A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Annie Murray, fresh off her success from the town-wide mystery themed festival she organized to promote her store, The Secret Bookcase, is approached to handle a movie premier. The movie is, of course, a mystery in the vein of Hitchcock, and the director thinks this would be the perfect way to draw attention to the independent film.

Trouble starts almost immediately. Heather Hathaway, the film’s director, chose Redwood Grove ostensibly for its small town charm and lack of Hollywood glitz; now she is looking for big city amenities and pitching a fit. Things only get worse when Martin Parker, a powerful and disliked film critic, shows up with an uninvited guest, and makes it known that he already doesn’t like the film.  Cora Mitchell, the film’s star, is desperate for this film to be her big break into the business. The only calm one is Sam, the film’s producer, an older and experienced gentleman who appears to be watching the others with an amused eye.

With all the tension among the personalities, it’s not surprising that someone ends up dead before the movie’s first showing is over.

What this series has that is just a bit different from some others is that there is a mystery arc going on.  Annie was a criminology student when her best friend Scarlett was murdered, a case that remains unsolved and which caused Annie to leave college.  It also affected Annie’s former professor, who left teaching and joined the police.  Dr. Caldwell is the lead detective, and encourages observations from her former student as they work to solve the current murder, while still investigating Scarlett’s death. This is very much in the background, though I expect it to come more and more to the forefront in subsequent books.

Alexander is an experienced cozy writer, best known for her Bakeshop Mystery series which has over 20 books and more to come.  This is the second in the Secret Bookcase Mystery series; you need not have read the first.  I liked the “behind the scenes” sort of feel about movies and critics, and I liked the small town feel. There’s a good supporting cast to fill in gaps and provide moral support and coffee.  While I’m less fond of one of the side plots, it appears that may resolve satisfactorily soon.  I am intrigued by the mystery surrounding Scarlett’s death, and I like the characters enough that I’m game for another visit to Redwood Grove.

Secret Bookcase Mystery series:

The Body in the Bookstore

A Murder at the Movies

Death at the Dinner Party

A Holiday Homicide

Nevermore: How to Hide an Empire, Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books, Memory Quilt

 

Nevermore: How to Hide an Empire, Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books, Memory Quilt

Reported by Rita

How to Hide an  Empire by Daniel Immerwahr

It tells the fascinating story of the United States outside the United States. Immerwahr notes that in the years after World War II, the United States moved away from colonialism. Instead, it used innovations in electronics, transportation, and culture, devising a new sort of influence that did not require the control of colonies.

  It's a good read, full of fascinating history.      – DC       5 stars

 

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller

When Lula Dean, trying to rid public libraries of "pornographic" books, starts her own lending library in front of her home, Lindsay, the daughter of Lula's arch nemesis, sneaks in nightly. She secretly fills it with banned books wrapped in "wholesome" dust jackets, changing the lives of those who borrow them in unexpected ways.

  This book is funny and clever. It’s definitely worth reading!      - MH      4 stars

 

The Memory Quilt by T. D. Jakes

In the first Christmas story from the best-selling author of Reposition Yourself: Living Life Without Limits, a grandmother learns 10 life lessons from the story of Jesus's birth in the Bible, inspiring her to create quilts for children at a local shelter.

It is an excellent light read.     – AH       4 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

Lovely One by Ketanji Brown Jackson

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

The Best American Travel Writing 2016 by Bill Bryson

Campbell's Rambles by Patty L. Fletcher

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin

Within These Walls of Sorrow by Amanda Barratt

You Are Here by David Nichols

Eyes of Prey by John Sandford

New Books

Merlin's Tour of the Universe by Neil deGrasse Tyson

Patriot by Alexei  Navalny

Citizen by Bill Clinton

Rock Painting for Beginners by Christine Rechl

Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Asia Village is gearing up to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a series of events designed to bring customers in to enjoy the activities and to shop.  Lana Lee has been roped into helping the arrogant and nattily attired Ian Sung with the event (translation: she is doing most of the work while Ian endlessly quizzes her as to the preparations) but Lana has everything under control—until one of lion dancers is murdered. It would be hard to imagine a worse omen for the New Year, so Lana puts on her detective’s hat and starts sleuthing.

This is the tenth in the Noodle Shop Mystery series, but you don’t really need to read them in order.  I’ve enjoyed these books from the start, and I especially like how Lana has grown over the course of the series. At the beginning, she was unhappily working at her family’s noodle shop after leaving another job and in good cozy fashion was forced into helping to solve a mystery to clear her name.  Now she’s embraced both roles with gusto, becoming more confident, less self-critical, and happier.  I always liked her, but she’s more fun now.  (I’ve noticed this trend in one or two other cozy mysteries and I am all for it!)

The supporting cast works well together.  Lana’s detective boyfriend Adam still won’t share information with her, but on the other hand he isn’t continually admonishing her, while friends Megan and Kimmy pitch in to help gather information.  This time her perspective is especially valuable as some of the clues tie in with Chinese culture.  I especially liked that aspect in this one: information about traditions and folklore surrounding the Lunar New Year.

I have really enjoyed this series and look forward to the next book!

Series in order:

1.       Death by Dumpling

2.      Dim Sum of All Fears

3.      Murder Lo Mein

4.      Wonton Terror

5.      Egg Drop Dead

6.      Killer Kung Pao

7.      Fatal Fried Rice

8.     Hot and Sour Suspects

9.      Misfortune Cookie

10.  Peking Duck and Cover

11.   The Chow Maniac (2025)

Play the Fool by Lina Chern

Reviewed by Jeanne

Katie True is adrift.  Unlike her siblings, she doesn’t excel at anything, doesn’t have the drive to succeed, and feels like an outcast in her family.  The only thing she’s ever done well was read Tarot cards, taught by her Aunt Rosie—who wasn’t exactly on the up and up.  It’s such a habit, though, that Katie even sees people and situations as being represented by various cards, and thanks to Aunt Rosie’s teaching, Katie can read people well enough to make a good show. 

Which is what she decides to do when the guy stumbles into Firebird Imports, the rundown shop in a rundown mall. It’s the latest in Katie’s string of dead-end jobs, and the lack of customers makes it easy for her to suggest a reading.  Hey, she can make a quick $20 and her boss doesn’t have to know.

While Katie’s very skilled at reading people, it doesn’t hurt to have a little help so when her mark—er, customer—rushes to the bathroom, leaving his unlocked phone on the counter, she takes a peek.  Just to make her reading more accurate, you understand.

What she doesn’t expect is to see a photo of her friend Marley.  Especially not when Marley looks very, very dead.

Because Marley was the one person who seemed to really see Katie and didn’t consider her to be an abject failure, Katie decides she’s going to catch Marley’s killer. Trouble is, Katie has a lot of trouble with impulse control and so she rushes into situations.  She’s helped by a sympathetic policeman and her brother Owen who seems to be somewhere on the spectrum but is still considered considerably more successful than Katie.

This was an entertaining first in series book.  I enjoyed Katie’s insight into the card reading, and while I admit I shook my head at her actions at times, I did admire her persistence.  I also admit that I started reading a second book in which the main female character is a twenty-something who drifts from job to job and is considered a failure by her family.  I hope this isn’t going to be the new trend in heroines, as I fear it will get really old really fast for me.

There’s a second book planned, and I look forward to reading it. I hope Katie will have found herself a bit more.

Nevermore: Fortunes, Calamity of Souls, Four Winds

 

Nevermore 12-3-24

Reported by Rita

 

The Fortunes by Peter Ho Davies

Explores a century of American history through the lives of Chinese Americans, using the lives of four individuals to depict how an immigrant community survives and ultimately becomes American.

 It is beautifully written, but I thought it got too wordy towards the end.    – KN     3 stars

 

A Calamity of  Souls by David Baldacci

In a Virginia courtroom in 1968, a reluctant white lawyer and a dedicated black attorney must bridge their differences to fight for a Black man's life against racial prejudice and powerful forces seeking to undo civil rights progress.

While it started slow, it picked up, and I enjoyed the surprise ending.     - NH     4 stars

 

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

In 1934, during the Great Depression, Elsa Martinelli, battling against nature on the Great Plains, must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or leave it behind and go west to California in search of a better life for her family.

Beautiful. A real page-turner. I loved it!     - GP      5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

Dogs of the Cariboo and Other Stories by Mary Gentry

Horses of War by Duff Hart-Davis

Blind Spots by Marty Makary

Campbell's Rambles by Patty L. Fletcher

The Best American Travel Writing 2015 by Andrew McCarthy

The Killing Snows: The Defining Novel of the Great Irish Famine by Charles Egan

The Lark by Edith Nesbit

Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo

Trippy by Ernesto Londoäno

Han Fei Tzu Basic Writings by Burton Watson

God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man by Cornelia Bailey

The Bible As It Was by James L. Kugel

Cat Pictures Please by Naomi Kritzer

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki

The Cat Who Saved Books by Såosuke Natsukawa

 

New Books

The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon

The Colony Club by Shelley Noble

One Life by Barbara Winton

Book and Dagger by Elyse Graham

National Geographic Bucket List Family Travel by Jessica Gee

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

Reviewed by Christy

Eve is home alone when she hears a knock at the door. It's a family of five, and the father claims he used to live here and would it be ok if he showed his family around? It will only take fifteen minutes, tops. Eve is not comfortable with this. But she's even less comfortable with awkward conversations and telling people no. If her girlfriend Charlie were home, she would tell them to scram without hesitation. But it's just Eve, and she reluctantly allows them to come in. The family quickly overstays their welcome.

            This is fundamentally a "haunted house" story with a unique twist that I found refreshing. As soon as Eve lets the family in, strange things start to happen. Eventually Eve starts to question her sanity, and as readers we, too, do not know what is real and what isn't. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about the book for a large portion of it. I didn't really know where it was going or even if I was enjoying it. But when it picks up, it really picks up and becomes quite a page turner. I also appreciate the mixed media aspect. Sprinkled through are transcripts, news articles, and Reddit posts that give the story a little more dimension. There are even some interactive bits like Morse code or Norwegian phrases if you're up for translating via Google. It's fun but not necessary to fully enjoy the story. Because of this, this book has been compared to House of Leaves. I understand the comparison but I found We Used to Live Here much less tedious.

            Though I didn't always love Kliewer's somewhat plain writing style, it's not bad by any means, and there are some genuinely unsettling moments that had me unable to stop reading. The absolute dread that builds throughout this book is awful and wonderful. Nobody wants strangers or unwelcome guests in their home, so it's easy to relate to Eve. Many times, a book ending can ruin the whole book for me but fortunately, I believe that Kliewer really stuck the landing as well. I highly recommend this for fans of haunted house stories, epistolary novels, or just a spooky, wintery read!

Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before New Year’s by Liz Ireland

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

April Claus is trying to stay calm, but when your husband is out making stops all over the world in an aging sleigh pulled by reindeer it’s a little hard.  The sleigh doesn’t even have seatbelts.  Although everyone tells her not to worry, that Santa always comes back, she’s still very tense.  She’s trying to immerse herself in the welcome back preparations, but then there’s a Situation.

Three humans have been found near Santaland, all injured from an apparent plane crash.  They can’t just be left to die, so they are transported to Christmastown where they’ll have to kept isolated and unaware of where they are.  There’s a complication, though:  one of the men has been stabbed—with a reindeer antler.

When the man dies, the ante is upped:  not only does April have to find a murderer, but she also has to keep the survivors convinced that they’re in Canada, that reindeer and snowmen don’t talk, that the elves are just somewhat short humans, and that all the Christmas stuff is just seasonal decorations and not a way of life.

Okay, so when I first heard about this series I thought it sounded way too cutesy for my taste.  Maybe even silly.  Then a reviewer whose opinion I respect gave it a very good review and I decided to give it a try.  I first read a novella set in this world, and found it to be delightful so I moved on to a full length book. 

I’ll admit that it does require a certain suspension of disbelief, what with talking reindeer, elves, snow monsters, and such, but then again so do books in which the local pastry chef solves murders and doles out recipes with equal aplomb.  Most of all, I found this book to be fun and imaginative.  Since April is still an outsider in some ways, having been a human innkeeper in Oregon before meeting Nick, she’s a good guide to the intricacies of Santaland living.  There’s a good bit of world-building and some wonderful characters.  Some of the reindeer were my favorites—oh, not the celebrity reindeer, but the off-beat ones like Wobbler and Quasar. The elves’ efforts to pretend to be Canadian were as humorous as they were earnest, and while I wouldn’t classify this as a fair play mystery, I had such fun reading it that I didn’t care.

While this may not be everyone’s cup of Christmas cheer, I found it was definitely mine. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.

Nevermore: Black Cake, Masters of Bow Street, Profiles in Ignorance, Framed

 

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson caught the attention of one of our Nevermore readers.  This debut novel tells the story of a Caribbean American family from several different viewpoints, spanning decades as a family discovers that what they thought they knew may not be true. Our reviewer said this not her usual fare, but she’s finding it a fascinating book.

Five Stars, FE

A lengthy historical novel was up next.  While he was better known for his mystery novels, John Creasey also wrote The Masters of Bow Street, a fictionalized version of the founding of Scotland Yard by a group known as the “Bow Street Runners.”  Our reader liked the book a lot, and was disappointed to find his mysteries tended to be much shorter.  (Note:  Creasey wrote under many, many, many different pseudonyms, including J.J. Marric, Gordon Ashe, Tex Riley (westerns), and Margaret Cooke (romances).  Wikipedia says he wrote more than 600 books under 28 different names.)

Five Stars WJ

Praise was also given to Profiles in Ignorance by Andy Borowitz, a political satirist who examines what he calls the “three stages of ignorance:  ridicule, acceptance, and celebrating.” He uses various politicians to illustrate the various stages.  Our reader thought it was an important and thoughtful book, even as it used humor to make its point.

Five Stars DC

Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey is, as the subtitle suggests, stories of innocent people who were nonetheless convicted.  The stories recount not only the investigations and trials, but also what happens to the people afterwards. Our reader was moved by the terrible things those people had to endure, and how their lives were upended even after exoneration.

Five Stars, NH

 

Other five star books:

Fleeing France: A WWII Novel of Sacrifice and Rescue in the French Ambulance Service by Alan Hlad

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo

The English Chemist: The Story of Rosalind Franklin: A Novel by Jessica Mills

A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Hard Times:  An Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel

The Quiet Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake

 

Four Star Books

A Northern Light in Provence by Elizabeth Birkelund

Heartbeat Library by Laura Imai Messina

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis

Secrets to the Grave by Tami Hoag

Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker

Reviewed by Jeanne

Mara is an aimless twenty-something whose extended family tries to seem supportive but she knows she’s a disappointment. Her cousin Jeremy is the opposite, having had a successful modeling career even before graduation and now is the host of a popular series that combines home renovation with ghost-hunting. When Jeremy offers her an entry level position, Mara first turns it down but then becomes so desperate it begins to sound like a way to escape at least.

As one of the lowest people in the production, Mara finds herself working the night shift and learning about the finer points of providing the needed spooky events.  She operates the fog machines, makes creepy noises, and does whatever the production needs to unnerve the new homeowners.  It’s still a crappy job, but she’s starting to enjoy at least some of it until a new co-worker seems poised to outdo her on the job.

I picked up this short novel because I was in the mood for something with atmosphere and I thought fake haunted houses might be just the ticket. It was a bit disconcerting to pick up a second book in a row with an unemployed and unmotivated twentyish woman, but Mara did become intrigued with her new job and seemed on her way to, as we used to say, “finding herself.”  It was also interesting to see a sort of "behind the scenes" on how some of these reality shows work, how the production crews plan and shape a narrative.  The plot was somewhat low-key but I did enjoy it and am still thinking about the ending. I’m hesitant to say more, as it is a short book and I really don’t want to give anything away.

If you’re in the mood for something just a bit off beat, this may be a book for you.

The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means by John Scalzi

Reviewed by Jeanne

Somewhere in the not too distant future, death becomes a bit less certain.  For whatever reason, people who are murdered may not die, but reappear in another place, sans clothing but unharmed.  This has given rise to a new job:  dispatcher.  These are trained and licensed professionals who work with the police and hospitals to officially “murder” people on the brink of death in hopes of having them reappear in better condition. It’s not infallible: 999 times out of 1000, the person returns, but that one time the victim will remain dead.

It’s not a profession for the faint of heart.

Tony Valdez is a dispatcher but he’s currently unemployed and struggling, so when a job comes up that isn’t exactly legal he is inclined to bend the rules just a little to pay the rent.  Shortly thereafter, Tony is present when a robbery goes wrong and soon it seems that someone is trying to set him up for something.  He’s going to have to find out who and why before someone else dies—and dies for good.

John Scalzi writes intriguing speculative fiction with a sense of humor and off-beat situations that still manage to be serious.  This novella is the second in the series, and although I hadn’t read the first book, I still had no problem keeping up.  I like that his main characters are usually decent people who follow a moral code and try to do the right thing no matter the circumstances.  His books are very creative as well as entertaining, and he plays off other genres, such as hard-boiled detective for this one, or fandoms, such as Star Trek for Redshirts. One of his more recent books, Starter Villain, gives me a sort of James Bond feel except that maybe sometimes the villains can be—well, maybe not exactly the good guys, but the not-so-bad guys.

Though short, I thoroughly enjoyed this entry in the series and recommend Scalzi to folks who think they don’t like fantasy or science fiction.

Nevermore: Murder in Music City, Nexus, Cursed Bunny

 

Nevermore 11-26-24       Reported by Rita

 

A Murder in Music City by Bishop, Michael

When a private citizen stumbles upon a secret file related to the murder of an 18-year-old babysitter in 1964, the unsolved case is reopened and, with the help of the world's top forensic experts, the real killer is finally brought to justice, in a shocking true crime story that changed Nashville history forever.

I found the author’s approach confusing and difficult to follow. I didn’t like it.      – NH        1 star

 

Nexus : A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Harari, Yuval N.

From the Stone Age through the canonization of the Bible, Stalinism, Nazism and the resurgence of populism today, a historian and philosopher explores human history to consider how the flow of information has shaped us, and our world, addressing the urgent choices we face as nonhuman intelligence threatens our very existence.

A very comprehensive discussion of AI. It’s a wonderful book, full of interesting information.     – DC      5 stars

 

Cursed Bunny by Chung, Bora

Blending horror, sci-fi and fairytales this collection of short stories from an increasingly popular Korean author includes a tale about a woman followed and haunted by her own bodily waste and a young monster forced into underground fight rings.

One of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. I really liked it.       – MH      4 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

A Pair of Wings by Hopson, Carole

The School for German Brides by Runyan, Aimie K.

The Silent Watcher by Methos, Victor

Campbell's Rambles by Fletcher, Patty L.

Within These Walls of Sorrow by Barratt, Amanda

Dogs of the Cariboo and Other Stories by Gentry, Mary

The Cruelest Month by Penny, Louise

Sacred Wilderness by Power, Susan

The Cypress Maze by Valpy, Fiona

Identity Unknown by Cornwell, Patricia

 

New Books

Sonny Boy by Pacino, Al

The Colony Club by Noble, Shelley

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by Waggoner, C. M.

White Robes and Broken Badges by Moore, Joe

Atlas Obscura - Wild Life by Giaimo, Cara

From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Lisa Marie Presley planned to write a memoir for several years before her death. She began recording the stories that shape most of this book, supplemented by her daughter Riley Keough. Mother and daughter were obviously close, a constant in each other’s lives. Living in the reflection of Elvis, a rock and roll idol, shaped both women’s lives.

Lisa Marie discusses her childhood at Graceland, as well as being pulled back and forth between her father and mother after their divorce in 1973. The loss of her father at such a young age was no doubt the force that determined many of her life choices. Lisa Marie talks about her multiple marriages, including to Michael Jackson, and the deep love she had for her four children. She talks about her addictions and how they affected her and her family. Her son’s death by suicide was shocking, and as a mother, I found it heartbreaking.

Here’s where I was going into this book:

Elvis fan? Not especially, but I can appreciate how he shaped the rock and roll world. I don’t dislike him, but I’ve never bought or sought out any of his music. I remember where I was when he died in 1977, and my mom and aunts crying.

Lisa Marie? Sure, I liked her although she didn’t have a long musical career. I remember thinking she looked and sounded so much like her famous father. I even bought a couple of her CDs.

Riley? I knew that she was Lisa Marie’s daughter, an actor, and starred in Daisy Jones & the Six, which I still haven’t seen even though I loved the book/audiobook by Taylor Jenkins Reid. (Note to self: you definitely want to watch this!)

Did this book change my opinions on the Presley clan? I found this to be a touching and poignant memoir of a woman who was never going to have a normal life. Lisa Marie’s father’s celebrity was both a blessing and a curse, influencing how others treated her and how she looked at the world. I hope that daughters Riley, Finley, and Harper find a balance in life that their mother never did.

And I may just put on a little Lisa Marie Presley music on my drive home.

New Books in January!

 

Fiction

Balogh, Mary  Remember When:  Clarissa’s Story (Ravenswood)

Brennan, Allison  See How They Hide

Burke, Alafair  The Note

Byrne, James Chain Reaction

Crais, Robert  The Big Empty

Dailey, Janet Lie for a Million

Deveraux, Jude  Order of Swans

Dugoni, Robert  Hold Strong

Feeney, Alice  Beautiful Ugly

Finder, Joseph  The Oligarch’s Daughter

Freeman, Brian  Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Vendetta

Genova, Lisa  More or Less Maddy

Grippando, Jame  Grave Danger

Hendrix, Grady  Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Hurston, Zora Neale  The Life of Herod the Great

Krentz, Jayne Ann Shattering Dawn

McFadden, Freida  The Crash

McMahon, John  Head Cases

Patterson, James  Holmes Is Missing

Pearsall, Kate  Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue

Perry, Thomas  Pro Bono

Stabenow, Dana  Abduction of a Slave (Eye of Isis)

Steel, Danielle Never Say Never

Theroux, Paul  The Vanishing Point:  Stories

Turrow, Scott  Presumed Guilty

Yarros, Rebecca  Onyx Storm

 

Non-Fiction

Campbell, Olivia  Sisters in Science:  How Four Women Physicists Escaped Nazi Germany and Made Scientific History

Meltzer, Brad The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy—and Why It Failed

Patterson, James  The Texas Murders:  Everything is Bigger in Texas—Especially the Murder Cases

Pearl, Matthew  Save Our Souls:  The True Story of a Castaway Family, Treachery, and Murder

Nevermore: The Women, Lie Down in Darkness, Smitten

 

Nevermore 11-19-24

Reported by Rita

The Women by Hannah, Kristin

In 1965, nursing student Frankie McGrath, after hearing the words “Women can be heroes, too,” impulsively joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows her brother to Vietnam where she is overwhelmed by the destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed and politically divided America.

Awesome book! It was very touching. I couldn’t put it down.     - GP       5 stars

Lie Down in Darkness by Styron, William Clark

William Styron traces the betrayals and infidelities—the heritage of spite and endlessly disappointed love—that afflict the members of a Southern family and that culminate in the suicide of the beautiful Peyton Loftis.

I didn’t like it. I didn’t like any of the characters.      - CD     1 star

 

Smitten by McKenna, Rachael

In a kitten's-eye view of the world, an acclaimed animal photographer captures a series of images of charming kittens as they play, explore, find mischief, and sleep, accompanied by memorable quotations on everything from the importance of curiosity to the joy of a good nap.

Full of photos of absolutely adorable kittens. Charming!     - MS      5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

A Pair of Wings by Hopson, Carole

Ethan Frome by Wharton, Edith

Rules of Civility by Towles, Amor

The Coal Tattoo by House, Silas

Relatively Dead by Connolly, Sheila

Bloodlands by Snyder, Timothy

High Tide by Ābele, Inga

 

New Books

Lovely One by Jackson, Ketanji Brown

Walk, Ride, Paddle by Kaine, Timothy M.

The Paranormal Ranger by Milford, Stanley.

Sharks Don't Sink by Graham, Jasmin

The Danish Secret to Happy Kids by Russell, Helen