Blog Tour and Giveaway: Winslow Scarecrow

 

Who is ready for all things fall? Are you looking for a delightful fall read to share with the little one in your life? I've got you covered! Winslow Scarecrow: Scarecrows are Supposed to be Scary by Stephen G. Bowling is a wonderful picture book to usher in the fall season. I also appreciate the positive message it shares about working together and resolving conflicts. 

Learn More About the Book:

 

 

Winslow Scarecrow: Scarecrows are Supposed to be Scary

Written by Stephen G. Bowling

Illustrated by Vitali Dudarenka

Ages: 4+ | 34 Pages

Publisher: Valley of Mexico | ISBN: 978-1-950957-32-3

Publisher’s Book Summary: "He’s friendly as can be! But when his kindness causes a stir, can this cornfield guardian use his noggin to make everyone happy?

Winslow, the scarecrow, wouldn’t hurt a fly. Full of song and wearing a silly hat, the bespectacled fellow stretches out his arms and welcomes the crows to rest their weary wings. But he’s shocked when the other straw-filled-scarers get upset because they think he’s falling down on the job. Listening to his brightly dressed pals argue over what is proper; he thinks hard to come up with a better way. And hoping to find an agreeable solution, he spies the fallen corn on the ground going to waste, and the kernel of an idea begins to sprout. Can Winslow protect the farmer’s crops and still welcome the rascally rooks?

Winslow Scarecrow is a charming children’s picture book. If you or your child like resolving conflict, seeing problems from all sides, and bringing people together, then you’ll adore Stephen G Bowling’s beautifully illustrated tale. Buy Winslow Scarecrow to be a ray of sunshine today!"

 

You can purchase your own copy of Winslow Scarecrow: Scarecrows are Supposed to be Scary at Amazon. Also, check out the book trailer and learn more about Stephen G. Bowling by visiting his website. Also, you can connect with him on Instagram, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Enter the Giveaway:

I've partnered with Stephen G. Bowling to host a giveaway for Winslow Scarecrow: Scarecrows are Supposed to be Scary. Four people will win a paperback copy of the book and two lucky winners will win the grand prize of Winslow Scarecrow, Grandma's House is Haunted, and Calvin the Christmas Tree. Good luck! 

 Winslow Scarecrow: Book Giveaway

 

Blog Tour: The Midnight Club by Margot Harrison

 

Fall is officially here, and that means I'm drawn to all things spooky and mysterious. I love curling up with a good mystery or thriller at this time of year, so I've had my eye on The Midnight Club by Margot Harrison. Today, I'm part of HTP's blog tour and I'm excited to share an official excerpt from this debut novel, which was just released this week.

Learn More About the Book:

 

The Midnight Club by Margot Harrison

Pub. Date: September 24, 2024

 

 

Goodreads says, "Four friends. A campus reunion. A dark new way to relive the past. It’s been twenty-five years since The Midnight Club last convened. A tight-knit group of college friends bonded by late nights at the campus literary magazine, they’re also bonded by something darker: the death of their brilliant friend Jennet junior year. But now, decades later, a mysterious invitation has pulled them back to the pine-shrouded Vermont town where it all began.

As the estranged friends gather for a weeklong campus reunion, they soon learn that their host has an ulterior motive: she wants them to uncover the truth about the night Jennet died, and she’s provided them with an extraordinary method—a secret substance that helps them not only remember but relive the past.

But each one of the friends has something to hide. And the more they question each other, the deeper they dive into their own memories, the more they understand that nothing they thought they knew about their college years, and that fateful night, is true.

Twisty, nostalgic, and emotionally thrilling, The Midnight Club explores that innate desire to revisit our first loves, our biggest mistakes, and the gulf between who we are and who we hoped we’d be."

 

You can purchase your own copy of The Midnight Club at Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, HarperCollins, and Amazon. Also, you can learn more about Margot Harrison by visiting her website and connecting with her on Goodreads, Instagram, and X/Twitter.  

 

 

An Excerpt From The Novel: 

You are hereby formally invited to a reunion of the Midnight Brunch Club. October 27th through 31st, 2014, 12 Railroad Street in Dunstan, Vermont.

Come to celebrate the life of Jennifer (Jennet) Sherilyn Stark (1967–89) and revisit our shared past through the elixir of the pines. There are still secrets to be discovered; the past is not even past (Faulkner); we are boats against the current (Fitzgerald). Leave all doubts and inhibitions at home. RSVP to Auraleigh Lydgate.

The first time Sonia ever received an invitation from Auraleigh Lydgate was in the Dove-Cat room freshman year, on the first warm spring day in Vermont, forsythia bursting forth on the quad.

Sonia was bent over a Mac Classic when Auraleigh swept in, wearing a leather jacket and drop-waist minidress, and noisily slid out a chair. “Oh my God, I’m dealing with a roommate nightmare! Marina got this brilliant idea to backpack in Europe, so now Paul and I are short a person for the townhouse.”

“Paul Bretton?” Sonia couldn’t hide her surprise. He was the
newly elected editor of their lit magazine—quiet, earnest, and formidably intellectual. Auraleigh was rich and from LA and had a husky laugh that made boys’ eyes glaze over. They seemed like a complete mismatch.

“Yeah.” Auraleigh grinned. “No, we’re not dating. I like his espresso machine, and he likes my cooking. Hey, wait—do you have housing for next year?”

“I was just going to do the lottery.” This was only their second or third conversation, and Sonia, the daughter of an itinerant hippie who could only afford the college because of her mom’s job in the admin office, could barely understand why Auraleigh would talk to her to begin with.

 When Auraleigh spoke again, Sonia almost thought she was hearing wrong: would she like to share the townhouse with them instead?

It cost more than the dorm, but Sonia barely hesitated in saying yes. She was tired of studying alone in the library and coming back to a silent room. She was tired of feeling like she didn’t belong.

Never mind that Auraleigh later admitted the invitation had been spur-of-the-moment, based more on what Sonia wasn’t than what she was. (You seemed quiet. I figured it would balance out my loud.) In that instant, whether Sonia realized it or not, she became part of a circle she would never quite be able to leave.

***
Crossing the campus of the New Mexico college where she had taught for the past decade, Sonia no longer felt the desert heat. Here was another invitation from Auraleigh, twenty-seven years later, but Sonia wasn’t the same person she’d been back then.

She climbed the library steps in a daze. At the entrance to the stacks, she pressed her ID card to the sensor. The light blinked red. She tried it again, then handed her card to the circulation assistant, a hungover-looking student who put down a copy of Teaching to Transgress to examine it.

“Semester ended yesterday.” The student had bangs in her face, too many barrettes doing too little work. She typed a number into her computer and peered at the screen. “This is invalid. Did you just graduate?”

“No, I’m faculty.” Were those bangs keeping the kid from seeing the fine lines and sags of middle age? But then Sonia understood. “I… My contract wasn’t renewed for next semester.”

The student handed her back the ID. “That’d be it.”

Sonia took the meaningless laminated rectangle that had given her access to every campus facility. She’d hoped to use the job databases that were only accessible from terminals in the chilly bowels of the library. To reach them, she would have traversed the concrete gallery hung with mementos of faculty achievements—including a one-sheet for the 1998 semi-cult film Retrophiliac, with her own name right after the director’s.

Instead she felt like a criminal. “I didn’t realize it would be invalid this soon.”

“You could apply for a temporary pass,” the girl said.

But Sonia was already headed back outside, through two sets of hissing doors and down the stucco steps into the furnace heat. She just needed to rest for a moment before cleaning out her office.

She found a shady table on the quad, sat down, and pulled out the mail she’d stuffed in her bag earlier.

The invitation.

Sonia turned over the heavy, cream-colored card and really read it this time.

You are hereby formally invited to a reunion of the Midnight Brunch Club. October 27th through 31st, 2014, 12 Railroad Street in Dunstan, Vermont.

Come to celebrate the life of Jennifer (Jennet) Sherilyn Stark (1967–89) and revisit our shared past through the elixir of the pines.

Of course—today, May 22, was the twenty-fifth anniversary of Jennet’s death.

The “reunion” was five days in October in Dunstan. Auraleigh had moved back to their college town to watch over her daughter, who was now a freshman there, and had gotten busy transforming a rundown Victorian into a cozy home. The reno must have gone well, or Auraleigh wouldn’t have invited all of them to stay there in high-foliage season.

Still, the invitation came as a surprise, because Auraleigh hadn’t called Sonia since December. During their last phone conversation, she’d grown borderline huffy when Sonia failed to show interest in the intricacies of spray-foam insulation. Since then, there’d been pictures on Facebook of the evolving home/B and B—gables, bathroom fixtures. Sonia had commented on a few of them, then gotten bored and stopped.

October was midterm season, packed with grading and tearful emails from students begging for conferences. Where would Sonia be next October? In a month, she would have no campus mailbox, no email address, no health insurance.

Take it as a sign from the universe! Auraleigh would probably say, flinging her arms out. Go back to LA! Follow your dreams!

Sonia tried but failed to tear the card in half. When you followed your dreams, you ended up like her mother—moving seven times in ten years, from the shabby-chic environs of Morningside Heights to the Vermont wilderness, always chasing a great love or transcendence in a commune’s soybean field. When you reached a certain age, you realized that the real dream, the only one that mattered, was safety.

As she shoved the card back into the envelope, her eyes again ran over the lines: There are still secrets to be discovered; the past is not even past (Faulkner); we are boats against the current (Fitzgerald).

Auraleigh had used only half the quote from The Great Gatsby; the next part was borne back ceaselessly into the past. Borne back into the past, against the inexorable current of time, by an elixir of the pines…

Sonia rose, her heart racing. In December, Auraleigh had asked if she remembered the boy with the time travel drug. Sonia had laughed and said, “Don’t be silly. That was a campus myth. There was no time travel drug.”

But she knew exactly who—and what—Auraleigh was talking about.

There was a way to go back, if you really wanted to—an elixir of the pines.

People just weren’t supposed to know about it.

Sonia, who did know, had spent the past twenty-five years trying to forget.

Excerpted from THE MIDNIGHT CLUB by Margot Harrison, Copyright © 2024 by Margot Harrison. Published by Graydon House, an imprint of HarperCollins.

 

So, what did you think? Will you be adding The Midnight Club to your TBR list? I can't wait to read this one. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.   

 

Book Review: The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

Pages: 320

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: September 17, 2024

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: The Last Thing He Told Me

and Hello, Sunshine

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "Estranged siblings discover their father has been keeping a secret for over fifty years, one that may have been fatal...

Liam Noone was many things to many people. To the public, he was an exacting, self-
made hotel magnate fleeing his past. To his three ex-wives, he was a loving albeit distant family man who kept his finances flush and his families carefully separated. To Nora, he was a father who often loved her from afar – notably a cliffside cottage perched on the California coast from which he fell to his death.   

The authorities rule the death accidental, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam have other ideas. As Nora and Sam form an uneasy alliance to unravel the mystery, they start putting together the pieces of their father’s past—and uncover a family secret that changes everything.

With Laura Dave’s trademark combination of soulful suspense and evocative family drama, The Night We Lost Him is a riveting page-turner with a heartbreaking final twist you’ll never see coming.

 

Nora is an architect working in Brooklyn and her life seems to be going well, that is until her half-sibling, Sam, shows up at her work. She doesn't have real relationships with any of her half-siblings, so this is alarming. Recently their father, a hotelier, has died at his California home. It was deemed an accident involving the steep cliffs on the property. Sam has come to tell Nora that the "accident" wasn't an accident at all. He has reasons to believe that Liam, their father, was pushed. So, Sam and Nora try to unravel the mystery independently as the police have already closed the case. Meanwhile, there is a parallel narrative that takes readers back to fifty years ago when Liam was in a relationship with a woman named Cory, who is not one of his three ex-wives. Laura Dave's The Night We Lost Him is part family drama with a mystery mixed in and while it had a lot of potential, ultimately, it fell flat.

Nora's life is turned upside down with Sam's arrival in The Night We Lost Him. At first, I thought there was no way these two could work together as they barely get along, but slowly, they started to figure out the mystery surrounding Liam's death. Readers try to piece together the clues as well and try to figure out who the mysterious Cory featured in the flashbacks to fifty years ago is and how she relates to the bigger story. As more time goes by and Nora and Sam do a little more digging and family secrets are revealed, which is to be expected as Liam had three ex-wives.

I had high hopes for The Night We Lost Him as I really enjoyed The Last Thing He Told Me, but this novel was missing that special something. While it kept me somewhat entertained, I found I didn't care about the characters or their issues. The character development was missing something extra and in turn, it felt like a "meh" read to me. I was also expecting this one to be a bit more thrilling than it was; instead, it read like a soapy family drama.

So, are you a fan of Laura Dave? Have you read The Night We Lost Him? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Tiki Time: It's My Turn

I love a good superhero story, so I am excited to share a new book with you all today. It's called Tiki Time: It's My Turn by Creator JJ. Young children can relate to the main character as he is a ball of energy, but can get out of hand at times. Sounds like the boys in my house! Add in some adventure and magic, and you've got yourself a very entertaining read. 

 

Learn More About the Book:

 

Tiki Time: It's My Turn 

Written by Creator JJ

Illustrated by: Humouring the Fates Animation Studio

Ages 6-8 | 38 Pages

Publisher: Tiki Toons Publishing LLC | ISBN-13: 9798218341381

 

Publisher’s Book Summary: Tiki is an honest, fun, and adventurous boy full of integrity. Lately, his behavior has been too rambunctious and he needs guidance. He meets a magical spirit who gives him the guidance he is looking for and much more. The spirit grants him magical powers and sends him on a quest to save the village of TikiTown from the evil King Lauia. Come join Tiki and his friends as they go on a magical time-traveling journey to save TikiTown. Tiki and his friends must find King Lauia, take back the sacred magical Toku Mask, and return the mask to Tiki Town to unfreeze the town. If Tiki doesn’t succeed, TikiTown will remain frozen forever…

 

You can purchase your own copy of Tiki Time: It's My Turn at Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Tiki Toons Publishing. 

 

 

The Giveaway:

 

I've partnered with Creator JJ to host an incredible giveaway to celebrate the publication of Tiki Time: It's My Turn. One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of the book and a $100 Amazon gift card. Good luck!  

 

Tiki Time: Book Giveaway

Book Review: The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr

Pages: 368

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: May 28, 2024

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says,"From the New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire, the harrowing and ultimately triumphant tale of a Jewish WWII assassin turned Hollywood star...
The Goddess Of Warsaw is an enthralling story of a legendary Hollywood screen goddess with a dark secret. When the famous actress Lena Browning is threatened by someone from her war-time past, she must put her skills into play to protect herself, her illustrious career, and those she loves, then and now.
Before she was a “Living Legend”, Lena Browning was Bina Blonski, a wealthy Polish Jew whose life and prominent family were destroyed by the Nazis and imprisoned with the rest of Warsaw's Jews in a ghastly ghetto. Determined to fight back, the beautiful, blonde Aryan-looking Bina becomes a spy and an assassin, gaining information and stealing weapons outside the Warsaw ghetto to protect her family and fellow Jews. While Bina accomplishes amazing feats of bravery, she sacrifices much in the process – including a forbidden love.
More than a decade after escaping the horrors of the war, Lena Browning rises to fame in Hollywood. Yet she cannot help but hunger for revenge against the Nazis who escaped justice after the war. Fierce and fearless, Lena uses her star power to right the past’s wrongs . . . and perhaps even finds the happy ending she never had.
A gripping page-turner of one of history’s most heroic uprisings and a glamourous actress whose personal war never ends, The Goddess of Warsaw is filled with secrets, lies, twists and turns, and a burning pursuit of justice no matter the cost.

 

 

It's 2005 and Lena Browning is a Hollywood star. But Lena wasn't always the version of herself that everyone has come to know and love. In the 1940s she lived in the Warsaw Ghetto and saw horrific things that people can only imagine. She and husband lived in squalor while the Germans controlled everything. Lena, who was known as Bina then, once lived a beautiful life as an actress and she was the daughter of a prominent architect, but due to her Jewish background that all fell apart thanks to the German invasion. Bina, determined to help her people, joins Aleksander, her brother-in-law, in the resistance. She somehow survives the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which is a moment that changed her life forever. As the years go by, she remakes her life in Hollywood, all while trying to conceal the secrets of her past. Maybe Lena shares more in common with the femme fatales she plays on the screen than viewers originally thought. Lisa Barr's The Goddess of Warsaw is a memorable historical tale that fans of WWII fiction will appreciate.
 
I really loved the character of Lena/Bina in The Goddess of Warsaw. She was such a strong woman and has endured so much, how could you not root for her? While she isn't perfect (she was in love with her brother-in-law!), she still had to endure so much and make so many difficult choices. Nonetheless, she survived and made it to Hollywood, but you can run from your past. Lena will be faced with more difficult decisions and the prospect of her past coming to center stage despite the many years that have gone by.

Barr covers so many upsetting moments in history, such as the mistreatment of Jewish people, the Warsaw Ghetto, the limited food rations, the rounding up of individuals being forced to go to concentration camps, the abuse of Jewish children and women, and so much more. Still, she does it all with much sensitivity. I knew a fair amount about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, but seeing it through Bina's lens really brought it to life and made it very emotional. It's upsetting to think of the Jewish people of Poland endured and how many Jewish lives were lost, which is why The Goddess of Warsaw is such a powerful novel.
 
This is my first novel I've read by Lisa Barr, but it certainly won't be the last. If you enjoy Kate Quinn's novels, The Goddess of Warsaw would be a good fit. Let me know in the comments if you've read this book and if you are a fan of WWII fiction.

 

 

Can't Wait Wednesday: Christmas with the Queen

Can't Wait Wednesday is hosted by Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating! 

 

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb

Pub. Date: November 19, 2024

 

 

 

Goodreads says, "’Tis the season! The Crown meets When Harry Met Sally and Bridget Jones’s Diary, in the latest heartwarming historical novel from Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb, bestselling authors of Meet Me in Monaco and Three Words for Goodbye.

December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue in the tradition of her late father and grandfather’s beloved Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must move with the times, and the Queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change. 

As preparations begin for the royal Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk, two old friends—Jack Devereux and Olive Carter—find themselves reunited for the festivities. A single mother, typist at the BBC, and aspiring reporter, Olive leaps at the opportunity to cover the holiday celebration, despite self-doubts. When a chance encounter with the Queen presents an exciting opportunity, Olive begins to believe her luck might change. 

Jack, a grief-stricken widowed chef originally from New Orleans, accepts a last-minute chance to cook in the royal kitchens at Sandringham. When he bumps into a long-lost friend, an old spark is reignited.

Despite personal and professional heartache, Jack and Olive’s paths continue to cross over the following five Christmas seasons and they find themselves growing ever closer. Yet Olive carries the burden of a heavy secret. 

Christmas Day, December 1957. As the nation eagerly awaits the Queen’s first televised Christmas speech, Olive decides to reveal the shocking truth of her secret, which threatens to tear her and Jack apart forever. Unless Christmas has one last gift to deliver…"

 

With the start of fall almost upon us, I have already planned out my holiday reads. High up on that list is this gem! They had me at The Crown meets When Harry Met Sally.  Let me know what you think in the comments below.

 

Mini Reviews: Historical Fantasies

I don't know about you, but I always enjoy a slightly spooky read in the fall and historical fantasies with a touch of magic always fit the bill. These two releases that just came out this year will surely put you in the mood for all things fall.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston

Pages: 368

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: July 23, 2024

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston returns with a new, magic-infused series about Hecate Cavendish, an eccentric and feisty young woman who can see ghosts. England, 1881. Hereford cathedral stands sentinel over the city, keeping its secrets, holding long forgotten souls in its stony embrace. Hecate Cavendish speeds through the cobbled streets on her bicycle, skirts hitched daringly high, heading for her new life as Assistant Librarian. But this is no ordinary collection of books. The cathedral houses an ancient chained library, wisdom guarded for centuries, mysteries and stories locked onto its worn, humble shelves. The most prized artifact, however, is the medieval world map which hangs next to Hecate’s desk. Little does she know how much the curious people and mythical creatures depicted on it will come to mean to her. Nor does she suspect that there are lost souls waiting for her in the haunted cathedral. Some will become her dearest friends. Some will seek her help in finding peace. Others will put her in great peril, and, as she quickly learns, threaten the lives of everyone she loves."

It's Victorian England and young women have very few options. To avoid a marriage, Hecate takes a job as an  assistant librarian at Hereford's Cathedral. While working there, she  realizes that she can communicate with spirits. There are also strange  things happening at the cathedral. In the crypt, bodies are going  missing. This isn't the run-of-the-mill grave robbery though, Hecate  knows something else, possibly sinister, is going on and it's up to her  to figure it out. Paula Brackson's The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is a dark fantasy that has a little bit of everything: a mystery, fun  fantasy elements like ghosts and mythical creatures, a strong  protagonist, and a memorable setting.

Hecate is the kind of character I love in The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish. She is unconventional, adventurous, and daring despite the limits placed on her in the 1880s. I really enjoyed the paranormal elements of the  novel and the setting of a haunted library and cathedral made this the  perfect fall read to cozy up with on a cool evening. Another aspect of  the novel I enjoyed was the setting of Victorian England. I thought  Brackston did a great job bringing it to life. While I enjoyed all these aspects of the novel, I did feel like it didn't stand out as much as I  had hoped for, as this genre is pretty saturated with stellar options,  and on top of that, there's a sequel that will hopefully answer a lot of questions. I was hoping to get more closure in this book; nonetheless,  The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is a solid option for fans of dark fantasy.

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Pages: 387

Pub. Date: April 9, 2024

Publisher: Flatiron

Source: Personal Copy

Other Books By Author: Shadow and Bone, 

and Ninth House

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

 

Goodreads says, "In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family's social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both."

 

The setting is Madrid during the Spanish Inquisition and things are dangerous if you are anything but a "normal" citizen. Luzia is hiding a secret. She isn't an ordinary housemaid. For starters, she is Jewish and hiding her lineage; plus, she also has powers - the ability to cast spells. This is very helpful in her position. She can easily turn burnt bread into fresh and mend a dress quickly. However, when her mistress finds out her secret, things start to get very complicated for Luzia. Her mistress decides to use Luzia's powers to her advantage and gain social standing, but she is found out by a powerful man who then becomes Luzia's patron. He sets her up with his immortal familiar, Guillen Santangel. He will train Luzia for a Royal magical contest and if she wins, Guillen will be released from his patron. As Guillen spends time with Luzia, feelings start to blossom. Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar is a well-written historical fantasy; Bardugo's legions of fans won't be disappointed.
 

Luzia is a fantastic character in The Familiar. I was rooting for her the entire time especially once she entered the magical competition. Also, the setting of the Spanish Inquisition was done well - so atmospheric! I was worried that not only would Luzia's Jewish ancestry get out, but her magical skills as well. The threat of burning at the stake was always looming and Bardugo created such a strong sense of place in this novel. Also, Barudgo's writing is outstanding and despite parts of the novel falling flat for me, her writing and the blend of magic and historical fantasy really carried the story for me. The Familiar is a great choice for historical fantasy lovers this fall.

 

 

So, have you read either of these novels? Are you a fan of Paula Brackston or Leigh Bardugo? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Sea Without a Shore

My kids have always been drawn to non-fiction books, especially ones about the ocean and sea life. We love learning about the ocean, sea creatures, fish, and other marine life. There's so much to discover! 

I'm thrilled to share a new non-fiction picture book with you. It's called Sea Without a Shore: Life in the Sargasso by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Katherine Roy. The story follows a piece of seaweed, offering children an engaging introduction to this fascinating ecosystem. I believe this would be a fantastic addition to any elementary science classroom.

Learn More About the Book:

Sea Without a Shore: Life in the Sargasso

Written by Barb Rosenstock

Illustrated by Katherine Roy

Ages: 4+ | 32 Pages

Publisher: W. W. Norton | ISBN: 9781324016076

Publisher’s Book Summary: "A single piece of seaweed buoys a fascinating ecosystem in this nonfiction picture book from award-winning creators Barb Rosenstock and Katherine Roy.

From bryozoans and snails to shrimps, eels, swordfish, and whales, the Sargasso Sea provides a home to countless types of marine life, thanks to the prevalence of microalgae called sargassum. Following a single blade of this extraordinary seaweed as it grows and spreads, readers see what it provides for the sea’s organisms: a base for hydroids and tube worms to filter and feed, shelter for anemones and nudibranchs and their nutritious waste, hunting grounds for crabs and amphipods, and a source of nourishment and protection for the fish, birds, whales, and reptiles that feed on these smaller creatures.

Through a widening scope on this intricate interdependence, Barb Rosenstock celebrates one of our planet’s most diverse and important ecosystems and the unassuming seaweed that sustains it. Gorgeously illustrated with Katherine Roy’s rich, eye-catching artwork, Sea Without a Shore is as fluid and rhythmic as the currents that shape this tidal home."

You can purchase your own copy of Sea Without a Shore at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Bookshop.  

 

The Giveaway:

I've partnered with W.W. Norton to host a giveaway to celebrate the publication of Sea Without a Shore. Enter for a chance to win a hardcover edition of Sea Without a Shore, autographed by both Barb Rosenstock and Katherine Roy. Good luck! Sea Without a Shore: Book Giveaway

 

New Fall Reads and My Fall TBR List

 

There are so many fantastic books coming out this fall and I am highlighting just a few I've had my eye on, specifically ones that I think will make for great fall reads. Whether they are cozy, thrilling, or downright spooky, there's something here for every reader and every mood. So grab an apple cider or a hot toddy, and check out some of the new reads for fall of 2024. 

New for 2024:

 

 

 

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston (7/23)

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (8/6) 

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (9/10)

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave (9/17)

 

 

 

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman (9/17)

The Midnight Club by Margot Harrison (9/24)

 

 

 

Wrath of the Triple Goddess (Percy Jackson #7) by Rick Riordan (9/24)

The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern by Lynda Cohen Loigman (10/8)

 

 

 

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak (10/8)

The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaramillo (10/8) 

 

 

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (10/8)

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins (10/29)

 

 

The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig (11/5)

 

 

 

Backlist Books on My Fall TBR List:

 

 

Weyward by Emilia Hart

Heartless Hunter by Kristin Ciccarelli

 

 

 

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore

 

 

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

 

 

Let me know what you think and be sure to share the book on your fall TBR list with me in the comments below.