book review

Book Review: The Morning Gift

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The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson

The Morning Gift
by Eva Ibbotson

2 out of 5 stars

Ruth is desperate to get out of Vienna when the Nazis march into Austria. A friend of her father’s offers to use his British passport to get her out of the country, but they have to be married to put her on his passport. Quinton and Ruth agree to a marriage of convenience and plan to get an annulment once they are safely in Britain. However, the legalities take longer than they realized. While waiting for the lawyers to sort things out, they keep their marriage a secret and Ruth makes plans to continue her college education, at the same college where Quinton is a professor of paleontology! Quinton knows that Ruth is planning to marry her beloved childhood friend, a pianist with a brilliant career ahead of him, but still Quinton can’t help but be attracted by her vibrant personality and gorgeous flowing hair. And Ruth is faithful to her pianist boyfriend, but her heart is wayward and wild when she gets close to Quinton.

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Book Review: Around the World in 100 Days

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Around the World in 100 Days by Gary L. Blackwood

Around the World in 100 Days
by Gary L. Blackwood (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars

Harry, the son of Phileas Fogg, wants to prove to his father that motorcars are the future of travel. He takes on a bet that he can drive his new motorcar around the world in only 100 days. Johnny, the mechanic who designed and built the car, is along for the ride, and Charles is coming to make sure the rules are followed for the entire journey. However, they didn’t expect a plucky woman reporter to be joining them, eager for exclusive reports at every stage of the trip.

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Book Review: Heart of Midlothian

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The Heart of Midlothian by Walter Scott

The Heart of Midlothian
by Walter Scott

4 out of 5 stars

Jeanie Deans is horrified to learn that her sister, Effie, has been arrested on a charge of child-murder. Effie insists that she is innocent and that her baby was taken from her immediately after his birth. Effie refuses to tell anyone who the father is. The lawyers assure Jeanie that there is a loophole in the law and that if Jeanie will only testify that her sister told her about the pregnancy before the child was born, then Effie cannot be prosecuted under the law. But Jeanie is from a staunchly religious family and she feels that she cannot tell a lie under oath. Effie is condemned to death, and Jeanie undertakes a long and dangerous journey to London to seek a pardon directly from the king.

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Book Review: The Bookshop Book

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The Bookshop by Evan Friss

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore
by Evan Friss (Goodreads Author)

3 out of 5 stars

Throughout American history, the books we read have shaped our culture, politics, and collective imagination. This book gives a broad overview of the history of bookstores in the USA, as well as anecdotes and close looks at the rise and fall of different types of bookstores. We meet the individual booksellers, and learn what inspired them to start their book business. We get a snapshot of the interior of a bookshop and the general mood and ambience of the place. We learn what purpose each bookstore has, whether focused on revenue, politics, personal expression, or community values. And we follow the dramatic stories of bookstores struggling to stay afloat, fighting against bureaucracy and unfair laws, and serving as meeting places for people of many varied creeds. Every bookstore has a place in history and maybe… in our hearts.

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Devotional Review: Hymns Vol. 1

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Hymns Volume 1 by The Daily Grace Co.

Hymns Volume 1
by The Daily Grace Co.

5 out of 5 stars

This daily devotional book gives you a traditional Christian hymn to read/sing each day, and tells about the composer/author who wrote it. There are Bible passages to read and a place to write in some of your thoughts as you answer the Bible study prompts.

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Book Review: How To Winter

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How to Winter by Kari Leibowitz

How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days
by Kari Leibowitz (Goodreads Author)

Many cultures find winter to be a restful and exciting time of year. Snow becomes a beautiful occurrence when you approach it with the right mindset. But some cultures encourage an attitude of despair and grumpiness in the winter, making summer the star of the year, and forcing winter into a narrow box of grouchy grumbling. This book will give you practical tips for enjoying winter no matter how bleak it may first appear.

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Book Review: Theater Shoes

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Theater Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

Theater Shoes (Shoes, #4)
by  Noel Streatfeild

Three children are forced to live with their grandmother during the war while their father is away in the Navy. They are sent to the Children’s Academy for Dancing and Stage Training. Their grandmother and grandfather and all their aunts and uncles and cousins are actors and actresses, so their grandmother expects them to inherit this family talent. Sorrel, the eldest girl, is given a scholarship for dramatic acting, but she doesn’t know if she really deserves it, or is it just her family fame that makes everyone expect great things from her.

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Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection

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The Engineer's Thumb by Stephanie Baudet

The Engineer’s Thumb (The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection, #14)
by Stephanie Baudet  (Adapted by), Arianna Bellucci (Illustrations)

An engineer comes to Holmes with a terrible story to tell. He was lured to a house in the middle of the night and attacked, and his thumb was cut off! Holmes and Watson listen to his story with horror, and they quickly get the police on the track of the criminals, but only Holmes can make sense of the strange circumstances.

A Scandal in Bohemia by Stephanie Baudet

A Scandal in Bohemia (The Sherlock Holmes Children’s Collection, #11)
by Stephanie Baudet  (Adapter), Arianna Bellucci (Illustrations)

When the royal family of Bohemia needs help, Holmes is on the case tracking down a photograph being used for blackmail. The blackmailer is the beautiful Irene Adler, and she might be the only person to ever fool Holmes and beat him at his own game.

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Picture Book Review: Let’s Celebrate Korean New Year

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Let's Celebrate Korean New Year! by Michelle W. Park

Let’s Celebrate Korean New Year!
by  Michelle W. Park, Hyewon Yum (illustrator)

Two sisters get ready for the Korean New Year. They put on traditional dresses, and make delicious mandoo pork dumplings. Everything must be ready before their family all arrive to celebrate. The sisters get everything ready for the Yutnori game and make special greeting cards for their grandparents. But they forgot to write a special poem to share with the family! Quickly, the two sisters put their heads together and write a poem. When they recite the poem for the family, everyone claps in delight and they all celebrate their favorite traditions together.

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Book Review: Beastly Bones

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Beastly Bones by William Ritter

Beastly Bones (Jackaby, #2)
by  William Ritter (Goodreads Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars

Abigail Rook has a job as an assistant to free-lance detective Jackaby. Jackaby has a rare gift as a seer. He can see magical residue and detect magical creatures that are otherwise invisible. Jackaby and Miss Rook are called out to the country to investigate a murder at a dig site where some kind of prehistoric bones have been discovered. Miss Rook is eager to visit the country, since her friend Charlie has been stationed there as a policeman, but she wonders if she can balance her career and romance.

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