Book Review - The Tuscan Secret by Angela Petch

 

The Tuscan Secret by Angela Petch is about  a woman named Anna who is trying to cope with her beloved mother Ines's death. The only personal item she inherits is a box of old yellowed paper handwritten in Italian along with a few photos. She is desperate to learn more about her mother and to find a way to keep the connection they shared alive. As she reads the pages, Anna learns her mother’s truth about what happened during the war.

Anna decides that she has nothing keeping her from visiting Italy to be fully immersed in her mother’s past as she recently went through a breakup and lost her job. She travels to a small village of Rofelle, where she decides to enjoy the sights while trying to decipher her mother’s letters.

She learns that her mother lived a happy and quiet life. Ines spent most of her days herding sheeps in the meadows or helping her parents at the mill.  Until World War Two began and Nazi soldiers started to encroach on their land, Ines and her family lived quiet lives. After foreign troops entered their land, Ines joined the Resistenza, with her brother to help protect British soldiers and her homeland from the invaders. As Anna delves deeper into her mother’s story, she learns that Ines fell in love with a British soldier. She wonders what caused Ines to leave her beloved country and what happened to that soldier as Anna spent most of her childhood hearing her parents fight with each other. She has a hard time understanding how they ended up together. And Ines refused to talk about her life in Italy no matter how much Anna had asked her.

Anna visits her mother’s old house, in hopes that she can find something that belonged to her mother.  She meets an elderly Italian man who seems to know more than he is letting on.  He flinches when Anna mentions her mother and stares at the photos with Ines that Anna has shared with him. However, he refused to talk to Anna and claimed he doesn’t remember anything about the war nor does he want to talk about it. Will Anna be able to find out the truth about her family’s past?

The novel was a quick and straightforward read. It did have a few twists but most were predictable. The book was told from alternating narrators and times. I thought both timelines were interesting but I found myself enjoying Ines’s storyline more. I wanted to find out more about her past and how she  ended up being in a loveless marriage when it seems that she was happily in love during her youth. I did find the novel to be moving slowly at times and found myself wanting more to happen. If you are a fan of cozy romance novels that take place around World War Two, then you might enjoy this book.

 

Book Review: Twin Sisters Livingston and the Mystery at Madame Molineaux's by Mary Knight

Twin Sisters Livingston and the Mystery at Madame Molineaux's by Mary Knight is about two sisters, Maddie and Jo Livingston, who discover something is amiss at their new boarding school, Madame Molineaux's. The twelve year old twins have spent most of their lives traveling the world with their famous archaeologist parents. However, when their parents take on a new assignment in Siberia, they decide to leave the girls at a new boarding school in Switzerland. The girls are disappointed that they can’t join their parents but they are excited that their new school is in a castle.

The school is filled with students and professors from all over the world. Shortly after arriving at the school, the girls realize that the school is unlike anything they have ever seen. Not only are the residents interesting but the school is filled with secret tunnels, weird hybrid animals, and tapestries that are hidden under artwork. Maddie and Jo are excited to try and figure out all the mysteries the school contains while they wait for their parents to return.

I was excited to read the novel because I love mysteries. However, I was thoroughly disappointed at how boring and unnecessarily long the novel was. The book clocked in at a little under 450 pages but nothing happened for more than 400 pages. I was more than 95% done before I stopped reading the novel because we learned nothing after 400 pages other than something is happening but we don’t know what, who, or why.  There was nothing keeping me tethered to the novel to continue reading the last few pages. I am very surprised that this book was targeted towards middle school aged readers as it is a hefty read without any humor or engaging plot to keep young readers entertained. 

Book Review - Frozen Peaches: The Great Peach Experiment by Erin Soderberg Downing

 

Frozen Peaches: The Great Peach Experiment by Erin Soderberg Downing is about the Peach family winning a trip to the world famous Ice Hotel. While the family are eating breakfast, Freddy makes an announcement to his father and siblings. He hints that the announcement is life changing and exciting. His family is used to Freddy making random announcements that are a bit overdramatized and not really life changing at all. After a few minutes of being ignored, Freddy decides to tell them the great news.

Freddy tells his family that they won an all expense paid trip to Sweden to learn more about the Ice Hotel. When they arrived at the hotel, they met the other sweepstakes winners. As part of the contest prize, the winners will get to participate in the hotel’s Frozen Olympics to win their very own ice hotel.  The siblings are excited to learn more about the Ice Hotel and win their very own one.

The novel is the third book in the series but could be read as a standalone. This was the first book I’ve read in the series and I was able to follow along with the story. There were a few references to previous storylines but it didn’t impact my enjoyment of the book. I found the book to be a quick and fun read. I feel that young readers would enjoy reading this story. The book included drawings that were made by Freddy but while cute I didn’t really think they added much to the story. The book also included a short author’s note explaining her inspiration for the book. I would have enjoyed the book a bit more if it had a bit more humor though. I would be open to reading more books by the author.

Book Review - Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi

 

Perfect Shot by Steve Urszenyi is about a former US Army sniper who uncovers a nuclear threat.  Special Agent Alexandra Martel is no longer in the battlefield where she had a reputation as one of the most decorated Army snipers in the service. She is now an FBI special agent on loan to Interpol. When on assignment with Interpol, she learns that an old friend, Krysten, had died under mysterious circumstances.

Krysten was an MI5 officer that Alex had met years ago but fell out of touch with. Alex is unsure whether or not to get involved because she lost contact with Krysten and feels that if there was foul play involved, MI5 would get to the bottom of it. However, Krysten’s roommate isn’t letting Alex off the hook and has been persistent that Krysten’s death is sketchy and that someone needs to look into it.

Alex decides to take a look into Krysten’s death after receiving a mysterious email from her. As Alex tries to piece together the clues, she realizes that Krysten might have been warning Alex of something. While Alex is trying to figure out the clues, an American nuclear warhead goes missing on her base. Alex is trying to figure out if Krysten’s death and the missing warhead are related before it’s too late.

I thought that the novel was an okay read. It was a fast paced read that was filled with action. I didn’t like that it included a lot of military terms and acronyms I am not familiar with. I wish that they included a dictionary or glossary.  The novel had a bit too much detail that it was overwhelming to read and parse out what was pertinent to the storyline.  There were times that the story seemed a bit unrealistic and there were too many coincidences happening.

I liked that Alex was a confident character that was able to get things done. However, there were times I would question her skill level and found her annoying. She kept using a device that she knew was compromised to share sensitive information or she would share mission details with people she just met. It was confusing because sometimes she would be on guard right off the bat and then other times she seems so trusting of others. I would have liked if the author had included more of her backstory because it was hard to connect with and understand her sometimes. That said, I am interested in reading more of Alex’s adventures and learning more about her.

Book Review - Finding Normal: Sex, Love, and Taboo in Our Hyperconnected World by Alexa Tsoulis-Reay

 

Finding Normal: Sex, Love, and Taboo in Our Hyperconnected World by Alexa Tsoulis-Reay is a journalist’s exploration on how different people use the internet to find their community. Alexa finds people who identify in a variety of ways that are different from sexual norms. The book is based on a collection of candid interview series conducted for a popular magazine.

The book was interesting because each chapter was based on a different identity. The chapters were interesting to read even though I couldn’t relate to any of the people. I like that the author allowed each person to tell their story and then shared her assessment. I at first felt disgusted by some of the behavior but then I try to reign in my emotions and realize that sometimes, the people sharing their story do not want to be that way or I should be more empathetic and more open minded towards them. 

The book is split into two sections. The first section has mild taboo behaviors like asexuality, multiple partners, and age difference while the second half of the book might not be for everyone as it has more “extreme” ones.  I thought the book was well researched and written. I would be open to reading more articles or books by the author.

Book Review - Unearthing: A Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets by Kyo Maclear

 

 

Unearthing: A Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets by Kyo Maclear is about a woman who finds out the man who raised her was not her biological dad. In December 2018, three months after her father’s death, Kyo receives DNA results that shows that someone else is her biological dad. Kyo feels completely unmoored by the discovery and feels her life is unraveling. She starts to question her entire identity. 

Kyo decides to try and figure out who her father is. She tries to get her mother to open up and tell her the truth. However, Kyo finds that her mother is not forthcoming even though her mother is dying of cancer.

I was excited to read the book but my interest started to wane at many points of the story. I found it confusing when the author would jump back and forth in the book. It was hard to keep track of the events and felt the book was all over the place. I also found the book to be overly wordy and boring. It would be too descriptive on certain events and it was exhausting to read after a while. The author would repeat some of the same ideas several times. I thought the book would reveal a bunch of family secrets and have many twists but the main secret was her biological father was kept a secret from her.

I was more than 90% finished with the book before I decided that it was too boring to continue. I didn’t understand the connection that the author was trying to make with her relationships with her love for plants to her relationship with her family. I am sure a general connection could be said of any relationship. Overall, I am very disappointed in the book.

 

February 2024 Empties!

I can hardly believe it is already February but to be fair, I am ready for the cold weather to be done and to enjoy the spring time weather. I don't think I can handle another snow storm or temperatures in the single digit anymore.

I did manage to finish a few things this month. A few things were great and others were meh. I was surprised on some things that I heard rave review on was just mediocre at best. 

The Winkylux Mermaid Moisture cleanser was very pretty. It had a pale blue green gel consistency and had tons of shimmer in it. It was very fun and I liked the packaging. However, it was very lackluster when it came to removing my eye makeup. I found myself using multiple pumps and still having traces of makeup on my skin.

I have used a few products from Sweet Chef before and I liked their facial sheet masks. Their packaging reminds me of the brand Tony Moly. However, their Beet + Vitamin A serum shot has been disappointing. I am not sure if I waited to long to use it but the consistency was just too thick for the eye dropper. I ended up just pouring out the serum on my palms and then rubbing it into my skin. The serum was very hydrating but I feel that I ended up using way too much product because I couldn't use the dropper.

I tend to get skin sensitivities randomly. The Olivarrier Comfort Barrier Cream has been really great at helping my skin heal. It is thick and creamy and goes on so smoothly. It dried down to a  matte finish and it wasn't too heavy. I like that it didn't have a scent. It's also great for a cold weather cream as it is very hydrating.

Was there anything that you finished this month that you liked?

Book Review - The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 by Cassandra Clare and Cassandra Jean

 

The Mortal Instruments: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 by Cassandra Clare and Cassandra Jean is about a young woman, Clary, who can see things other people can’t. The most exciting part of Clary’s life is hanging out with her best friend, Simon. They spend most of their days hanging together. However, that all changes when Clary crosses paths with a mysterious stranger that she realizes no one else can see but her. To make matters worse, her mother disappears and a monster attacks her. She doesn’t know who she can turn to for help. As Clary tries to make sense of her new reality, she crosses paths again with the stranger and he introduces her to an entire new world that she never knew existed. A world filled with magical creatures like vampires, werewolves and demons along with the beings called Shadowhunters, who help protect humans from the monsters.

This was my first time reading anything by the author but I did a quick search before diving into the book and found that she had a huge cult following. It did take a few pages to get into the flow of the books and be able to tell the different characters apart. Since I am not familiar with The Mortal Instruments, the series took me a bit to understand what was going on. However, once I was able to follow along with the story, I found myself hooked. I wanted to read more and find out what happens to Clary. I do wish that the book didn’t end on a cliffhanger but I guess that will motivate me to read the novels to find out what happens next.

Book Review - The Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning

 

 

The Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning is about a young woman, Alexandra, who is trying to find out the truth about her family’s past. In 1939, a young Jewish European refugee named Romy escaped to Shanghai with her family to escape from the growing Nazi influence. While Romy and her family try to acclimate to their new surroundings, Romy befriends her neighbor’s daughter, Li. The pair and their families become close friends and inseparable. However, Shanghai isn’t invisible to the terrors of World War II and its destruction comes to their little corner of the world.  After a devastating act of violence, Li and Romy find their friendship violently torn apart.

In 2016, Alexandra decided to leave her home in London to Australia after experiencing a bad breakup. She decides that spending time with her grandparents, Romy and Wilhelm, would be good for her soul and to help mend her broken heart. Alexandra wants to spend time with her grandparents as her grandfather wasn’t doing too well over the past week. Her grandmother fears that his death might be imminent.

While going in and out of consciousness, Wilhelm lets a secret drop from his past. Alexandra is desperate to learn how it fits into her own past and history. She knows that her mother had struggled in life because she didn’t know her own history of her adoption. Alexandra is determined to find out the truth about her family’s past, so she decides to fly to Shanghai and try to trace her grandparents' past.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the novel. The book was a long read but I enjoyed most parts of the book. I did wish at times that the story would pick up pacing wise. The book did go into a lot of details that I thought could have been cut down a bit.  It was told from alternating timelines and narrators. I loved reading about Romy and her time in Shanghai. I felt that those were the best part of the book. I was disappointed that it took Romy so long before she told Alex the truth. I felt that this could have been done earlier instead of drawing it out. I would be open to reading more books by this author.

 

Book Review - The Selkie's Daughter by Linda Crotta Brennan + Giveaway

 

The Selkie's Daughter by Linda Crotta Brennan is about a young girl named Brigit who tries to come to terms with being both human and a selkie. Brigit has heard of all the old tales about selkies, sea goddesses, and other magical creatures that are not quite. She should feel proud that she is the daughter of a selkie but she knows it’s a secret she has to keep from everyone. Her aunt, Alys, cuts the webbing between her fingers to help the truth from coming out and to keep Brigit safe from other people.

As Brigit and her family try to keep her secret, a villager has been hurting baby seals and selling their fur. When the Great Selkie hears of this, he brings his wrath to the village.  Brigit decides to travel to Sule Skerrie, the land of selkies, to confront the Great Selkie about the truth. Brigit feels that only the guilt party should be punished and not everyone in the village.

I thought the book was an interesting read. It was a quick and straightforward read with not many twists or turns. I do wish it had a bit more humor to the story. I did enjoy reading about the lore about the selkie and the Sule Skerrie. The author included a snippet of selkie lore at the beginning of each chapter but I wish it was made like a fun fact about selkies. Instead it was a poem, I would have preferred more story based like a snippet of a folklore, song, or myths. The book was a fun read overall and I would be open to reading more books by the author.

About The Book:

Title: THE SELKIE'S DAUGHTER

Author: Linda Crotta Brennan

Pub. Date: January 2, 2024

Publisher: Holiday House

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 208

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/THE-SELKIES-DAUGHTER

A cozy, richly imagined fantasy where a young selkie girl must save her family from a vengeful king.

Brigit knows all the old fisherman songs and legends by heart: sea goddess, warriors, and people who are not quite human. But Brigit also knows the truth. It’s evident in the webbing between her fingers–webbing that must be cut. She’s the daughter of a selkie. A truth she must keep secret from everyone.

But there is another secret growing in the village. A terrible one that will invite the wrath of the Great Selkie, bringing storm, sickness, and death. To protect those she loves, Brigit must find a way to Sule Skerrie, the land of selkies, to confront the Great Selkie and bring the truth—all of it—into the light.

Like sitting by a warm fireplace, The Selkie’s Daughter is an imaginative fantasy, steeped in Celtic mythology and set in Nova Scotia. Debut Linda Crotta Brennan has crafted a magical portrait of a brave girl coming into her own. Perfect for fans of mermaids and Studio Ghibli-esque stories.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

 

About Linda Crotta Brennan:

Linda Crotta Brennan is the author of many picture books, including When Rivers Burned, named a Notable Social Studies Trade Book by the CBC and NCSS and an Outstanding Science Trade Book by the NSTA and CBC. She holds a master's degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked as an instructor for the Institute of Children's Literature. Linda is an active member of SCBWI. The Selkie’s Daughter is her debut novel. She lives in New England.

 

Website | Twitter (X) | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of THE SELKIE'S DAUGHTER, US Only.

Ends January 31st, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/15/2024	Kountry Girl Bookaholic	Excerpt/IG Post
1/15/2024	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
1/16/2024	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
1/16/2024	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
1/17/2024	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
1/17/2024	@dharashahauthor	IG Post/TikTok Post
1/18/2024	GryffindorBookishNerd	Review/IG Post
1/18/2024	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
1/19/2024	@anitralovesbooksanddogs	IG Review
1/19/2024	The Momma Spot	Review

Week Two:

1/22/2024	FUONLYKNEW	Excerpt
1/22/2024	Jaimes_mystical_library	IG Review
1/23/2024	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
1/23/2024	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post
1/24/2024	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
1/24/2024	Lisa-Queen of Random	Review/IG Post
1/25/2024	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
1/25/2024	Confessions of the Perfect Mom	Review/IG Post
1/26/2024	two points of interest	Review
1/26/2024	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post

Book Spotlight - Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell + Giveaway

 

About The Book:

Title: LIGHT AND AIR

Author: Mindy Nichols Wendell

Pub. Date: January 2, 2024

Publisher: Holiday House

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Pages: 218

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/LIGHT-AND-AIR 

It's 1935, and tuberculosis is ravaging the nation. Everyone is afraid of this deadly respiratory illness. But what happens when you actually have it?

When Halle and her mother both come down with TB, they are shunned—and then they are sent to the J.N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital: far from home, far from family, far from the world.

Tucked away in the woods of upstate New York, the hospital is a closed and quiet place. But it is not, Halle learns, a prison. Free of her worried and difficult father for the first time in her life, she slowly discovers joy, family, and the healing power of honey on the children's ward, where the girls on the floor become her confidantes and sisters. But when Mama suffers a lung hemorrhage, their entire future—and recovery—is thrown into question....

Light and Air deals tenderly and insightfully with isolation, quarantine, found family, and illness. Set in the fully realized world of a 1930s hospital, it offers a tender glimpse into a historical epidemic that has become more relatable than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Halle tries to warm her father’s coldness and learns to trust the girls and women of the hospital, and as she and her mother battle a disease that once paralyzed the country, a profound message of strength, hope, and healing emerges.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

 

About Mindy Nichols Wendell:

Mindy Nichols Wendell taught writing and pedagogy at SUNY Fredonia for many years, where she served as the Director of the Composition Program. In 2019, she received the prestigious State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Mindy lives in Western New York with her husband, Steve, a retired teacher. She is located not far from the ruins of the J. N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital, the inspiration for LIGHT AND AIR.

 

Website | Twitter (X) | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of LIGHT AND AIR, US Only.

Ends January 31st, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/15/2024	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Excerpt/IG Post
1/15/2024	Lady Hawkeye	Excerpt/IG Post
1/16/2024	Kountry Girl Bookaholic	Excerpt/IG Post
1/16/2024	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
1/17/2024	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
1/17/2024	Fyrekatz Blog	Review
1/18/2024	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
1/18/2024	@anitralovesbooksanddogs	IG Review
1/19/2024	Avainbookland	IG Review
1/19/2024	Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post

Week Two:

1/22/2024	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
1/22/2024	NewBookCatsREADS	Review/IG Post
1/23/2024	100 Pages A Day	Review/IG Post
1/23/2024	Lisa-Queen of Random	Review/IG Post
1/24/2024	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
1/24/2024	Confessions of the Perfect Mom	Review/IG Post
1/25/2024	FUONLYKNEW	Excerpt
1/25/2024	two points of interest	Review
1/26/2024	One More Exclamation	Review/IG Post
1/26/2024	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post