Middle Grade March 2021

 

Happy March 1st!

What are you reading for Middle Grade March 2021?

My first middle grade book this March will be Tilly and the Map of Stories. It is the third book in the Pages & Co series by Anna James. I loved the first two books and look forward to seeing what Tilly and Oskar will be up to this time. If you're new to the series then you are probably wondering what this series all about. Tilly and her family are bookwanderers...which means they can travel into books and fictional characters can travel out of the books to visit them. In the world of Pages & Co it's more complicated because there are rules and regulations about the traveling. Can you imagine visiting Alice in Wonderland or Anne at Green Gables? This is a fun series that is perfect for Middle grade readers and also enjoyable for adults. 

My reading plan includes at least four Middle grade books but hopefully there will be time to read more. 

The four definite books are...

Tilly and the Map of Stories by Anna James

Book 3 of Pages & Co series

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The War That Saved My life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

The Secrets of Winterhouse by Ben Guterson

Book 2 in the Winterhouse series

Talk Tolstoy to Me: Update

Part II of Book One

 Page 137 of Volume I

Wow, part, book, page, volume....so many ways to keep track of where I'm at in War & Peace. I enjoyed the introduction of numerous characters in Part I of Book One. The beginning of Part II is not quite as interesting but it's to be expected that there will be preferences to certain parts of the story. Personally, I do not expect to enjoy the "war" part. 

Until next week......

 

Talk Tolstoy to Me: My 2021 Reading Challenge

 War and Peace

War & Peace has been a reading goal of mine for many years.  This year, on January 2, 2021, I finally started reading this massive book.  Have you ever wanted to read a classic book and not had any idea why you wanted to read it?  This is me with War & Peace.  For some reason, I picked up a very old used edition many years ago, most likely from Goodwill for a $1, and I have wanted to read it since that day.  Why didn't I read it sooner? The truth is that this book is intimidating.  Once or twice a year I will pick it up, thumb through the pages, and think "maybe later, not today".  Every year I put "Read War & Peace" at the top of my reading plans for the year and every year by December I think "maybe next year".  Well this is the year I am going to finally read this comprehensive and massive piece of Russian literature.  This is also the year I am going to document my reading challenge on this blog.

The edition I have decided to read is the Everyman's Library edition.  I love that this is a set of three volumes which makes it seem less daunting and it's definitely lighter to hold for reading purposes.  As of today, January 7, 2021, I am on Volume 1, page 59.  Yes, I am reading it rather slowly and much slower than I normally read but I am also reading other books.  Currently, I am still completing my 2020 Jane Austen rereads with Mansfield Park and reading a book from the library on Libby.  

New Release Today: Christmas Cupcake Murder

Christmas Cupcake Murder

By Joanne Fluke

Release Date: September 29, 2020

87 days until Christmas...Are you ready to start reading Christmas books? Are you ready to discover some fun new recipes?

Thank you to Kensington Books for the gifted review copy of Christmas Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke. All opinions are my own. 

Hannah Swenson is back and she's trying to solve a missing person case. The story goes back in time to before her mother and Carrie own the antique business near her. When a nice man knocks on her back door and asks for work Hannah wants to help him. He's very polite but also very cold and thin. She knows he needs help. Soon "Joe" is hospitalized. He doesn't know his name or how he got to Lake Eden. It will take Hannah with all of her family and friends to help him. 

I do recommend the entire series but for anyone new to the series this could work as a stand alone or be read out of order. It is not a continuation of her current storyline so this book will work for all readers. 

Joanne Fluke has a way with her feel good Hannah Swenson series. The characters are people you would want to be your friend. The town of Lake Eden feels like a family. I read the series because I love the characters. 

As with all of the books in the Hannah Swenson series, it is full of beautiful recipes. I'm looking forward to trying some of the recipes in Christmas Cupcake Murder. All of the recipes I have tried from previous books and her cookbook have been amazing. 

Cozy mysteries are perfect for light and fun reads. 

Mystery & Thrillers 

Release Date: September 29, 2020

Which recipes will you make for the holidays?  

So far, I have 4 marked to try this year....

White Chocolate Eggnog Cupcakes

Cocktail Munchie Mix

Milk Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Strawberry Cupcakes (with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting)

  

 

New Release: The Dilemma

The Dilemma

By B.A. Paris

4⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to St. Martins Press for a gifted review copy of The Dilemma by B.A. Paris. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Dilemma by B.A. Paris is an intriguing story about secrets. It's difficult to not say too much about the storyline when reviewing this book.  I don't want to spoil the book for anyone so there is very little synopsis for this one.  I will say... this book is definitely worth reading.

Olivia has been planning her 40th birthday party for over 20 years.  When she found out she was pregnant and married her husband at very young age her parents disowned her. They refused to pay for a wedding. She decided that she would get a party and it would be for her 40th birthday.  On the day of the party her husband has a big surprise which he has kept secret from her. Olivia has her own secrets and so does almost everyone. Should you keep a secret to make someone feel better?

This book is told by both Olivia and her husband, Adam. The story takes place over a very short period of time. It is a good example of spouses trying to protect each by keeping secrets. Olivia wants to protect Adam and Adam wants to protect Olivia. Their children have secrets and their friends have secrets.  Will they tell their secrets? Will they forgive each other if they do tell?

Olivia was over the top obsessed with the party.  It made me look at her as a very selfish person.  If you missed having a big wedding why wouldn't you have a big anniversary party?  Olivia wanted a big birthday party for herself only.  I finished this book a few days ago and I'm still thinking about Olivia.  Is she just misunderstood?  I'm still undecided.....

This is a hard to put down book. I wanted to know what they each knew and what they were going to do with that information. B.A. Paris did it again....another great book.

More about the author...
B.A. Paris is an internationally bestselling author.  She also wrote Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, and Bring Me Back.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Mystery/Thriller
Women's Fiction
Release Date June 30, 2020

My semi break is over

Thank you to the below tagged publishers for gifted review copies.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird 4⭐(library book)

The Jane Austen Society 4⭐(St. Martin's Press)

The Half Sister 4.5⭐(Minotaur Books)

The Summer House 4⭐(Thomas Nelson)

The Wife Who Knew Too Much 4⭐(St. Martin's Press)

The past few months I have struggled with reading, blogging, and posting to Instagram.  The above books were the total of my reading in April and May.  Normally I read 8-12 books per month but when Covid arrived my ability to focus on a book went out the window.   June is the month that I started to enjoy reading and interacting regularly on Instagram again.  Now it's time to pick up blogging again and share some of the wonderful books I have been reading.  Even though bookstores have been closed there have been some great online sales for books over the past 3 months.  I'm looking forward to sharing some of those books with you as well in the upcoming weeks/months.

Thank you for staying around during my semi break.  I would love to hear from you and please let me know how you're doing.

Be on the lookout for Jane Austen July posts coming soon.

Miss Austen Blog Tour

**Thank you to Flatiron Books for a gifted review copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Welcome to the Miss Austen Blog Tour.

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby is a touching historical fiction about Cassandra Austen.

Cassandra was once engaged to Isabella's uncle, Tom Fowle. The families were very close and both Jane and Cassandra Austen were very good friends with Isabella's mother, Eliza.  An elderly Cassandra visits Isabella in order to retrieve letters that had been written to Isabella's mother by Jane and Cassandra. She doesn't want private matters about her sister to become public. The letters in this story are of course made up by the author but according to family record Cassandra did look over and destroy some of the correspondence involving herself and her sister, Jane.

The story takes place in a dual timeline. The past is told through letters and Cassandra's memories. The present will make the reader feel for the remaining sister and her responsibilities to the family. Even though the letters are imagined they were touching and realistic to the story. The author is able to bring across the loving relationship and loyalty between sisters. This book also helped me to place the members of the Austen family, their spouses, and the children.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would definitely read more from author. This book is perfect for historical fiction fans as well as Jane Austen fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Historical Fiction
Release Date: April 7, 2020