windflower is back again in one of his toughest cases.  Someone is enticing young girls into prostitution.  As they start searching, they find that this is not an isolated case.  Several young girls are missing.

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

Windflower is in a new position at another station.  As he tries to find out who is doing this, he makes those around him mad.  He can't just take off on his own and he needs to ask for permission from his supervisor.  He's not used to that so there are some conflicts.

He's happy with his wife and his little girl.  They have another girl they are fostering.  Before the story is over, they intend to adopt her.

There are bikers, drugs and more in this area.  It's a bad problem to to try to straighten out but Windflower doesn't back down.

These stories are never boring and the author keeps you on the edge of your seat with what happens.  I enjoy this series.

Down Range by Taylor Moore

This is not a typical western.  One son is a lawyer and one is a DEA agent.  Garrett doesn't reveal his real job and uses construction jobs as an excuse.  That works fine until he saves a little boy during a deadly massacre.  Then they send him home with the boy...

William Morrow and Edelweiss let me read this one for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Garrett finds that his brother has been writing contracts for a company that isn't using it for legal purposes.  They are running drugs.

This turns into a real mess.  Garrett wants to stop them and they want to kill him.  There are several people involved in this enterprise and even the customers aren't nice.

Garrett is staying with his dad temporarily.  The bad guys, shoot his dad and kidnap the boy.

This is a realistic look at the drug world.  There are all kinds of people involved and it turns into a real fight.  They take his brother's daughters, too.  They have to be very careful at what they do so the children won't be killed.

Will Garrett and his brother be able to overcome the killers?

The Moonshine Shack Murder (A Southern Homebrew Mystery) by Diane Kelly

Hattie's grandfather taught her how to make moonshine.  She's using those skills to run her own business.

Berkley let me read this book for review.  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

She has a competitor across the street, so she goes to talk to him.  He agrees he'll buy some of her stock to sell to his customers who come in to drink.  She gets warned about him.  He doesn't always pay his bills.  So when she goes over with her merchandise she intends to ask for her money up front.  But before she even gets through the door, he's telling her he cancelling the order...  He found a better deal elsewhere.  She's disappointed but not too heartbroken over it.

Then, one evening when she was having a hard time sleeping, she hears a noise in the front of the shop.  She goes out to look and finds him on the sidewalk.  His throat has been cut by one of her bottles.

She didn't do it but the lady cop is not so sure...

Hattie really likes the cop who rides a horse.  They agree to go to dinner when the case is finished.

There are a lot of suspects because he was not a very nice man.  Hattie starts asking questions to prove who the real killer is.  The man cop  warns her away but she continues.  And she eventually finds the real killer.

The only problem is that the killer is now after her...

Fox & Rabbit Celebrate by Beth Ferry

Fox and Rabbit want to help sparrow celebrate his birthday.  They decide to make a huge pizza that will feed everyone.

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.

This is  done in graphic form and the illustrations are lovely.

They ask their friends to help.  Soon they have a BIG pizza.  Now how will they cook it?

There is a dragon in the area and they ask him for help.  The next day he cooks the pizza with his flame and stays for the party.  Then they find out it's his birthday, too!  He even gets to try ice cream for the first time.

Now the dragon has lots of friends, too.

Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson

This is the story of a logging family.  Their ups and downs, deaths, and love.  It also points out how agencies use toxic chemicals and work to stop logging.

Simon and Schuster sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published on August 3rd.

Not all the family members get along.  Lots of deaths have come from logging big trees but the family doesn't stop.

You get an inside look at a marriage.  They have one child.  She's miscarried several babies due to the chemicals.  He's afraid to get her pregnant again but she wants another baby.  Then there's the land he took a loan out on that he hasn't told her about.  It was $250,000.  But when it is logged it will be worth more than that.  They have to get a road there first.

A politician will help them get a road there if they sell him the property.  He's not offering enough to pay the debt...

Life is not easy for these people.  Nothing can be done without approvals.  You can get an idea of how hard it can be to use your own land.

Each chapter is the viewpoint of one of three characters.  Life is tough in the woods.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

Enola is the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft.  She's living on her own in London and she likes solving mysteries, too.

Wednesday Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 31st.

She's visiting Sherlock who is quite depressed and doesn't want to get out of bed.  A young woman comes looking for help.  Enola tells the housekeeper to show her in, she'll help her.  That gets Sherlock out of bed and back to the world of the living.

The young woman tells them that her sister married an Earl and that he has written to tell her her sister died and was cremated.  Since they are twins, she thinks she'd feel it if she was dead.  She doesn't, so she thinks she's not dead.  The death certificate is signed by Dr. Watson, but it's not his signature.  They take the case.

As they begin finding facts they learn she's his second wife.  They also determine he calls them crazy and sends them to an asylum.  The first wife died there.  There are so many how will they find which one is the right one?

Both Enola and Sherlock wear costumes and assume other identities.  The twin dresses up as her sister and braces the Earl.  He quickly sends her back but she's not alone.  Will she find her sister?

The Secret Staircase : A Mystery by Sheila Connolly, Series: Victorian Village Mysteries (#3)

Kate has great plans for her new town.  She's even got money that has been donated for her first project.  She's going to bring an old Victorian up to code but not change the Victorian look.

Minotaur Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 24th.

Everything is going pretty well until the contractor uses his equipment to see why there is a wall built with nothing behind it.  What they find is a dead body.  It's a hidden staircase.  This is just the beginning of Kate''s troubles.

The cops come and the body is retrieved.  It's a very old body and they don't know if they'll solve the case.

With construction ongoing, Kate is shown the woman's diaries that were hidden.  By reading them, they find out who the victim is.

But then they find another body down at the end of the basement stairs.  It's one of the contractors.  He didn't get along with most people, so there are plenty of suspects.

Kate has a habit of finding dead people and the police chief doesn't appreciate it.  Without really meaning to, Kate learns who the killer was.  Will she be able to contain him until the police arrive?

Tide Pool Troubles by Ashlyn Anstee, Series: Shelby & Watts (#1)

Shelby and Watts like to solve mysteries.  When they get a letter addressed to both of them it's from a hermit crab.  He's growing and he needs a new shell, but he can't find any.  Can they help him?

Viking Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on August 24th.

They go down to the sea to try to find some shells.  There aren't any there.  They talk to the various animals and ask about them and find out how someone has picked them all up.

Shelby reads mysteries so she goes to work looking for clues.  Soon she knows what has happened.  When she brings them a big shell to move into, you learn about hermit crabs, too.

This is a good series to teach your young one about things at the ocean.  I wonder where they will go next?

Danger at the Cove : An Island Sisters Mystery by Hannah Dennison, Series: The Island Sisters (#2)

The sisters are opening a new hotel once they get all the refurbishing done.  The repairs are going slow, though, and the opening date is sneaking up on them.There are several workers staying there now and one of the sisters has invited her friend who just lost her husband.

Minotaur and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on August 17th.

All is going well until they find one of the people staying there dead.  It wasn't an accident.  Someone removed the the ground temporarily so he was electrocuted.  There are no clues and even the police aren't getting far.  Then another one is found dead in the cove.  They thought he drowned but, no.  He'd been strangled.

They are on an island that is only partly accessible during certain times during the day.  Then they find out they have a con man in their midst.  What more could go wrong?  

Quite a bit...

No Witness : A Cal Claxton Mystery by Warren C Easley

Tomoteo Fuentes relies on his sister to pick him up after work.  He works for Cal among other jobs.  But when his sister doesn't come. Cal offers to take him home.  When they get there, they find her dead in the pickup.  Someone has shot her.

Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on August 17th.

This is an interesting walk through the world of illegal and legal immigrants.  You'll learn how people take advantage of them, why they don't tell the police much, and how many of them are scared.

When it starts, Luis, another brother, thinks she may have been killed because she was wearing his hoody.  But it's much more complicated than that.

The more Cal digs and has his investigators dig, the more comes to light.  It turns out to be a complex plan to keep the rich man rich.  He's willing to sacrifice anyone that gets in his way.

There's also a killer on a motorcycle.  People that Cal has talked to die.

Before long there are several murders and still no way to tie a killer to them.  But then it all starts to fall apart...

A Sprinkle of Sorcery by Michelle Harrison

This is part of a series, A Pinch of Magic.  This is the only one I've read, but it was very good.

HMH Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published August 17th.

There are three sisters in this family and they are very close.  They find a small girl that is lost and decide to help her.  Unfortunately, warders show up and they take Charlie, the girls' sister.  Willow was hiding so they didn't see her.  As the girls decide to go get Charlie back, the door is pounded on again.  The men standing there say they are warders.  They explain others were ahead of them and then they find out the first men were not warders.  Now they really have to find Charlie!

They take Willow with them.  The adventure they set out on is dangerous, the path hard to follow, and they even run into pirates!

This is an exciting read with lots of twists and turns.  There is danger around every corner and you begin to wonder if they will ever find Charlie.

One magical device in this story are the stacking dolls they have.  If they put something in them from their body and then line them up, they become invisible.  That sounds handy, doesn't it?

Weird Girl Adventures by Shelley Brown

This is an unusual book.  Each chapter is a short story about her experiences.

AlyBlue Media published this book.  Jennifer Musico sent me an ARC to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

You read tales from her youth all the way to present day.  She calls them weird but really it's just what life is like.  Some were humorous, some were a little weird but all of them were interesting.

You get taken to a lot of different places in her tales and you can sympathize with her problems.  You even learn about her dog.

I enjoyed the read.

Dream Weaver by Gary Wright

 Here's another example of a song that was written and did well and has now been made into a book.

Akashic 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.

The illustrations are quite colorful and add to the tale.  

The boy hasn't had the best day, so when he goes to bed he asks the dream weaver to help him forget.  The dreams are good and before long he's looking forward to the morning.

Rob Sayegh Jr is the illustrator.

Why don't you take the train that will take you to the moon?

The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) by Paul Simon

This is a children's book with the lyrics of the 59th Street Bridge song.  The illustrator made the main character a rabbit riding a bike.

Akashic Books sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can grab a copy now.

This song is fun.  He's enjoying his morning, riding his bike and dancing around a bit.  The illustrations add to the story.  

Here's a classic song you can share with your child.  Maybe you even have the music and song on an old record.  (I do!)  

This is a cheery song and great fun!

(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding and Steve Cropper

This song was a favorite of mine back in the day, so I had to see how it held up in book form.

Akashic 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.

This was done nicely.  The main character is a cat who sits and fishes from morning to night.  Some time is just wasted but it's a pleasant place to do it.  The illustrations are nicely done.

The best part is the end where the cat develops a friend who fishes also.

This is a great way to show your child songs from the past.

The Nocturnals Grow & Read Animal Activity Book

This is an activity book for K-3rd graders.  It has animal facts, coloring,drawing games, mazes, puzzles, and more!  It's for little ones but the child in me wants to do it!

Fabled Films sent me a copy  of this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

This is a great way to let your child learn.  There are enough things to do they won't get bored.  And all the puzzles are fun.

Books like these were what taught me how to find the odd thing on a page.  Like a number that doesn't match, a picture that is slightly different, and more.

Books like these are more like a game instead of being a textbook.  I always had fun with them.  Why not share the fun with your child?

Sister Wish by Giselle Potter

This is a story of two sisters.  The littlest wishes she was as tall as her older sister.  Her sister tells her she'll grow into it.

Abrams Book for Young Readers sent me thus book to review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The big sister wishes she could make everybody laugh like her little sister.  Then the big sister points out animals that probably wish for things, too.

After discussion they decide that being who they are and different from each other is the best way to be!

One Springy Singy Day by Renee Kurilla

This is a joyful book!  The illustrations are busy just like the children and most words end with a "y".  It will make you smile.

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

The children in this story are very active and have a good time together.  I almost got tired just by reading it.

It's a fun story about their busy day.  They are already anticipating tomorrow...

The Tossy-Turny Princess and the Pesky Pea by Susan Verde

The princess in this story is a hippopotamus but she has sleeping problems, too.

Abrams Young Readers sent me a copy of this book to read and review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

When her brother is in her room, he's eating pea soup.  He drops a pea and it goes in between her mattresses.  He can't get it out.  When she goes to bed that night she can't sleep because it doesn't feel right.  The same thing happens the next night.

Now she's so tired she sleeps in the daytime places she goes to work.  Everyone gives her advice on how to get to sleep.  She's pleased to see that they work.

I don't know about you, but I need my sleep!  I'm glad she found a solution.

Grandpa Across the Ocean by Hyewon Yum

He's going across the ocean from the states to visit his Korean grandpa.  When he and his mom get there, everything smells funny, he doesn't like the food, and there's nothing to do.

Abrams Young Readers sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has beeen published and you can get a copy now.

When he's playing with his ball, it hits some of the pots of orchids.  He sits down and cries waiting to be yelled at.  But his grandpa realizes how bored he is and begins to play with him.  Pretty soon he's having a great time.

When they leave, he's already counting on going to visit again next year!

Strange Nature by Gregory Mone, Levon Biss photographer

This is an interesting book.  It's all about various beetles with excellent photographs.  This is non-fiction and educational.

Abrams Young Readers sent a copy of this book to me for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

You will learn about the parts of the beetle, how they are used and there is box on the page that gives you a list of facts about them.

If you have a child that is fascinated by beetles, they'd love this book.  It's very good resource for learning.

The Boy and the Sea by Camille Andros

Has the sea ever talked to you?  This boy believes the sea talks to him.  He doesn't get all the answers he wants but he gets help.

Abrams Young Readers shared this book with me for review (thank you).  It has been published you can get a copy now.

Sometimes the sea is peaceful; sometimes it's wild and angry.  The boy is a bit like that, too.  You follow him through his life.  He gets married and has children but they still live by the sea and he spends a lot of time there.

The messages from the sea are one or a few words, nothing very long.  I love being by the ocean and I think it talked to me,  too.  How about you? 

The Twin Dogs by Chihiro Inoue

There are two twin dogs who are always arguing who is the oldest.  Then they have a new problem.  The parents brought home a crying creature and don't pay attention to them anymore...

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

The dogs decide to make a mess in the creature's room and blame it on him.  They make a mess alright but when they go to check the creature out, they find it's a baby!  They snuggy up next to him and go to sleep.   When the parents awaken from their nap they try to find the dogs.  When they do, they smile and things get back to normal.  Everybody in the family is loved!

Goodnight, Little Panda by Amanda Wood

This is one of the Baby Animal Tales.  It's illustrated but has actual photos of the panda.  It's a nice touch.

Magic Cat Publishing sent me a copy of this book to review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

Little Panda decides she doesn't want to eat bamboo all day and she sets out to find something else.  She asks the other animals what they eat and she tries it but it doesn't taste good to her.  Then she runs into a red panda.  He asks her what's wrong.  She tells him.  He shares his bamboo with her and she decides it's not bad, it tastes good!

All Aboard! Mickey's Railway by Andrew Kolb

What a fun book!  The train unfolds and creates an illusion of the real thing.  Each train car has flap you can lift and there are questions about what you see.

Abrams Appleseed sent me a copy to review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

This board book is great but you'll need to supervise those small hands so they don't damage it.  The questions are not hard and the answers are easy to find.  A child will want to play with their train several times.  You can help them learn to see the right thing in the illustration and then they are off!

Return of ZomBert by Kara LaReau, Ryan Andrews

Bert is a cat.  He was being experimented on in YummCo laboratories.  He managed to escape and found his own home, where he was just loved.

Candlewick allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on July 13th.

Bert is smart so his owner decides to enter him in a contest so she might win $200.  Little does she know that the contest is to get Bert back...

The YummCo staff give her the money and then steal her cat.  She and her friends are determined to get him back.  Will they succeed?

In Your Cozy Bed by Jo Witek & Christine Roussey

This is a great bedtime book.  It takes you through their evening routine and then works its way up to being in bed asleep.

Abrams Appleseed sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published on July 20th.

This is a board book that little ones can hold and turn the pages.  It's done with cute graphics and minimal color.  Perhaps you could make it a nightly ritual and help your little sleep.

It's a lovely book.

Whose Big Rig? by Toni Buzzeo & Ramon Olivera

This is the story of laying a railroad track.  You see the rig used, you learn about all it's parts, then you lift the page and it gives you the name of the rig.

Abram's Appleseed sent me a copy of this  book to review (thank you).  It has been published, so you can get a copy now.

This would be a nice choice for boys who always love big rigs.  They learn about the parts and they see what the rig can do.  It's no little job to create a track for the railroad!

Colors My First Pop-Up by Matthew Reinhart

This has pop-ups in it.  You read the text which is all about colors and then lift the pop-up to see what else is that color.

Abrams Appleseed sent me this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been oublished so you can get a copy now.

You might want to help little hands with the pop-ups so they don't get torn.  I'm sure this will be a favorite read with all the items listed for the colors.  It's an easy way to teach your child about color.

It's a fun book for young ones!