Book Review: A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn

Though by no means professional detectives, my new favorite sleuths, Veronica Speedwell, and her partner in crime, Stoker (that's Lord Revelstoke Templeton-Vane), are back in another mystery. An unexpectedly royal familial source asks Veronica to look into the case of a high-society gent who is about to hang for the murder of his mistress. Lots of behind-the-scenes machinations, both helpful and threatening, provide direction and impediments as the lepidopterist and taxidermist use their powers of observation, their fighting skills, and their insatiable curiosity to prove whether this man should swing from the gallows or be rescued from the hangman's noose.

New Releases: Books Published August 22, 2017 for Children + Teens

Another Tuesday, another round of new releases! Here are brief blurbs about some of my new favorite children's picture books, middle grade novels, and teen reads that released today.

Book Review: A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas

Charlotte Holmes is back in a second adventure involving murder, family, and a decade-old cipher. Still employing the ruse of the "invalid brother," Sherlock Holmes, Charlotte finds herself investigating on behalf of the wife of the man she may possibly love while fielding a marriage proposal from that very man's brother. It will take all of Charlotte's sensible and analytical mind to see through her own surprising feelings as the web of Moriarty, and the involvement of a surprising member of her family, grows clearer.

New Releases: Picture Books Published August 15, 2017

Goodnight World Debi Gliori Bloomsbury, $16.99 Delicate illustrations accompany gentle rhyming text as everyone - people, plants, and animals - all get ready for bed. Ages 2+         The One Day House Julia Durango, illustrated by Bianca Diaz Charlesbridge, $16.99 Inspired by real-life volunteers, this picture book tells the story of a … Continue reading New Releases: Picture Books Published August 15, 2017

Book Review: A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas

Charlotte Holmes helps the police solve murders under the name Sherlock Holmes. When she becomes a social outcast due to a deflowering gone wrong, she relies on her wits, and a few chance encounters, to land on her feet, all while trying to clear the names of her father and sister who are somehow both implicated in a trio of seemingly unconnected and unexpected deaths. Sensible and analytical to a fault, yet not unaffected by the pull of heartstrings, Charlotte Holmes is a lively and witty new addition to the Sherlock Holmes canon.

Book Review: How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry

How to Find Love in a BookshopHow to Find Love in a Bookshop Veronica Henry 9780735223493, Penguin Random House, Hardcover, $25, Pub. Date: August 15, 2017 Publisher Description: The enchanting story of a bookshop, its grieving owner, a supportive literary community, and the extraordinary power of books to heal the heart. Nightingale Books, nestled on … Continue reading Book Review: How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry

Book Review: Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely

Gunslinger Girl (James Patterson Presents) Lindsay Ely 9780316555104, $17.99, Hardcover, Young Adult Fiction, Pub. Date: January 2, 2018 As much as I'd like to say I don't judge a book by its cover, sometimes I do pick one up solely because the cover calls to me. Isn't this cover intriguing? I want to be her. … Continue reading Book Review: Gunslinger Girl by Lyndsay Ely

Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Another day, another look through a catalogue of children's picture books. This time, I'm showcasing books from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. The Blue Hour by Isabelle Simler Mrs. White Rabbit by Gilles Bachelet This one is more for adults, and is absolutely hilarious. It's a brief telling of Alice in Wonderland from the point-of-view … Continue reading Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Princeton Architectural Press Children’s Books

It is so exciting for me to be back in the book world, well, for many reasons, but one of them is that I get to peruse the bookshelves and pore over catalogues, looking at all the delightful children's books I've missed in the last few years. Princeton Architectural Press is one of those small … Continue reading Princeton Architectural Press Children’s Books

Book Review: Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows Balli Kaur Jaswal 9780062645128, $27, William Morrow (HarperCollins), Pub. Date: June 13, 2017 Genres: adult fiction, international fiction, Indian fiction, women's fiction Short blurb: An engaging exploration of the clash between generations (parent/child), culture (Indian/British/British-born Indian), tradition vs updated ideas, expectation vs reality, and lies vs truth, told with fascinating … Continue reading Book Review: Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal