The cover and the blurb of the book got my attention, and despite the page count (400 pages), I requested an ARC. The Tuscan House is a story 4 Stars
The cover and the blurb of the book got my attention, and despite the page count (400 pages), I requested an ARC. The Tuscan House is a story set during WW II in Italy. We have Richard, a Quaker pacifist, an Inglese (from England), Fosca, and her young son, Giampiero, and many other characters who play different roles in the book. The story deals with the backstories of Richard, Fosca, and Simonetta- three different people with different backgrounds, ideas, and approaches, and connected across time to each other. Overall, this is a bittersweet book and will make a good choice for those who like stories set in the countryside with enough importance given to human emotions. Oh, yes, it’s got food and wine too (after all, we are in Tuscany). I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture and am voluntarily leaving a review. #TheTuscanHouse #NetGalley *************** Read the full review here.
Merged review:
4 Stars
The cover and the blurb of the book got my attention, and despite the page count (400 pages), I requested an ARC. The Tuscan House is a story set during WW II in Italy. We have Richard, a Quaker pacifist, an Inglese (from England), Fosca, and her young son, Giampiero, and many other characters who play different roles in the book. The story deals with the backstories of Richard, Fosca, and Simonetta- three different people with different backgrounds, ideas, and approaches, and connected across time to each other. Overall, this is a bittersweet book and will make a good choice for those who like stories set in the countryside with enough importance given to human emotions. Oh, yes, it’s got food and wine too (after all, we are in Tuscany). I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture and am voluntarily leaving a review. #TheTuscanHouse #NetGalley *************** Read the full review here....more
There’s nothing like the view of the sea and the sky from the window of your childhood home. And the occasional mist that surrounds the house 4 Stars
There’s nothing like the view of the sea and the sky from the window of your childhood home. And the occasional mist that surrounds the house and isolates you from the rest of the world can be peaceful, stifling, or terrifying. Rosie Merchant feels all of these and much more as she stands in the empty Driftwood House, located in the small seaside village, Heaven’s Cove. Her mother passed away when Rosie was in Spain, enjoying her life and work. She gets back home to the village she couldn’t wait to escape from. What else could she do? But her plan of packing her mother’s possessions and catching the next possible flight crumbles when she receives a notice. Confused between listening to her mind and her heart, Rosie finds it hard to come to terms with her mother’s death. One decision leads to another, and secrets start to trip her in the most unexpected ways. Was her life even real? What other secrets did her mother hide? How would it change Rosie's future? Include a handful of villagers- Nessa, a single mother who fast becomes Rosie’s friend again, Liam, the school’s heartthrob, who is now a farmer with sad eyes and troubles of his own, Belinda, the lady who knows everything and can gossip from day to night, Katrina, who manages to inspire strong feelings without even trying, and a few others; the book is a mix of people we come to like and people we’d love to hate. The setting and its descriptions are the highlights of the book. As a fan of settings, this pleases me to no end. Luckily, the characters, too, were well developed to add more weight to the story. There is a good mix of show and tell, which set a steady pace for the narrative to create interest and hook the readers’ attention. The story is neither too heavy nor too light. It has moments of smiles, chuckles, and sadness. Of course, we can guess the secrets, but then, this isn’t a thriller. The author keeps us invested in the characters, and we find ourselves wishing for something good to happen. Yes, there is some romance as well. I found it quite nice to see how it develops over time rather than take us by surprise at how fast it seems to have proceeded. The story has a happy ending, and that made me very happy. Overall, this is a warm and bittersweet book with wonderful locations and easy-to-understand characters. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture and am voluntarily leaving a review. P.S: I’ve come to expect more from the books by this publisher. The covers are fantastic and make me want to read them all. #SecretsattheLastHouseBeforetheSea #NetGalley
Merged review:
4 Stars
There’s nothing like the view of the sea and the sky from the window of your childhood home. And the occasional mist that surrounds the house and isolates you from the rest of the world can be peaceful, stifling, or terrifying. Rosie Merchant feels all of these and much more as she stands in the empty Driftwood House, located in the small seaside village, Heaven’s Cove. Her mother passed away when Rosie was in Spain, enjoying her life and work. She gets back home to the village she couldn’t wait to escape from. What else could she do? But her plan of packing her mother’s possessions and catching the next possible flight crumbles when she receives a notice. Confused between listening to her mind and her heart, Rosie finds it hard to come to terms with her mother’s death. One decision leads to another, and secrets start to trip her in the most unexpected ways. Was her life even real? What other secrets did her mother hide? How would it change Rosie's future? Include a handful of villagers- Nessa, a single mother who fast becomes Rosie’s friend again, Liam, the school’s heartthrob, who is now a farmer with sad eyes and troubles of his own, Belinda, the lady who knows everything and can gossip from day to night, Katrina, who manages to inspire strong feelings without even trying, and a few others; the book is a mix of people we come to like and people we’d love to hate. The setting and its descriptions are the highlights of the book. As a fan of settings, this pleases me to no end. Luckily, the characters, too, were well developed to add more weight to the story. There is a good mix of show and tell, which set a steady pace for the narrative to create interest and hook the readers’ attention. The story is neither too heavy nor too light. It has moments of smiles, chuckles, and sadness. Of course, we can guess the secrets, but then, this isn’t a thriller. The author keeps us invested in the characters, and we find ourselves wishing for something good to happen. Yes, there is some romance as well. I found it quite nice to see how it develops over time rather than take us by surprise at how fast it seems to have proceeded. The story has a happy ending, and that made me very happy. Overall, this is a warm and bittersweet book with wonderful locations and easy-to-understand characters. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture and am voluntarily leaving a review. P.S: I’ve come to expect more from the books by this publisher. The covers are fantastic and make me want to read them all. #SecretsattheLastHouseBeforetheSea #NetGalley...more
Bella lives in a picturesque Scottish village and works as a kindergarten teacher. She’s the heart of the**Happy Publication Day**
*************
4 Stars
Bella lives in a picturesque Scottish village and works as a kindergarten teacher. She’s the heart of the village, always helping someone, even if it means she has to spread herself thin. Being alone on Christmas doesn’t sound that good, but Bella is pretty much used to it.
When she crashes into an elderly lady, Edina, who lives in the castle nearby, and injures her foot, Bella offers to stay and help her. Bella realizes how lonely Edina feels and tries to bring cheer to her life and the castle.
Enters, Jack, Edina’s grandson, a hotshot lawyer in London. He seems arrogant, judgmental, and pessimistic about most things in life. Yet, Bella and Jack work together on Bella’s projects and learn that there’s more to the other person than first impressions.
The Christmas Spirit is all around them, and attraction blooms between the lead couple. But with both of them having a few past issues they don’t want to deal with, will there be a future with happy ever after?
This is a sweet, cute, cozy, and heartwarming Christmas romance with likable characters. The best part about such books is that the side characters would be endearing and lovable. This book is no exception. Be it Edina, Tavish, Kenzy, Logan, or the little munchkins from Bella’s class, everyone has a personality and potential for a short story or a novella of their own.
Christmas in the Scottish Highlands has more than one couple finding love, and I enjoyed their stories equally. The writing flows, nice, warm and familiar with descriptions of the setting and easy conversation between the characters.
The main reason I pick small town/ village-based romances is the familiarity of the setting and the assurance of the ending. We know how the book will end, and that’s the kind of comfort I need at times. It’s much like eating a slice of favorite cake (the book has a good number of them too) and enjoying its taste as always.
The characters have their flaws, and the writer keeps things believable most of the time. Since the book is just 200+ pages, nothing gets dragged beyond the breaking point.
To sum up, Christmas in the Scottish Highlands is much like eating your favorite chocolate cake and sipping hot chocolate on autumn noon.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
#ChristmasintheScottishHighlands #NetGalley
*****
P.S: It’s not naan bread. It is naan; no suffix needed. Calling it naan bread is like saying bun bread or pizza bread.
Merged review:
**Happy Publication Day**
*************
4 Stars
Bella lives in a picturesque Scottish village and works as a kindergarten teacher. She’s the heart of the village, always helping someone, even if it means she has to spread herself thin. Being alone on Christmas doesn’t sound that good, but Bella is pretty much used to it.
When she crashes into an elderly lady, Edina, who lives in the castle nearby, and injures her foot, Bella offers to stay and help her. Bella realizes how lonely Edina feels and tries to bring cheer to her life and the castle.
Enters, Jack, Edina’s grandson, a hotshot lawyer in London. He seems arrogant, judgmental, and pessimistic about most things in life. Yet, Bella and Jack work together on Bella’s projects and learn that there’s more to the other person than first impressions.
The Christmas Spirit is all around them, and attraction blooms between the lead couple. But with both of them having a few past issues they don’t want to deal with, will there be a future with happy ever after?
This is a sweet, cute, cozy, and heartwarming Christmas romance with likable characters. The best part about such books is that the side characters would be endearing and lovable. This book is no exception. Be it Edina, Tavish, Kenzy, Logan, or the little munchkins from Bella’s class, everyone has a personality and potential for a short story or a novella of their own.
Christmas in the Scottish Highlands has more than one couple finding love, and I enjoyed their stories equally. The writing flows, nice, warm and familiar with descriptions of the setting and easy conversation between the characters.
The main reason I pick small town/ village-based romances is the familiarity of the setting and the assurance of the ending. We know how the book will end, and that’s the kind of comfort I need at times. It’s much like eating a slice of favorite cake (the book has a good number of them too) and enjoying its taste as always.
The characters have their flaws, and the writer keeps things believable most of the time. Since the book is just 200+ pages, nothing gets dragged beyond the breaking point.
To sum up, Christmas in the Scottish Highlands is much like eating your favorite chocolate cake and sipping hot chocolate on autumn noon.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
#ChristmasintheScottishHighlands #NetGalley
*****
P.S: It’s not naan bread. It is naan; no suffix needed. Calling it naan bread is like saying bun bread or pizza bread....more
One-Liner: A delicious collection of tidbits about the City of Joy by a Kolkata girl.
Tilottama at a Glance is much more than a compilation 4.5 Stars
One-Liner: A delicious collection of tidbits about the City of Joy by a Kolkata girl.
Tilottama at a Glance is much more than a compilation of information about Kolkata. It’s the heart and soul of a Kolkata girl proclaiming her love for the city, its history, and its people.
It’s a short and sweet book compiled from the A to Z blog posts written for the yearly A to Z Blogging Challenge. From the Addas to street food to Eden Gardens, Chor Bazaar, and Durga Pujo, the book touches on several aspects that are intrinsic to the city.
Some of them reminded me of the beauty of my own city, while the fish festival took me to my native state, where a similar event occurs every year.
I traveled with the author as I flipped the pages, seeing the city with her eyes and listening to the bustling crowd with her ears.
Read Tilottama at a Glance not to know more about Kolkata but to feel it the way the locals do. Every word in the book reflects the author’s love for her beloved city.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author. The views expressed in the review are my own.
Note: A version of the book was previously available under the title, Kolkata Chronicles: An A To Z Guide For The Uninitiated. ...more
Timothy ‘Sparrow’ Sperling misses his mother. He knows what to wish on a shooting star but falters and ends up asking for snow. Candela hasn’t4 Stars
Timothy ‘Sparrow’ Sperling misses his mother. He knows what to wish on a shooting star but falters and ends up asking for snow. Candela hasn’t seen snow in a long, long time. The folks are excited until it doesn’t stop snowing. Candela is covered with snow, so much that people have dug snow tunnels to move around.
Timothy knows needs to do something to save Candela. His uncle, Morris is already deep in despair about what happened in the past. The townsfolk blame Morris even though they are equally to blame for the ‘disaster’.
Timothy finds help from an unexpected source, and of course, it’s his beloved sparrows and a mysterious girl that show him the light. But life doesn’t go as planned, and Timothy needs to be very brave to pull off the job. Can the little kid save Candela from neverending snow?
The book is classified as middle-grade fiction and fits right in. It’s slightly dark and heavy with a few lighter moments. This isn’t a book you read for enjoyment, though magic realism works its magic rather well.
Themes such as conserving nature, ornithology, human greed, and righting the wrong play a prominent role in the book. The prose dips in and out to suit the changing moods. The ending is a little abrupt, though there’s an epilogue to give enough information for readers to imagine the rest.
The cover is beautiful, but there are no other illustrations inside. I so wish there was one for every chapter. The imagery is vivid, and having a few illustrations on the side would have made a lot of difference.
To sum up, Sparrow is a bittersweet book with valuable lessons for kids. But it is heavier than regular middle-grade fiction.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Diving Boy Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Oh, the illustrations are warm and delightful! They indeed light up the book while still being soft enough for a bedtime read. The story is abo4 Stars
Oh, the illustrations are warm and delightful! They indeed light up the book while still being soft enough for a bedtime read. The story is about a little kid who tries to find the light within him. He listens to his heartbeat and lets the light seep out of him. It’s in his smile, and the more he smiles, the brighter he gets.
Some of the lines rhyme, but I didn’t pay attention to it. I read it more like prose than verse and that helped ignore the uneven meter. Grab this book for the illustrations. I’m sure kids will love them.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial and am voluntarily leaving a review. #TheLightWithin #NetGalley ...more
The title tells you the story. Badger is bored, and so are his friends. They try different activities, things they usually like. But on that3.5 Stars
The title tells you the story. Badger is bored, and so are his friends. They try different activities, things they usually like. But on that day, no activity seems fun or interesting. Then comes a mouse, and the animals get an idea to have fun and drive away boredom.
Kids are sure to relate to the story. They tend to get restless when nothing keeps them engaged. While there isn’t much depth to the story, the illustrations are beautiful. The backgrounds are done in pastels, and even the overall color scheme is lovely and soft on the eyes.
I only wish the text was bigger in size. The tiny text makes it hard to read when there’s enough blank space around.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and North South Books Inc. and am voluntarily leaving a review. #BadgerisBored #NetGalley...more
Umm… okay! As the title says, Meow is not a cat but a kid. He’s active, energetic, and a wee bit different. He likes to ask questions and wo3.5 Stars
Umm… okay! As the title says, Meow is not a cat but a kid. He’s active, energetic, and a wee bit different. He likes to ask questions and wonder why we should stay quiet when the sign says walk left or why the monkeys get all the bananas while the kids end up with none. Naturally, his antics get him into trouble. But he manages to save the day by coming up with a unique idea.
The illustrations are cute and funny. The book is lighthearted and entertaining. Just that I’m not sure what it teaches the kids. Of course, it does show that asking questions and thinking differently from others is not wrong. Guess that is the moral of the book. Though, maybe kids should also be taught about being careful as they could end up hurting themselves and others.
Oh, wait! The book talks of sharing. That could also be the lesson. I prefer my interpretation, though.
I received an ARC from NetGalley, FDI Publishing, and Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Mommy, Look At Me! is a cute book about a little girl who wants to do different things on different days. She wants to be a princess, teacher,4 Stars
Mommy, Look At Me! is a cute book about a little girl who wants to do different things on different days. She wants to be a princess, teacher, vet, grown-up, and so on. Her mother encourages her while also giving well-directed advice as a reply.
The story is very simple and yet shows that kids can be whoever they want to be as long as it brings them happiness. It’s up to parents to gently nudge kids to identify life lessons in everything they do.
The illustrations resemble an online gaming interface (not sure what that style is called). But they are bright and cheerful. What I rather liked was the inclusion of two languages in the same book.
The first half has the story in English, and the second half has it in Spanish. A great idea, especially if the parents or kids are learning Spanish. Makes it easy to understand the words and sentences.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Indigo River Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review. #MommyLookAtMe #NetGalley ...more
How to write a story set in India to please the colonial masters and give the illusion of being an intellectual and a realist?
• Start and end **Rant**
How to write a story set in India to please the colonial masters and give the illusion of being an intellectual and a realist?
• Start and end with heavy metaphoric prose • Stereotype caste division • Stereotype class division • Insert as many instances of racism as possible • Take a wafer-thin plot • Add all possible social injustices (domestic violence, oppression, alcohol abuse, worker abuse, teen pregnancy, torture by MIL, AIDS through a partner... I hope I didn't forget any) • Go back and forth to insert the above-mentioned tropes • Sprinkle heavy prose at random • All men are evil (except the refugee from another country) • Women should be passive-aggressive (yeah, like my review) and continue to suffer • Remove all chances of hope or positivity • Mercurial main characters to tick off the checklist • Present the worst version of India and win accolades for writing realistic hard-hitting fiction (where did all the kind people vanish!?)
*****
Don't need to be a genius to figure out how much I liked the book, right? I already had an inkling about how the book would be. Even then, I expected something less dramatic and more balanced. Makes me wonder why I even bothered.
The narration did start well but soon felt like a drive through a construction site. You never know when you'll need to step on the brake because there's a sudden diversion ahead.
It didn't help that I guessed the crux of the plot within the first 50 pages but had to wait until the last 50 pages for the reveal.
One of the reviewers called the book misery porn, and I'm inclined to agree. Why is it that there is hardly anyone good in the book, except for a young boy, Haider? Even Dinaz is a stereotyped social justice crusader from an affluent family (think of rich girls joining campaigns to take selfies for Instagram).
Not sure if others didn't find it odd, but I got annoyed by Bhima's obsession with Pathan (the Afghan balloon seller). Leave the poor man alone!
Maya plays such a vital role in the book and doesn't get a chance to share her POV. We see her through Bhima and Sera's eyes. It looked like she had it in her to be a strong character but the author didn't bother to develop her arc. She ended up more as a plot device.
I know the book has a sequel, but the metaphorical ending felt totally off. I'm not surprised by the events towards the end. That was the only way the book would go. Yet, I expected a much-rounded ending, something more grounded or even hopeful. Got neither. :/ ...more
One Liner: Heartwarming but has nothing to do with the title.
Esther plans a letter-writing workshop after her father’s death. She and her f3.7 Stars
One Liner: Heartwarming but has nothing to do with the title.
Esther plans a letter-writing workshop after her father’s death. She and her father loved exchanging letters (handwritten), and Esther wants to experience the same through the workshop. She also plans to offer her copyediting skills to prospective novelists.
Imagine her surprise when the applicants are everyone else by aspiring writers! From an elderly lady to an angsty teen and a delusional businessman, a total of five people are a part of her workshop. That makes Esther the sixth participant.
She wants to help them learn how to write better. But what do they want from the workshop? A chance to express themselves? A chance to seek answers? A chance to reconcile and start fresh?
Esther realizes that her workshop is helping the participants and her in a way she didn’t expect. Letter writing isn’t about writing a letter, is it?
My Observations:
• The book takes its own sweet time to progress. (it’s a slow read). The book alters between letters and regular narration (that gives the backstories and more insight into the characters).
• The letters are arranged in a neat order almost until the end. The slight change at the end is mentioned in the first few pages and makes sense once we get there.
• Various themes, ranging from postpartum depression to loneliness to social activism, etc., are dealt with. While some are more effective, the others pale in comparison.
• Each character is distinct and can be identified by the tone of the letter. This is very important when six people are writing letters.
• The ending is happy, hopeful, and touching. It leaves the reader with a satisfied smile. A couple of issues haven’t been resolved. Guess the author left the issues that way to keep things more realistic. It works in the bigger picture, so no complaints.
• There are a few hiccups in connecting the letters. It doesn’t always feel smooth and effortless. That said, the character arcs are decent and worth mentioning. My favorites are Samuel and Juliette.
• The concept of opening up to a stranger via letters was well explored. However, I couldn’t feel the magical touch of letter writing. Maybe it’s because I was reading an electronic copy of the book. Or maybe because there weren’t images of handwritten samples or signatures to give the feeling of reading physical letters.
• Despite dealing with heavy topics, the book is not a heavy read. It’s both a plus and a minus, depending on the reader. For me, it’s a plus.
To sum up, The Little French Bookshop is a heartwarming book that deals with quite a few issues. The epistolary style makes it possible to give the topic decent space. However, the title is rather misleading. This isn’t about a bookshop, except that Esther owns a little bookshop in Lille, France.
Thank you, NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Annie, a twenty-year-old, reaches the Sicilian island of Galatea after the deat**Happy Publication Day**
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Fast-paced and gripping.
Annie, a twenty-year-old, reaches the Sicilian island of Galatea after the death of her beloved father. She is grieving the loss of the only loving person in her life. Annie has always been low on confidence, thanks to her mother’s standards. The trip to Galatea is a way to gain confidence, get her life back on track, and complete her father’s quest for his birth mother.
Meeting Salvo, the local fisherman, gives Annie the support she needs to search for her grandmother’s history. The delicate bracelet on her wrist makes things easier, but only until she realizes what her grandmother had to do to save her loved ones.
Even as Annie gets used to past unfurling in front of her eyes (literally), is she strong enough to handle the truth? Can she find peace and look forward to her life with Salvo, or will she abandon her quest and go back to the safety of her home?
What happened on Galatea that her grandmother was last found in the WWII concentration camp?
What I Like:
• It’s a short book (240+ pages) and goes at a steady pace. The combination of show and tell works well to keep me hooked. • The touch of paranormal without putting too much emphasis on it makes it alluring. It suits the beauty of the setting and the ancient ties between the people, land, and sea. • Mira and Mimi are both strong characters. Annie is, too, without being obvious about it. • The shift between the past and present is seamless. The story weaves in and out without jerks. • WWII wasn’t the central focus of the story. After reading quite a few of those this year, I’m glad to read something a little different.
What didn’t Work for Me:
• The rushed ending spoiled the beauty of the story. Sure, the actual issue is solved, but we could’ve gotten a little more information about the characters. I was surprised to see the epilogue when I expected another final chapter to tie the loose ends. • The epilogue isn’t as effective as it should be. We get the happy ever after, but something vital felt missing from the end. Also, there is no mention of Annie’s mother or her reaction to the developments. Since Annie’s character arc depended on her mother, it was disappointing to not know. • Annie’s character development wasn’t steady. It went up and down to suit the flow of the story rather than being the other way round. She needed more time to establish herself. The past track stole the limelight (as it almost always happens with dual timelines).
To sum up, The Italian Island is an intriguing and fast-paced story about women connected across generations and stood up for love. It’s not a heavy read, though it does deal with some complex issues of life and relationships.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Umm… okay. The Journey of Yuan and Kian is an interesting story about a land unicorn and a sea unicorn. The two become friends and decide to3.5 Stars
Umm… okay. The Journey of Yuan and Kian is an interesting story about a land unicorn and a sea unicorn. The two become friends and decide to play after work. But darkness descends, making it impossible. The duo plans to learn to fly so that they can poke holes in the sky for some to appear.
They go from one animal to another asking for help. Each of them directs the duo to another and takes them one step closer to the mission. They finally learn how to fly (from a stork) and poke holes in the sky, allowing the stars to appear.
The moral is to believe in yourself and persist until you achieve. The book is text-heavy, with text on one side and illustrations on the other. Adults will probably have to read it out to the kids.
Coming to the illustrations, I’m still not sure if I like them or not. Drawings have been placed on real background pictures. While it is cute, the overall result looks more like an outdated animated movie. I’m not sure how it’ll look on paper. The e-copy wasn’t exactly wow.
To sum up, the book is pretty decent and entertaining but not something I'll remember for long.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Go Out and Play has a lovely concept, showing kids the ways they can play outdoors and explore the world instead of using smartphones and el3.5 Stars
Go Out and Play has a lovely concept, showing kids the ways they can play outdoors and explore the world instead of using smartphones and electronic devices. The illustrations of the background are perfect! I love the color scheme and the warm, cozy feeling of nature flaunting her beauty.
However, the badger looked a little odd on some pages. I think the smile was off. The fox looked rather cute. The story is presented in a rhyming verse, which goes off-key at times. Maybe a more natural tone would have suited better.
To sum up, the book is pretty cute and has an important message for the kiddos if you don’t focus too much on the rhyme scheme.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Clavis Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Oh, well, lol. Never thought I’d see crocodilians in a domesticated setting. The book is for littles who have learned alphabets and are tryi3.7 Stars
Oh, well, lol. Never thought I’d see crocodilians in a domesticated setting. The book is for littles who have learned alphabets and are trying to form words. There isn’t any story here except that the 26 baby gharials are a naughty bunch. Who’d have thought such scary reptiles would look so cute in colorful onesies!
As a fellow reviewer mentioned, gharials are crocodilians from the Indian subcontinent. The illustrations are pretty cool. I like how pastels and softer colors were used to make the reptiles seem friendlier to the kids. The overall color scheme worked well. Not surprising since the book won the Silver medal of the 2020 Key Colors Competition.
Oh, forgot to add that the alliterations made me chuckle throughout. Nice wordplay. ;)
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Clavis Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Soomi is a cute little girl eager to wear her new sweater to school. The sweater is too big, but her mother pins it up when Soomi insists. H3.5 Stars
Soomi is a cute little girl eager to wear her new sweater to school. The sweater is too big, but her mother pins it up when Soomi insists. However, a thread starts to unravel from the sleeve and grows into a big, round hole. Her friends try to help her fix it in vain.
Soomi is sad and dejected. Her mother fixes it up nice and good, and Soomi learns to wait and grow up before she wears the sweater again. The story, as such, is quite simple. The illustrations are a bit rough but lively and cheerful. I loved Soomi’s tiny fountain that moves as she does.
There’s diversity in illustrations, which was good to see. The book is for kids aged 4 and above, and there isn’t anything else that memorable in the story. It’s a cute one, though.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Clavis Publishing and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Drayton family is enjoying dinner with close friends on a cold night. Libby is a 17-yo 3.5 Stars
One Liner: Interesting, but nothing new to offer
The Drayton family is enjoying dinner with close friends on a cold night. Libby is a 17-yo and the perfect daughter of Evie and Tom Drayton. Brandon, Evie’s stepson, doesn’t enjoy the same adoration.
Una and Jim are Evie’s college friends. Jim is a GP and a docile middle-aged man, while Una is the life of the party. When Libby goes out for an event and doesn’t respond to Evie’s messages or calls, Evie starts to panic. When the girl doesn’t come home, Evie knows something is wrong.
Dan Riley is assigned to find Evie and soon discovers that the girl was neither perfect nor as innocent as Evie believed. Soon enough, Libby’s body is found, and thus begins a murder investigation. As secrets are uncovered, we realize that no one is who they seem to be.
What made Libby turn into a manipulative daughter? Can Dan find out who the killer is?
The story is revealed in multiple perspectives, with Dan’s voice in the first person and the rest in the limited third person. This gives us all the necessary information to solve the case ourselves even before Dan does. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage.
Plus Points: • I got to know after reading the book that it is a part of a series of cases solved by DI Dan Riley. Makes sense that his voice is the first person. It worked so well as a standalone! I wondered why there was a chapter at the end with more details about Dan. Now I understand. • The main characters are all flawed, some more than others. The side characters are decent, though. • The story moves more like a show on the telly. Given the characters, this approach worked well. I could read the book without being involved and still enjoy it.
Not-so-Plus Points: • There isn’t anything new in the book. Story-wise or character-wise, we don’t have much to look forward to. • The twists are super easy to guess (especially for a thriller reader). That does make the book slightly dull. Since there wasn’t any action, the story felt bland towards the end. • Readers following the Dam Riley series might connect more and like it better than I did. For me, it was just another regular thriller.
To sum up, The Night of the Party is a decent thriller with a fast-paced narration. Non-thriller readers might find it more entertaining.
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
One-Liner: Some great side characters, but not enough.
*Minority Opinion*
Merrin was in love and excited to marry her beau, Digby. She could s3 Stars
One-Liner: Some great side characters, but not enough.
*Minority Opinion*
Merrin was in love and excited to marry her beau, Digby. She could see her entire future with her family and Digby in Port Charles, Cornwall. It was her home, after all. But the day of the wedding leaves her shattered and vulnerable. Merrin leaves her home in the fishing village to rebuild her life.
Six years have passed, and Merrin has a life of her own away from home. She doesn’t want to go back but has no choice when a tragedy strikes. Merrin realizes what she missed by leaving her community and dear ones and changing into someone she isn’t. Back home, Merrin has to decide who she is and what she wants from life. What does her future hold? Is she willing to move on and be truly happy?
I’ve had some of the author’s previous books on my TBR list for a while. When this one showed up in the Read Now section on NetGalley, I decided to go ahead and give it a shot.
Plus Points:
• Ruby (Merrin’s older sister) and Bella (Merrin’s bestie) are two fab characters in the book. Merrin’s mother was just as good. • The tension between Ruby and Merrin is a highlight of the book. • Women have a larger role to play (as expected) throughout. They are the decision-makers. • Beautiful descriptions of Cornwall. Something different from the city/ small town descriptions I usually read.
Not-so Plus Points:
• The narration is too slow. I understand slow beginnings, but this one is slow from start to finish. At no point did I want to read fast to know what happened next. The story went its own sweet way. • Despite Ruby being painted as the insecure sister, Merrin seemed self-absorbed in many scenes. It was about her most of the time. Even when I understood what she went through, I couldn’t continue feeling sad for her for the rest of the book. • Multiple POVs (in the limited third person) but none for Ruby. I wanted to know her more. She seemed more real and vulnerable than many others. • No clear indication for time leaps. We won’t know that a few months/ years have passed until we read the first 2-4 paragraphs in a chapter. Makes it a little hard to track the timeline. • The happy ending was good, but bringing a new love interest in the last chapter somehow didn’t work for me. Given what Merrin repeats in the book, it felt surreal. • Some weird adverbs (I forgot to note them but I remember wondering why they had to be used).
To sum up, To Love and Be Loved has its merits but hasn’t been a noteworthy read for me. Pick it up if you want something slow and sedate with bursts of emotions sprinkled throughout.
Thank you, NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Home for a While is a story about little Calvin who goes to live with a foster caregiver for a while. He is depressed, dejected, angry, unwi4.5 Stars
Home for a While is a story about little Calvin who goes to live with a foster caregiver for a while. He is depressed, dejected, angry, unwilling to trust, and unable to express his feelings. However, Maggie is patient and suggests ways for him to let go of his pent-up frustrations.
Each night Maggie asks him if she can hug him. Calvin wonders why she wants to. Each night, she gives him an answer that instills confidence in him.
It’s great to see a picture book tackle issues like foster care and overwhelming emotions. I love the illustrations (they felt so real!) and the steady progress from frustration to mild hope to acceptance.
It would have been great if Maggie and Calvin talked about what’s hurting him. But given the complexity of the issue and the length of picture books, it might have gotten a little too much.
Maybe a sequel for this to show how to initiate a conversation and express their feelings in words?
To conclude, Home for a While is a sad yet beautiful book. It can be used as a basis to start discussing foster care and how it impacts kids.
I received an ARC from NetGalley, American Psychological Association, and Magination Press and am voluntarily leaving a review.
One-Liner: Steady-paced thriller with corporate and Pharma dealings
Rick Cahill is leading a settled life after pretty much giving up on dang3.8 Stars
One-Liner: Steady-paced thriller with corporate and Pharma dealings
Rick Cahill is leading a settled life after pretty much giving up on dangerous detective pursuits. His fiancée, Leah, is pregnant with their child, and Rick is more than delighted by the news. However, his health seems to be a concern, as the headaches suggest a grave brain-related disease. Rick just wants to stay alive long enough to see his child and maybe spend some quality time with the baby.
When Moria, his dear friend, and investigative partner, calls for help, Rick knows he’ll do anything for her. She’s been through thick and thin by his side, and it’s time to help her. Moria’s son Luke seems to have broken a restraining order, and she wants to know what Luke is up to.
Rick finds the request simple enough. However, the surveillance and Luke’s subsequent disappearance, followed by deaths in the past and present complicate the case. Rick is now deep into the dealings of the corporate and Pharma world. With billions of dollars at stake, no life is safe. It’s up to Rick to find the truth and keep Luke alive (if he isn’t already dead). Of course, it feels as if Rick’s time has become rather limited on the earth.
Will Rick manage to expose the dark dealings and stay alive long enough to see his child?
Last Redemption is the eighth book in the series and can be read as a standalone. It starts a little slow but soon picks up the pace and keeps the story going. There’s a mystery, thrill, suspense, intrigue, danger, and action.
Even though this is my first book, I had no trouble understanding the relationship between the characters. There are enough snippets to provide a backstory when necessary. Rick is a rugged PI who goes more by instinct than by the book (PIs can’t solve cases if they go by the book). That puts him in danger more than once, but it goes with the job. He’s extra worried this time because of the ticking clock and a miracle child on the way.
The plot is revealed one step at a time through different characters and developments. I enjoyed how the whole thing was structured to arrive at the final conclusion. The culprit wasn’t hard to guess. In fact, we pretty much know who it is halfway through. The rest of it is to uncover the what, how, when, why and bring everything together.
There were a couple of incidents that made me wonder why Rick didn’t think of those on his own. He is an experienced PI, after all. But I let go because his character was clearly not at his best in this book. He was worried about the brain damage, and that most likely affected his instincts.
There’s an epilogue of sorts, which ties up the loose ends (almost). The book ends in such a way that there may or may not be a continuation. It leaves the reader satisfied and gives the author a chance to decide what to do with the series.
The story reminded me of the current scenario where a section of the Indian media and opposition has been lobbying for Pfizer to be brought when our Indian vaccines are already effective. The misinformation doesn't seem to stop when money is involved.
To sum up, Last Redemption is a steady-paced thriller with a capable PI taking control of the case. I’m going to check out the previous books in the series and start from the first.
Thank you, NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
#LastRedemption #NetGalley
*****
P.S: I ignored the typos and minute errors as my e-galley was an uncorrected proof copy. ...more
